New Arrivals
Our Catalogues
Bargains
At Auction
Book Searches
Wanted Books
We Buy Books
About Us
Contact Us
Terms of Trade
Rock's Articles
Links
Home
Place a secure order or direct inquiry by clicking the appropriate link following any book description on this page. Or call toll free, 1-877-626-1363, to order or inquire by telephone. Thank you for your interest!
9285 . Adams, W[illiam]. The Modern Voyager and Traveller Through Europe, Asia, Africa, and America (Vol. III, "America," only) .
London: Henry Fisher, Son, and P. Jackson, 1836. Duodecimo, 3/4 cloth , Colored plates, fold-out map , vi, 460 pages. Condition: Near Fine. This is the single volume on the Americas only. Many interesting observations through British eyes, including impressions of Old and New California in this early period, Brazilian women, taverns of Pennsylvania, steamboats, and more. Perhaps of most interest are the comments regarding slavery. Illustrated with several hand-colored plates and a fold-out frontispiece map. Collated complete. Fully indexed. Professionally rebound in marbled paper over boards with blue cloth spine and fore corners, spine title in gilt. New endpapers. Interior textblock shows occasional foxing or finger soil.
Book #9285
$175.00 order or inquire Americana Travel Guides colored plates New York Canada Slavery Brazil Frontier California
7784 . [California]. The Chapter in Your Life entitled San Francisco: Some Notes of Introduction Together with 81 Photographs .
San Francisco: Californians Inc., 1936; First printing. Duodecimo, Wrappers , black & white photographs, illus. , [64] pages. Condition: Near Fine. Charming narrative tour of San Francisco and its history, along with many interesting photographs of the city. This booklet was issued in late 1936, before the Golden Gate Bridge had been completed but after the completion of the Bay Bridge to Oakland, and there are photographs of both bridge projects herein. After extolling the virtues of San Francisco and California in general in words and pictures, the book concludes with this caveat and striking contextual reminder: "While attractions for tourists are unlimited in San Francisco and its outdoorland it is necessary to advise those seeking employment not to come here at this time, lest they be disappointed. When Opportunity arises we will gladly make it known." Pale orange wraps with title and drawing printed in black on a dark orange block on front cover, saddle-stapled binding. Some light edge browning, a few extremity rubs, and a couple of small black specks at lower fore corner of front cover.
Book #7784
$25.00 order or inquire CA: San Francisco Travel Guides Great Depression Golden Gate Bridge Oakland Bay Bridge Alcatraz City Histories Gold Rush Yosemite
6282 . Cobb, Irvin S. Roughing It De Luxe .
New York: George H. Doran Company, (1914); First printing. Duodecimo, Full cloth , Drawings by John T. McCutcheon , 219 pages. Condition: Very Good. Rather amusing account of a rail trip through the west, including the Grand Canyon, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Cobb was a popular humorist of the day, and his witty observations of California society in the early 1900s are priceless. Grey cloth over boards with black stamped spine and upper board lettering, pictorial label onlay on upper board. A few light edge rubs, some minor soil to cloth, spine slightly cocked. All in all an attractive and sound copy.
Book #6282
$22.00 order or inquire California Grand Canyon Arizona Navajo San Francisco Los Angeles Western Santa Fe Railroad John T. McCutcheon
7888 . Converse, Frank H. The Gold of Flat Top Mountain .
New York: Street & Smith, Publishers, (1900). Duodecimo, Full cloth , full page black & white drawings , 264 pages. Condition: Very Good. This uncommon adventure story for boys is set in a Western mining town, and was originally serialized in Argosy Magazine in the late 1880s. Bound in black cloth over boards with color-stamped illustration on upper board, gilt-stamped spine title. Shallow bumps to extremities, prior owner bookplate on front pastedown and same owner name pencilled on front free endpaper. A few finger soil marks occasionally in margins. Some light rubs to upper board illustration. Nice copy of this uncommon boys' adventure story.
