Our National Parks by John Muir, First Edition, 1901

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Our National Parks by John Muir, First Edition, 1901

About the Item

Muir, John, Our National Parks. Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin, and Co., 1901. Octavo, rebound in green cloth and quarter leather. Accompanied by a matching slipcase. This first edition copy of Our National Parks by John Muir was published in November of 1901 by the Houghton, Mifflin and Company out of Boston and New York. The book is a compilation of ten essays and features black and white illustrations and map diagrams throughout. The ten essays included had previously appeared as separately issued articles in the Atlantic Monthly. Scottish-American John Muir was commonly known as “John of the Mountains” or “Father of the National Parks” for the work he did to help protect these preserved lands. As a wilderness explorer, he is renowned for his exciting adventures in California's Sierra Nevada, among Alaska's glaciers, and worldwide travels in search of nature's beauty. As a writer, he taught the public the importance of experiencing and protecting our natural lands. His writings contributed greatly to the creation of Yosemite, Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Petrified Forest, and Grand Canyon National Parks. In 1892, John Muir and other supporters formed the Sierra Club "to make the mountains glad." The Sierra Club still operates today in the United States as a conservation-based environmental organization. As a result of Muir’s urging, President Theodore Roosevelt passed many pioneering conservation programs, including establishing the first national monument under the Antiquities Act in 1906, which protected Devils Tower, a well-known geological formation in Crook County, Wyoming. Before President Roosevelt left office in 1909 he signed proclamations establishing eighteen national monuments. Six were created primarily to preserve historic and prehistoric structures, twelve were created primarily to preserve "other objects . . . of scientific interest". Our National Parks urges readers to go forth and experience nature as Muir did throughout his life. Written in his enthusiastic and spirited writing style, with anecdotal experiences and first-hand accounts of his own time in nature, Muir’s Our National Parks established a guide to American national parks. The book captures his passion for nature and champions his desire to protect the lands he loved so much. “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life. Awakening from the stupefying effects of the vice of over-industry and the deadly apathy of luxury, they are trying as best they can to mix and enrich their own little ongoings with those of Nature, and to get rid of rust and disease.” - John Muir, Our National Parks Condition: This 1901 first edition copy is in very good condition with no signs of foxing or staining. It features marbled end pages and is rebound in a beautiful hunter green cloth and quarter calf leather binding. The original gilded title from the book’s front board is preserved and pasted to a custom-made matching green slipcover. The book’s spine features gilt tooling with flower motifs and raised bands.

Dimensions:
Height: 9 in (22.86 cm)Width: 6 in (15.24 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1900-1909
Date of Manufacture:
1901
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Colorado Springs, CO
Reference Number:
Seller: BK00711stDibs: LU909711553283