"Into an Alkali Valley": The First Written Account of Death Valley

Limited Edition. No. 169 of 250 copies printed by the Ward Ritchie Press. Original publisher's beige paper wrappers with staple binding. 5 3/4" x 8 3/4." Eight pages, complete. Tipped-in errata in back (corrects the direction of San Bernardino from Salt Lake). Pages are pristine and intact. Binding is tight. Covers are very clean and intact except for a few light smudges on front and back and slight wear to extremities. A Near Fine copy. Fascinating history of some of the earliest accounts of Death Valley written by European settlers. E. I. Edwards writes an introduction about said accounts of the infamous desert region and focuses on a group of gold-seeking pioneers named the "Jayhawkers." They were one of several contingents who separated from a group traveling from Salt Lake City to San Bernardino during the California Gold Rush. Edwards briefly references a few historical accounts of Death Valley by different pioneers. However, reprinted herein is the only account taken at the time of the Jayhawkers' treacherous passage through Death Valley, the diary kept by Sheldon Young from December 24-31, 1849. Printed by the Ward Ritchie Press. Ward Ritchie (1905-1996) was an American printer, book designer, author, and book collector. He was a prominent figure of the printing and artist community of Southern California. Through his Ward Ritchie Press, he published thousands of books, many of which he personally designed. Ritchie was also one of the founders of the Rounce & Coffin Club. Back colophon: "250 copies of this limited edition printed December 1, 1948 by the Ward Ritchie Press; This is copy No. 169.".…