Book #7888
$35.00 order or inquire Juv Adventure Gold Rush gold mining Argosy Magazine serialization First Editions boys' series western americana
3281 . Downey, Sheridan. They Would Rule the Valley .
San Francisco: Privately Printed, 1947; First printing. Octavo, Full cloth , B&w photographs , [vi], 256 pgs.. Condition: Near fine in a worn dust jacket. Jacket in Mylar protector.
SIGNED "Compliments / Sheridan Downey" on front free endpaper. Battle over California's most vital resource--water. Senator Downey wrote this book to inform Californians of what he believed was the Federal Government's efforts to impose undue economic restrictions on agriculture via the Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Reclamation. Bound in green cloth over boards with black stamped spine and upper board lettering. Mild browning to textblock edges. Prior owner name pencilled on front free endpaper. Jacket has some edge chips of up to 1.5" in depth, faint dampstaining along folds, moderate edge wrinkles.
Book #3281
$22.00 order or inquire CALIFORNIA Fresno county Irrigation Kern county Canals Central Valley San Joaquin Valley Farming History Signed by author
2234 . Duffus, R. L. The Tower of Jewels: Memories of San Francisco .
New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1960; First printing. Octavo, Quarter cloth , 250 pages. Condition: Near fine in a very good, price-clipped dust jacket. Jacket in Mylar protector.
Early 20th century newspaperman's memoirs of 'The San Francisco Bulletin,' its great Fremont Older, and the city itself. Yellow textured paper sides, red cloth spine, gilt stamped spine lettering.Minor rubs and edge wrinkles to cloth at spine ends. Jacket has some light soil, minor rubbed edge wrinkles, some surface abrasions, and two closed edge tears to front panel with associated creasing. Illustrated endpapers. Attractive, jacketed copy.
Book #2234
$9.00 order or inquire California San Francisco Journalism Newspapers Reporters Urban Fremont Older
8550 . Gibbs, Jim. West Coast Windjammers in Story and Pictures .
Seattle: Superior Publishing Company, (1968); First printing. Quarto, Full cloth , Black & White photographs , 192 pages. Condition: Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket in Mylar protector. Expert account of the sailing ships that carried the early pioneers around the Horn and help build the West coast of the United States. Chapters on the golden age of sail, principal shipbuilders on the west coast, information from logbooks, and more. Profusely illustrated with historic photographs, which are indexed at rear. Appendices list ships over 100 tons built on the Pacific coast between 1850 and 1921, along with specifications, builders' names, etc. Bound in dark blue cloth over boards with spine and upper board lettered in black. Jacket has a few minor extremity rubs and was manufactured about 1/8" too narrow.
Book #8550
$25.00 order or inquire Sailing Ships Pacific Ocean California Oregon Washington Seattle Schooners lumber and logging San Francisco
9963 . Gleason, Duncan. The Islands and Ports of California: A Guide to Coastal California .
New York: Devin-Adair Company, 1958; First printing. Quarto, Full cloth , black and white illustrations , xvi, 201 pages. Condition: Very Good in a Good Dust Jacket. Jacket in Mylar protector.
Story of each island and every important harbor from San Diego to Humboldt Bay, illustrated with many of Gleason's own paintings and drawings. TOY #2940. Bound in light blue cloth over boards with copper-gilt stamping to spine and upper board, touch of fading to board edges, prior owner name stamped on front pastedown. Jacket has edge rubs, small chips, and a few tears closed with tape by a prior owner.
Book #9963
$15.00 order or inquire CA: Geography California Ca Geography Catalina Island San Diego San Francisco Monterey Bay Los Angeles
9282 . Grover, Sherwood. Life and Hard Times, or Sherwood Grover's Twenty-five Years With The Grabhorn Press .
