The books in the John Cushman Abbott Exhibit paint a picture both literally and figuratively of the Mississippi River Valley in the first half of the 19th century. A spy, a royal adventurer, a missionary, an astronomer, an artist, a governor, and an entrepreneur reveal the frontier to us through dramatic narratives and stunning illustrations.
This supplement to the exhibit gives information about these colorful authors and their books, and includes slide shows of the books' illustrations.
Presented in chronological order of exploration or residence in the Mississippi River Valley...
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THE SPY
Georges-Henri-Victor Collot
author of Voyage dans l'Amérique Septentrionale (illustrated by Jean Baptiste Pierre Tardieu) -
THE ROYAL ADVENTURER
Paul Wilhelm, Duke of Wurttemberg
author of Erste Reise nach dem Nördlichen Americka in den Jahren 1822 bis 1824 -
THE MISSIONARY
John Mason Peck
author of A Guide for Emigrants and A Gazetteer of Illinois -
THE ASTRONOMER
Joseph Nicolas Nicollet
author of Report Intended to Illustrate a Map of the Hydrographical Basin of the Upper Mississippi River -
THE ARTIST
John Caspar Wild
author of The Valley of the Mississippi Illustrated in a Series of Views -
THE GOVERNOR
Thomas Ford
author of A History of Illinois, from its Commencement as a State in 1818 to 1847 -
THE ENTREPRENEUR
Henry Lewis
Das Illustrirte Mississippithal
from Voyage dans l'Amérique Septentrionale.