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Catlin, George Catlin's North American Indian Portfolio. Hunting Scenes and Amusements of the Rocky Mountains and Prairies of America. London: Geo. Catlin, Egyptian Hall [but Henry Bohn] (C. & J. Adlard, printers of text), 1844 [or 1845] Broadsheets (23E x 18à in.; 592 x 470 mm). 25 handcolored lithographed plates printed before letters, heightened with gum arabic and mounted on card within ink-ruled frames, after Catlin by Catlin and McGahey, lithographed by Day and Haghe, letterpress title-page and 9 leaves of text bound within yellow coated wrappers with maroon cloth spine; moderate foxing to plates, a few plates more severely foxed, text and wrappers creased and with a few short marginal tear, gutta percha perished. Plates and text loose in publisher's half red morocco portfolio, large red morocco lettering-piece on upper cover, black cloth ties; soiled, worn, restored. First edition, third (first Bohn), first issue with the plates handcolored and mounted on card. This is the second handcolored issue, following a few copies published on full sheets of paper, unmounted, and published by Catlin himself. Catlin originally envisaged publishing other thematic portfolios based on paintings from his Indian Gallery such as religious rites, dances, and costumes, but the set of Hunting Scenes and Amusements was the only project that came to fruition. Production of the Portfolio had so severely taxed the artist's resources that its publication and distribution were taken over by Henry Bohn. "These beautiful scenes in Indian life are probably the most truthful ever presented to the public" (Field) and are the result of Catlin's eight years of field research and painting among 48 tribes of Native Americans. In a famous passage from the preface, Catlin describes how the sight of several Indian chiefs in Philadelphia led to his resolution to record their vanishing way of life: "The history and customs of such a people, preserved by pictorial illustrations, are themes worthy