[Bethesda]: Gallimaufry Press, 1970; Limited edition. Quarto, Wrappers , [ii], 12, [2] pages. Condition: Near Fine. Interesting anecdotes of the famed San Francisco fine printers, Ed and Bob Grabhorn. One of 200 copies handset and printed by Ken Hammel. Slight ripple to top fore corner of front cover, shallow bump at heel of spine.
Book #9282
$30.00 order or inquire Fine Presses San Francisco Ed Grabhorn Bob Grabhorn Printing Typography Books About Books California book arts
7699 . Helmich, Mary A. and Pauline G. Spear. A Gold Rush Merchant's Manual or, How to Appear as a Mid-19th Century Store in a 21st Century World .
(S.l.): Office of Interpretive Services, California Depart 1989. Quarto, Wrappers , Black & white drawings, illustrations , [vi], 188 pages. Condition: Very good. Excellent source of detailed information on gold rush merchants, their suppliers, how they operated, what the interiors looked like, what the merchandise looked like, how they advertised, and much more. Valuable reference for reenactors, tour guides, movie set designers, etc. Perfect-bound in light blue paper covers with black paper over spine. A few corner creases to front cover, minor edge wear.
Book #7699
$50.00 order or inquire Gold Rush California Sacramento Business History Merchants Stores Mercantile San Francisco Retail
6897 . Lott, Arnold S. A Long Line of Ships: Mare Island's Century of Naval Activity in California (Signed, Ltd. Ed.) .
Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, (1954); Limited edition. Quarto, Full cloth , Black & White photographs, cuts , xiv, 268 pages. Condition: Very good. No dust jacket. Informative and well written history of this U.S. Navy yard near San Francisco. Many interesting anecdotes, such as the visit of Russian Admiral Popoff's squadron for repairs during the Civil War, the transition from sail to coal to oil powered ships, Mare Island's role during the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, etc. Also has much information on the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and the ship repair and construction activities during World War II. This is the special, limited, de luxe edition of 500 copies, of which this is copy #28. SIGNED by Lott on half title. Dark blue cloth over boards with gilt stamped spine and upper board, illustrated endpapers. A few tiny extremity bumps, a bit of scattered browning to endpapers, small label at lower inner margin of rear pastedown.
Book #6897
$50.00 order or inquire CA: History Mare Island Navy Yard U.S. Navy Vallejo Shipbuilding Pearl Harbor World War II Submarines California
7141 . Newell, Gordon ad Joe Williamson. Pacific Lumber Ships .
Seattle: Superior Publishing Company, (1960); First printing. Quarto, Full cloth , Black & White photographs , 192 pages. Condition: Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket in Mylar protector. Profusely illustrated chronicle of sail and steam ships that plied the lumber trade in and out of Pacific ports like Seattle, Tacoma, Eureka, San Francisco, and even Honolulu. An excellent collection of old photographs and salty sea stories. See ALBION, p. 150. Bound in grey cloth over boards with dark blue spine lettering. Jacket has minor extremity rubs, faint old price rewritten at top fore corner of front flap.
Book #7141
$35.00 order or inquire Lumber Business Sawmills Steamships sailing schooners redwood coast California seattle, Washington Pacific Northwest Logging
10864 . Paddack, William C. Life on the Ocean, or Thirty-Five Years at Sea. Being the Personal Adventures of the Author, William C. Paddack, for Twenty-Eight Years Captain in the Merchant Service of the United States .
Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1893; First printing. Duodecimo, Original cloth , black and white photographic plates , xiv, 242 pages. Condition: Very good, ex library. No dust jacket. Rich memoir of adventure at sea, including Captain Paddack's reminiscences of whaling in the Pacific aboard the ship Planter (1848-51), digging gold in California, voyages in the Mediterranean, voyages in the West Indies, the China trade, and much more. This copy bears the ownership signature of William F. Macy. FORSTER #79. Bound in green cloth over boards with dark brown endpapers, spine titled in gilt, top edge gilt. Mild external rubs and wear, private library catalogue number in gold at heel of spine.
