Studies of Western Life. by Russell, Charles M - 1890: RUSSELL’S FIRST BOOK FROM 1890

Russell, Charles M. Studies of Western Life. By Charles Russell, the Cowboy Artist. N.Y.: The Albertype Co. 1890. Blue cloth with three-hole silk tie. First edition, second issue with descriptions by Granville Stuart. The second issue of this edition differs from the first only in adding commentary text to the first plate, "War." 23.5 x 17.5 cm. [48] pp. Gift inscription dated 1895 on title page. Edge and corner wear, spot on cover, else very good

Adams, Herd 1974: "Rare." Yost & Renner 1a. Merrill Aristocrat. Reese 120 # 94. Howes R531. Russell Rarities 20. The best edition due to the text by Granville Stuart. Twelve Albertype plates by Russell. "Said to be the first book of illustrations on cowboys and range cattle; also the first book illustrated by Russell." - Adams. Author's first book. An important work in the formation of the mythical status of the American West. Charles Marion Russell (1864-1926), known as "The Cowboy Artist" is, along with Frederick Remington, one of the great artists of the "Wild West". "The other significant event of 1890 [in Russell's life] was the publication of Studies of Western Life, an inspiration of Ben Roberts, a saddlemaker friend of Charlie's in Helena ... Printed in Brooklyn and copyrighted by Roberts, Studies of Western Life was an attempt to cash in on Charlie's rising fame as the Cowboy Artist and the general public's steadily mounting interest in the Wild West [but] there is no evidence that Charlie ever made any money on the project" (John Taliaferro, Charles M. Russell: The Life and Times of America's Cowboy Artist, 2003, pp. 84-85). The descriptive letterpress is by another big figure of the West, the pioneer, cattleman and one-time vigilante Granville Stuart (1834-1918).