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Author: Foster, G[eorge] G.
Title: The Gold Regions of California: Being a Succinct Description of the Geography, History, Topography, and General Features of California: Including a Carefully Prepared Account of the Gold Regions of that Fortunate Country. Prepared from Original Documents and Other Authentic Sources
Place Published: New York
Publisher:DeWitt & Davenport
Date Published: 1848
Description:
80 pp. With woodcut frontispiece map. 25x16 cm (9¾x6"), original decorative wrappers lithographically printed in gold, paper cover and slipcase. First Edition, in Second Edition wrapper.

Rare, early pamphlet on the Gold Regions, the first "considerable" one according to Edward Eberstadt, who also states that the author was the first to suggest going to California in companies or associations. Foster, in the introduction, also predicts that a fortune could be made by the enterprising wheelwright, blacksmith, carpenter, shoemaker, etc. The body of the work itself is a compilation of some of the earliest reports of the gold discovery and features the writings of Farnham, Mason, Doniphan, Larkin, Folsom, Fremont, Colton, and others, as well as articles from the June and August issues of The Californian. The map is, according to Wheat, one of the earliest to mention the Gold Region. The wrapper title is "The Gold Mines of California," and Sabin lists that as the title of the first issue, with "Gold Regions" being the title of the second issue. Kurutz states; the later issues, or editions, of which there were four the first year, were virtually identical to the first except for the edition statement on the title-page and front wrapper. This a seldom seen first edition in second edition wrapper (second edition stated on top of front panel). Graff 1387; Howes F287; Kurutz 250a/b; Mintz 160; Rock 15810; Streeter 2529; Wheat Books 77; Wheat Maps of the Gold Region 39.

Light wear to slipcase; rear wrapper detached, chips, tears and some soiling, darkening, six advertising leaves not present, scattered finger soiling and foxing, light creasing; good.