Book #10864
$35.00 order or inquire Whaling William F. Macy California West Indies Voyages Merchant Marine Sailors China trade Ship Captains
6706 . Powell, E. Alexander. The End of the Trail: The Far West from New Mexico to British Columbia .
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1914; First printing. Octavo, Full cloth , black & white photographic plates , xvi, 463 pages. Condition: Very Good. Chronicle of an adventurous and early (if not the first!) automobile trek from the Mexican border to the Alaskan border. The author wanted to see and record the last vestiges of true frontier, and felt that none such could be "seen from the terraces of tourist hostelries or the observation platforms of transcontinental trains." Many interesting photographs including American Indians, cowboys, California oil fields, Yosemite, Oregon and Washington. Fold-out map at rear. Bound in green cloth over boards with gilt stamped spine and upper board lettering, gilt outlined scene on upper board, top edge gilt. Light extremity rubs, lettering on spine somewhat dulled, contemporary prior ownership name on front free endpaper and inscription on preliminary blank leaf. Both hinges tender, last four leaves show some silverfish holes at top fore corners. Still a very handsome copy.
Book #6706
$25.00 order or inquire West Coast Region California New Mexico Arizona Oregon Washington British Columbia Automobiles Adventure
7848 . Robinson, Zirkle D. (1810-1867), edited with Introduction by Francis Coleman Rosenberger. The Robinson-Rosenberger Journey to the Gold Fields of California, 1849-1850 .
Iowa City: Prairie Press, (1966); First printing. Octavo, Hardcover , [xvi], 26 pages. Condition: Good in a very good, price-clipped dust jacket. Jacket in Mylar protector. The first publication of this diary of the overland trek to California by Zirkle Robinson, his brother Joseph, and his brother-in-law Wesley Allen Rosenberger. They were native Virginians from the Shenandoah Valley, and set out by land from the town of Virginia, Illinois for California's riches in March, 1849. They had to return just a year later because Rosenberger became ill, and he died just before they got back home. Robinson was a keen observer of the country through which the party passed. Bound in decorated paper over boards with brown cloth spine, gilt-stamped spine title. Prior owner gift inscription on front free endpaper has smudged a bit, with some offsetting to facing pastedown and front jacket flap. The book is otherwise clean and free of wear. Jacket has a few shallow edge wrinkles.
Book #7848
$30.00 order or inquire Gold Rush California Journals Diaries Shenandoah Valley Virginia gold panning Mining Overland Trails
8986 . Rudkin, Charles N[athan]. (Compiler). Early California Travels Series: A Chronological Summary Index and Descriptive List .
Los Angeles: Glen Dawson, 1961; First printing. Duodecimo, Full cloth , Color frontispiece , x, 178 pages. Condition: Fine. One of 250 copies. Comprehensive reference to the series, including chronological and numerical lists of the volumes published plus indexes by contributor and subject. Errata page bound in at rear. Grey cloth over boards with gilt title on a red spine label. Foxing to top edge of textblock.
Book #8986
$50.00 order or inquire CA: Early History Bibliographies Books About Books Indexes Los Angeles reference books California bibliographical
7698 . Russell, Carl Parcher (Foreword by Newton B. Drury). One Hundred Years in Yosemite: The Story of a Great Park and Its Friends .
Berkeley: University of California Press, 1947. Octavo, Full cloth , black & white photographic plates , xviii, 226 pages. Condition: Near Fine in a Very Good Dust Jacket. Jacket in Mylar protector. An excellent history of the region and ultimately the establishment and evolution of Yosemite National Park. Many interesting historic photographs. Fold-out map is pristine. Also contains a very good bibliography of other published works about Yosemite. Revised edition of SIX GUNS #1913. Bound in dark green cloth over boards with gilt-stamped lettering on black title block on spine. Prior ownership stamp on front free endpaper. Jacket has a 3/4" tear with some mild associated wrinkling at top edge of front panel, other minor extremity rubs.
