Kendall, George Wilkins, and Carl Nebel | First and only edition of this report and illustrations of the Mexican-American War

Kendall, George Wilkins, and Carl Nebel 

The War between the United States and Mexico illustrated, embracing pictorial drawings of all the principal conflicts, by Carl Nebel… with a description of each battle by... Kendall. New York & Philadelphia: [Plon Brothers of Paris] for D. Appleton & Co. and George S. Appleton, 1851 

Folio (585 x 439 mm). Plates: 12 hand-colored lithographic plates, heightened with gum arabic, by Bayot or Bayot & Bichebois (plate 10) after Nebel and printed by Lemercier in Paris; scattered foxing and staining generally not affecting the images with the exception of plate 9, remnants of adhesive on the verso of plate 4 presumably where mounted, faint discoloration to the margin of plate 10. Plates laid into portfolio, three quarter red morocco and red cloth portfolio, upper cover gilt-lettered with gilt ornamental design, cloth ties; rebacked to style, skillful restoration, some instances of wear, staining, and scuffing, one cloth tie detached. Text: Printed in two columns; leaf 39,40 misbound before leaf 37,38 but all pages present, some scattered and primarily marginal foxing, a few primarily marginal tears neatly repaired, instances of dampstaining. Original printed wrappers, red cloth backstrip; a few chips, old folds, small areas of restoration, lower cover toned, some minor scratches and dampstaining. All housed in a red morocco folding case; book plate apparently removed from inside cover.

First and only edition of this firsthand report and depiction of the Mexican-American War, comprising “the very best American battle scenes in existence” (Bennett). 

Kendall was an early war correspondent, serving as a prominent journalist and co-founder of the New Orleans Picayune before the present undertaking. Kendall joined Generals Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor when violence broke out between the United States and Mexico. During his reporting, Kendall regularly sent field reports back to the Picayune, giving first hand accounts of the battles. 

In addition to Kendall’s detailed reporting, the hand-painted lithographed plates are based on sketches by Carl Nebel, completed at the scene. To further the integrity of their shared work, Kendall further narrates the twelve plates in the accompanying text volume, making it clear that “the greatest care has been taken [by Nebel and himself] to avoid inaccuracies.” After on-site reporting and drawings were completed, the two outsourced the final stages of the project to the renowned lithographer Adolphe Jean-Baptiste Bayout and the printer Joseph rose Lemercier, believing their contributions would yield the highest quality result.

The New Orleans Picayune praised the work's “artistic skill, perfection of design, marvellous beauty of execution, delicacy of truth of coloring, and lifelike animation of figures…” Today, it is still regarded as “the climax of the confluence of journalism and lithography” (Sandweiss). 

REFERENCES 

Bennett, American 19th Century Colour Plate Books, p. 65; Howes K-76; Sandweiss et al., Eyewitness to War: Prints and Daguerreotypes of the Mexican War, 1846-1848,” pp. 36-37; Sabin 37362; Picayune, 15 July 1850