Snelling, Henry H., The History and Practice of the Art of Photography; or the Production of Pictures, Through the Agency of Light. Containing All the Instructions Necessary for the Complete Practice of the Daguerrean and Photogenic Art, Both on Metallic Plates and on Paper.
New York: Published by G. P. Putnam, 1850, second edition, corrected and revised, 12mo, xii, 187, [4], ix pp., illustrated, original cloth, some minor shelf wear, some slight fraying at spine ends, else a very good, clean copy. The second edition of the first original American book on photography, which appeared in 1849. Snelling himself characterized the work as "the first bound book on photography issued from the press in this country." The work appeared in four editions of 1000 copies each. This second edition induced by the "rapid sale" of the first edition made it "incumbent upon me to issue a second several months sooner than my most sanguine wishes led me to hope." The emphasis of the work is on the daguerreotype process, but also gives instructions on the paper negative process and includes a chapter on the early history of photography. There is a four page appendix on lunar photographs. All the editions of this work are rare and appear rarely at auction especially in this condition. See Epstean 698 (fourth edition of 1853).         $ 1500.00