Book #7698
$30.00 order or inquire CA: History Yosemite John Muir Theodore Roosevelt Stephen Mather Sierra Nevada Sierra Club conservation National Parks
10797 . Sargent, Shirley (Foreword by Horace M. Albright). Yosemite and Its Innkeepers: The Story of a Great Park and Its Chief Concessionaires .
Yosemite: Flying Spur Press, (1975); First printing. Quarto, Full cloth , black and white photographs, maps , ix, [10]-176 pages. Condition: Near fine in a very good, price clipped dust jacket. Jacket in Mylar protector. Well researched history of the origins of tourist goods and services businesses in Yosemite. Much on the legendary Curry family. Includes 163 rare photographs, the majority of which (including some by Ansel Adams) appeared here for the first time. Bound in red cloth over boards with spine titled in gilt, endpaper maps. Light rubs at edges. Jacket has some overall mild browning and a few minor stains, one short edge tear at top edge of rear panel, and another at bottom edge of rear panel.
Book #10797
$25.00 order or inquire CA: Places California Ansel Adams Yosemite YP & CC Curry Village Ahwahnee Hotel National Parks Jennie and David Curry
1898 . Stindt, Fred A. Matson's Century of Ships (Updated Edition) .
(Modesto, CA): Privately Printed, (1991); Second Edition. Quarto, Hardcover , Black & White photographs, illustrations , 327 pages. Condition: Fine in a Fine Dust Jacket. Jacket in Mylar protector. Captain William Matson sailed his three-masted schooner 'Emma Claudina' from San Francisco to Hawaii in 1882, and in the subsequent century the Matson Navigation Company owned 21 sailing ships, 110 steamers, 2 motor vessels, 8 tugs, and 4 barges. This is the definitive history of the line and includes well researched accounts of every vessel in the company's 100 years of service in the Pacific, photographs of all the ships plus selected ship plans, including some of the famous World War II Liberty ships. This revised edition contains updates through 1991 as well as some corrections to the original 1982 edition. Bound in blue textured paper over boards with gilt stamped spine lettering and gilt stamped emblem on upper board, pictorial endpapers. A few tiny extremity rubs, jacket has a few small rubs along lower joint fold, otherwise clean and bright.
Book #1898
$75.00 order or inquire Shipping Lines Merchant marine Cruise ships South Pacific Liberty ships Hawaiian Hawaii Ocean Liners Freighters
10498 . [U. S. Army Coast Artillery] Foreword by Brig. Gen. C. D. Y. Ostrom. CARTC Camp McQuaide .
(S.l.): (s.n.), [1942]. Twenty-fourmo, Wrappers , Black & white cuts, map drawings , 31 pages. Condition: Fine. Handbook for new recruits to the Coast Artillery Replacement Training Center which operated at Camp McQuaide from 1942-1943. There is information on the facilities and activities at the post as well as a section on "Amusements in Town." Includes a centerfold map of the camp. Rather scarce. Camp McQuaide was on coast of Monterey Bay just west of Watsonville, California and is today occupied by Monterey Bay Academy. Bound in textured paper covers over a saddle-stapled binding, front cover printed in red and black. A few tiny extremity rubs.
Book #10498
$125.00 order or inquire Training and Camps Watsonville Camp McQuade Monterey Bay Academy California Coastal Handbooks World War II
3126 . White, Charles T. Formative Years in the Far West: A History of Standard Oil Company of California and Predecessors Through 1919 .
New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, (1962). Quarto, Full cloth , B&w photographs , xvi, 694 pages. Condition: Very good in a tattered dust jacket. Jacket in Mylar protector.
In tracing the early development of California's oil industry White also provides a wealth of interesting state history. Contains many interesting historical photographs, portraits of prominent players, maps, production data, appendices, and more. An essential California title. Red cloth over boards with gilt and dark blue stamping to spine, endpaper diagrams. Slight concavity to spine. Prior ownership name and date at top of front free endpaper. Jacket is well worn, faded, with a large section of rear flap lacking. Several edge chips and ragged tears. Text on flaps is complete.
