1833 Mary Austin Holley's Texas, complete with map

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AUTHOR: Mary Austin Holley, with a fine map by Hooker.

TITLE: Texas. Observations, Historical, Geographical and Descriptive, in a Series of Letters, Written during a Visit to Austin's Colony with a View to a Permanent Settlement in that Country, in the Autumn of 1831.

PUBLICATION DATA: 1833. Armstrong & Plaskitt. First edition, third issue, with printed copyright notice on verso of title page. Hooker map is in Streeter's second state, with Hooker's name beneath the title.

It is with full Texan hearts that we present to you the crown jewel of Texana - the first book written in the English language devoted entirely to Texas, penned by Stephen F. Austin's cousin with a little help from the Father of Texas himself.

Mrs. Holley was a widow in 1831 when she voyaged to Bolivar to assist her brother in establishing a home there. She fell in love with the land, and with her distant cousin, Austin, and stuck around for a bit. Ron Tyler did the math and, based on Mrs. Holley's writings surrounding the book's publication, figured that only about 400 of these were printed. One of those copies was sent to her kissing cousin, Austin, while he was imprisoned in Mexico. In a later work, Holley wrote that the book was translated for Santa Anna "who obtained from it all he knew about the country." One wonders if Santa Anna had a copy of Hooker's map with him on his fateful march into Texas. Although she didn't say any unkind words about Santa Anna in the book, she did urge separate statehood for Texas and suggests that "an unwise course of administration, on the part of the general government, might provoke a separation."

Yes it did, Mrs. Holley.

Condition report:

Original publisher's purple cloth has faded, but has still retains some of its original purple pigment. Gilt cartouche to front cover, around the prettiest word on this planet: Texas. Book was rebacked by the last owner but original spine panel was affixed to rear pastedown. The bindery also made a slipcase for the book, covered in the same material used to replace the spine. Covers show some surface rubbing. Internals are foxed, with the darkest of the stuff on the preliminaries (does not interfere with text legibility.)

The fine map by W. Hooker is lightly age toned, with one spot of oxidized ink (or a bloody fingerprint...I can't decide which) in the upper left margin. One short, closed tear where the map meets the book's binding, with no loss of paper. No tears at folds. Map measures 13.25" x 10.75."

Why It Matters:

Before the Revolution...before the Republic...there was Austin's Colony. This book represents the first published work in the genre of enticing people to Texas, to Austin's grants. Many promoters (and detractors) would follow it up with their own works, but this was the only one Austin himself had a hand in writing. We call it the Holy Grail of Texana.

Provenance: from the estate of astute Panhandle Texana collectors, O. C. and Louise Holt, book and ranch cohorts of J. Evetts Haley.