This work is famous for including the very FIRST PUBLISHED VIEW OF AUSTIN, the capital of Texas, HERE IN EARLY COLOUR. Streeter identifies two earlier eye-witness engravings of views in Texas: ‘A Visit to Texas’, New York, 1834 and the engravings in Francis Moore ‘map and Description of Texas’ 1840. This work by A.B. Lawrence, ‘Texas in 1840’, bears a very fine lithographic birds-eye view by J. Lowe after a drawing by Edward Hall. It was published in two versions; uncoloured and in the preferred original colour as offered here. Later editions of the work bear a different engraved plate.

It is listed as one of the Basic Texas Books to collect and Streeter noted its content of the social life, interest to emigrants along with instructions. It also recounts the journey of Reverend A. B. Lawrence, editor of the New Orleans Presbyterian from Galveston through Houston to Austin in 1840. On the way he passes through Washington-on-the-Brazos, Rutersville, La Grange, and Bastrop. There are chapters on its botany, zoology and geology. There is a large section on an interview with General Edward Burleson about his campaigns with the native Indian population. A further interesting chapter is number nine which discusses the ease with which cattle may be raised and that cattle left wild will increase naturally, ‘doubling their number every three or four years’ (p. 131).

It is however for the view of Austin which this book is justly well known, it is of great importance. It is dated January 1, 1840, just seven months after Edwin Waller led a force of 200 men from Houston to build the city. The new capital is depicted with a recognisable Congress Avenue and only two intersecting streets. It is lined with log cabins and flanked either side by Shoal Creek to the west and Waller Creek in the east. There is an extensive accompanying description. Provenance: bookplate pasted inside front cover of Bibliotheque de Michel Chevalier. Basic Texas Books, 120; Clark, ‘Travels in the Old South’ III:248; Field 895; Howes L154; Raines p. 203; Reps, ‘Cities on Stone’, plate 1; Sabin 95122; Siebert Sale 951; Streeter Texas 1361C.