|
Frederick Law
Olmsted's
A Journey through Texas, or a Saddle-Trip on the
Western Frontier
Edited by with
an introduction by Randolph B. Campbell
The William P.
Clements Center for Southwest Studies and DeGolyer
Library, Southern Methodist University announce a
publication in the Library of Texas Series edited by
David J. Weber and David Farmer
A landscape
architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, is known today for his design of university
campuses, private estates, and parks—most notably Central Park in New York
City. In his younger life, though, Olmsted was hired by the New York Daily
Times to write about the land and people of Texas and, above all, to judge
the impact of slavery on that frontier state. Between December 1853 and May
1854, Olmsted traveled from the Sabine River to the Rio Grande, penning fifteen
letters published in the Times. Frederick’s younger brother John, who
traveled with him, compiled the letters and published them in book form in
1857. The first printing of Journey through Texas (2,500 copies) was a
great success and since then has become a classic for its revealing portrait of
Texas society before the Civil War. It has been reprinted in various editions,
in both German and English, but none have had the benefit, as does this edition,
of scholarly annotation or an index.
The Library of
Texas edition comes with an authoritative introduction and annotation by
Randolph B. Campbell, Regent’s Professor in the Department of History at the
University of North Texas and author of a number of acclaimed books, including
Gone to Texas: A History of the Lone Star State (2003). This edition of
Olmsted was handsomely designed by Bradley Hutchison and printed on acid-free
paper. We have printed 500 copies, of which 450 are for sale. Our edition
cannot be purchased through retail bookshops.
|
