[Americana] Balbi, Adrien. Abrege de geographie, redige sur un noveau plan, d'apres les derniers traites de paix et les decouvertes les plus recents

Brussels: Societe Belge de Librairie, 1840. 2 volumes in one, large 8vo. Numerous double-page maps. Contemporary deluxe? quarter calf, spine gilt-stamped and lettered; lower joint touched up, small split to front joint near foot, light rubbing to extremes; some occasional dampstaining; College St. Michel rubberstamp on title; Gonzaga University Library deaccession stamp; Pierre-Jean De Smet (1801-1873), possibly his copy?; St. Ignatius Mission, Montana, early notation on title-page; early notations on last map verso, Belgium map hand-outlined in red (possibly a route taken);

From the Jesuit library of St. Ignatius Mission, Montana, possibly De Smet's copy.

The St. Ignatius Mission, established in 1854 by Jesuit priest Pierre-Jean De Smet, is located in present-day Lake County, Montana, on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Originally founded near Lake Pend d'Oreille in Idaho in 1844-45, the mission was relocated due to unfavorable conditions. Named after Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, the mission aimed to convert and educate Native Americans, particularly the Salish people, while incorporating elements of their belief systems. The site grew into a community with a church and school, becoming one of Montana's earliest settlements.

Pierre-Jean De Smet, a Belgian-born Jesuit missionary, was born in Dendermonde (modern Belgium) in 1801. He entered the Jesuit novitiate in Maryland in 1821 and later moved to Missouri, where he was ordained as a priest in 1827. Inspired by his desire to work with Native American tribes, De Smet became a prominent figure in missionary work and peace negotiations across North America. He founded several missions, including St. Joseph’s Mission in Iowa and both St. Mary’s Mission and St. Ignatius Mission in Montana, responding to calls from tribes like the Salish for Christian instruction. De Smet frequently returned to Europe, including Brussels, to raise funds and recruit workers for his missions, which is likely how this book came into the possession of St. Ignatius Mission.

This lot is located in Chicago.

To request further details about this lot, please email [email protected]

Christopher Brink

Associate Vice President, Head of Sale, Senior Specialist, Books & Manuscripts

[email protected]312.334.4217

Darren Winston

SVP, Head of Department, Books and Manuscripts, Philadelphia

[email protected]267.414.1247

Darren Winston, Senior Vice President at Freeman’s, has served as Head of Department for Books & Manuscripts, Philadelphia, since 2018. He has been a trustee of the Rosenbach Museum and Library since 2022, is a member of The Manuscript Society, The Bibliographical Society of America, and Philadelphia’s Philobiblon Club.

Raised in northern New Jersey, Darren moved to New York City in 1988 and began his career there as a bookseller in 1995. He spent the next 18 years selling to private clients and at East Coast book fairs. In 2003 he moved with his young family to Sharon, Connecticut where, in 2009, he opened his own bookshop. Darren Winston, Bookseller offered rare and vintage books, prints, fine art, and more, and hosted over 50 book signings and art shows. He was a trustee and, later, Board President, of the Sharon Historical Society, and for six years a trustee of Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Darren has hosted the radio program "Darren Winston's Book Report" for NPR-affiliate WHDD since 2009, appeared in the 2014 book-themed documentary The Paper Trail, and in 2024 he joined Antiques Roadshow as a books and manuscripts appraiser. From 1999 to 2005, Darren was the buyer and consultant to the Fine and Rare Books Department at Asprey, the British luxury goods company, at its New York headquarters. While there he spearheaded various in-store events including readings by Salman Rushdie and Dominick Dunne.

In 1993, Darren was hired as a Creative Consultant to Columbia Records, where he assisted in the repackaging of their 12-record Aerosmith back catalogue. He later sold his extensive collection of Aerosmith memorabilia, which he began amassing at the age of 14, directly to the band.

Darren now lives on the Main Line, outside Philadelphia, with his wife, two children, and dog. The family travels frequently to his wife's native England and Scotland. When not bookselling, he plays guitar in Pumped, an Aerosmith tribute band. Darren also appears on the top-rated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow.

The Collected Library

[Americana] Balbi, Adrien. Abrege de geographie, redige sur un noveau plan, d'apres les derniers traites de paix et les decouvertes les plus recents

The Collected Library

[Americana] Balbi, Adrien. Abrege de geographie, redige sur un noveau plan, d'apres les derniers traites de paix et les decouvertes les plus recents

Lot Description

Condition Report

Preview

Auction Contact

Shipping | Pickup