Book #3126
$30.00 order or inquire CALIFORNIA Oil Petroleum Industry Mining Drilling Western Expansion Los Angeles San Francisco Rockefeller
8909 . White, Stewart Edward. Old California in Picture and Story .
Garden City: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc., 1937; First printing. Folio, Original cloth , color and black & white prints , xii, 122 pages. Condition: Near Fine. No dust jacket. Entertaining narrative accompanied by numerous full-page contemporary prints which originally appeared in Harry T. Peters' "California on Stone." Bound in tan cloth over boards with spine titled and decorated in blue and gilt, upper board has title and scene blocked in dark blue. Some mild soil to exterior, prior owner bookplate on front pastedown, inscription on front free endpaper. Binding sound.
Book #8909
$20.00 order or inquire CA: Early History San Francisco Gold Rush Lithographs Miners 49ers harry t. peters Scenes Artists
7777 . Wierzbicki, F[elix]. P[aul]. (1815-1860) (Introduction by George D. Lyman). California as it is, and as it may be, or, a Guide to the Gold Region .
New York: Burt Franklin, (1970); Reprint. Octavo, Full cloth , Drawings by Valenti Angelo , xxxii, 104 pages. Condition: Fine. Disturbed by the wildly exaggerated accounts of the California gold fields in 1849, exiled Pole and physician Wierzbicki wrote this guide as a bit of an antidote. His little guide was apparently the first book in English to be printed north of Mexico and west of the Rockies, and certainly the first to tell the truth about the gold diggings--"Those from distant parts who on mere sound of the discovery of gold in California, rush head-long, sometimes leaving very good business and comfortable living, cannot but rue the day, if they put their sole dependence upon their success in the mines." This edition is reprinted from the Grabhorn Press edition of 1933. George Lyman's fascinating introduction provides much of what is known of Wierzbicki's life. See ZAMORANO 80, #79. Bound in dark green cloth over boards with gilt-stamped spine title.
Book #7777
$25.00 order or inquire CA: Early History Gold Rush San Francisco Sacramento California Valenti Angelo Mormon Island Placer Mining American River
10308 . Woodruff, Jacqueline McCart. Benicia: The Promise of California, 1846-1889 .
[Vallejo, CA]: (s.n.), (1947). Octavo, Wrappers , black and white sketches , 84 pages. Condition: Very Good. History of this port city in northern California, based heavily on original sources. Sketches by Bernice Herger. Minor rubs to extremities, slight browning to spine, small bump at head of spine.
Book #10308
$50.00 order or inquire CA: History California San Francisco sacramento river Mariano G. Vallejo Robert Semple Thomas O. Larkin Gold Rush Pioneers
8747 . Wurm, Theodore G. and Alvin C. Graves. The Crookedest Railroad in the World: A history of the Mt. Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railroad of California .
Fresno: Academy Library Guild, 1954; First printing. Octavo, Full cloth , black & white photographs, drawings , 121 pages. Condition: Near Fine. No dust jacket. Well illustrated narrative of the scenic railroad that ran between Mill Valley and the summit of Mt. Tamalpais for 34 years. Scale drawings of some rolling stock, including Shay locomotive No. 8, a gravity car, and two passenger coaches. Good bibliography. Bound in dark brown cloth over boards with spine lettered in gilt, endpaper maps. A few minor extremity rubs, prior owner bookplate on front pastedown, small bookseller label at lower fore corner of blank page at rear.
Book #8747
$25.00 order or inquire Railway Lines Railroads San Francisco Mill Valley Muir Woods Tamalpais Tavern Bolinas California Shay locomotives
| Send Email | Our Inventory | Book Articles | We Buy Books | OP Search | Home |