| J. H. Richard Fauna of the American West The lithographs below are by J. H. Richard and are cut primarily from various volumes of the monumental Pacific Railroad Survey (Reports of Explorations and Surveys to Ascertain the Most Practical and Economical Route for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean Made Under the Direction of the Secretary of the War, in 1853-4, According to Acts of Congress of March 3, 1853, May 31, 1854, and August 5, 1854). The plates are printed on heavy stock and, are generally in excellent condition, though there is usually age toning in the margins. Several plates are from J. M. Gilliss' U.S. Naval Astronomical Expedition to the Southern Hemisphere during the years 1849-50, 51, 52, (USN) published in Washington, 1855. These plates, which are a little thinner, have more age toning and a little foxing. (For more J. H. Richard prints, see William Emory .) |
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Several government-sponsored expeditions of the 1840s and 50s had explored possible routes for a transcontinental railroad, but it was not until the various expeditions that resulted in the massive, multi-volume Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to Ascertain the....Route for a Railroad From the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean (USPRR Surveys) that systematic data for such a project was collected. With regional interests each contending for a favorable route, the result was stalemate. In attempt to surmount this problem, Congress authorized four (ultimately five) surveys to determine the most practical route. Each survey leader naturally promoted the virtues of his own survey, and so the Congressional deadlock continued, unresolved until after the Civil War. The route ultimately chosen ran along the 38th parallel from Kansas City to the Pacific as surveyed by John W. Gunnison and, following his death at the hands of the Ute Indians, by Edward G. Beckwith. In all, over 700 paintings and drawings were produced. In his Prints of the West , Ron Tyler estimates that the surveys cost some $455,000 while the publication costs totaled $1,200,000 --not an excessive figure considering that the Pacific Surveys resulted in 295,000 individually bound volumes and 19,560,000 illustrative plates. REPORTS OF EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS, TO ASCERTAIN THE
MOST PRACTICABLE AND ECONOMIC ROUTE
FOR A RAILROAD FROM THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO THE PACIFIC
OCEAN
Vol. I-X: (U.S. Senate, 33rd Cong. 2nd sess. Exec. Doc. 78) Washington: Beverley Tucker, 1855-1859 Vol. XI: (U.S. Senate. 36th Cong., 2nd sess., Exec. Doc. unnumbered) Washington: George W. Bowman, 1861 Vol. XII (U.S. Senate, 33rd. Cong., 1st sess., Exec. Doc. unnumbered) Washington: Thomas H. Ford, 1860. |
| Size: 9 x 11.5 inches |
J. H. Richard
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