Made famous through the paintings of Swiss artist Karl Bodmer, the North American expedition of German naturalist Prince Maximilian of Wied in 1832-34 was the first scientific exploration of the Missouri River's upper reaches since the epic journey of Lewis and Clark almost thirty years earlier. Maximilian's journal has never been presented fully in English - until now. This collector's-quality, oversized volume, the first of a three-volume set, draws on the Maximilian-Bodmer Collection at Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska.

The North American Journals offer an incomparable view of the upper Missouri and its Native peoples at a pivotal moment in the history of the American West. This meticulous account, newly translated with extensive modern annotation, faithfully reproduces Maximilian's 110 drawings and watercolors as well as his own notes, asides, and appendices. Volume I, which covers May 1832 to April 1833, documents Maximilian's voyage to North America and his first encounters with Indians upon reaching the West. This is an essential resource for nineteenth-century western American history and a work of lasting value.

This book is published with the assistance of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

About the Author
Stephen S. Witte is Editor for the Maximilian Journals Project of the Margre H. Durham Center for Western Studies, Joslyn Art Museum.

Marsha V. Gallagher, Director of the Maximilian Journals Project for the Margre H. Durham Center for Western Studies, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska, has published several works on Karl Bodmer's art.

William J. Orr was a foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department.

Dieter Karch is Professor Emeritus of Modern Languages at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.


Book Information
ISBN 9780806138886
Author Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian of Wied
Format Hardback
Page Count 544
Imprint University of Oklahoma Press
Publisher University of Oklahoma Press
Weight(grams) 2359g
Dimensions(mm) 305mm * 203mm * 57mm