The Universal Traveller

Title: The Universal Traveller
Subtitle: Designed to Introduce Readers at Home to an Acquaintance with the Arts, Customs and Manners, of the Principal Modern Nations of the Globe
Genre: Travel/Anthropology
Author: Charles A. Goodrich (1790-1862)
Illustrator: Unknown
Publisher: Canfield & Robins, Hartford, Connecticut.
Year: 1837 (third edition)
Pages: 504
Format: Hardcover, leather-bound.
Provenance: Previous owner’s name (Martha Ann Cobbigh?) written in pencil on front page.
Sections: Introduction; America; South America; Europe; Asia; Africa.
Opening Sentence: “It is the privilege of but few, to visit and observe distant countries and different nations.”
Random Passage: “Buenos Aires is noted for its vast plains called Pampas. That on the east of the Cordillera is about 900 miles in breadth, and is divided into regions of different climate and produce. On leaving Buenos Ayres [sic.], the first of these regions is covered for one hundred and eighty miles with clover and thistles; the second region, which extends for four hundred and fifty miles, produces long grass; and the third region, which reaches the base of the Cordillera, is a grove of low trees and shrubs.” (from the description of “Buenos Ayres” in South America)
Notes: The Universal Traveller is by far the oldest book featured thus far on 4 Color Cowboy. Instead of going into the contents of this olde tyme travelogue meant for curious Americans, let me describe the physical qualities of the book itself. The binding is of real terra-cotta brown leather, which has been aged yet remains incredibly soft to the touch. The binding has stayed remarkably intact, although a few pages are barely hanging in there. The interior pages have a thicker composition than most 20th century books. Holding it in my hands, I can almost sense a 19th century reader’s excitement in learning about different exotic cultures around the world.