HARLOW, Louis Kinney (1850-1913). Army Memories. New York: Koch, Sons, & Co, 1887. Folio. (18 3/8 x 16 inches). Mounted on guards throughout. 12 mounted tinted (2) or chromo-lithographed (10) plates, the first plate with an integral title on a plain card mount, the 11 others with card mounts decorated with tinted lithographic vignettes, all 12 of the mounts with paper labels with captions laid onto the verso, each label printed in blue with the plate number, title, and sub-title or related text. All twelve plates signed by Harlow in pencil on the mount. Expertly bound to style in dark red half morocco over original dark green cloth-covered boards, the upper cover titled in gilt, spine in six compartments with raised bands, lettered in the second compartment, the others with repeat decoration in gilt, marbled endpapers.

Very rare: the deluxe issue of one of the great American chromolithographically illustrated works and a wonderful graphic representation of the Civil War.

Harlow, who was born in Maine, lived in Boston and was both an etcher and painter. His subjects (unlike the present series) were usually landscapes, and he provided the colour lithographer Louis Prang with a stream of watercolour views of New England that were used in his illustrated works. The present series demonstrate Koch's mastery of both the technical aspects of printing as well as the aesthetic problems presented in the design of the book. The subjects include generic views of army life as well as portraits of specific individuals: Grant at Vicksburg with Generals Sherman, Logan and McPherson; and a second portrait of General Sherman on horseback at the outset of his armies' march to the sea.

This copy the deluxe issue, one of an unspecified but limited number, with each plate signed by Harlow.