JOHN BURROUGHS (1837-1921). American essayist and naturalist who lived and wrote after the manner of Henry David Thoreau, studying and celebrating nature.
c. 1859 Engraved Portrait Signed, "John Burroughs" and inscribed "in 1859" in Burroughs’ own hand, below the Engraving, which measures about 7 x 4.25 inches, Choice Very Fine+. This Engraved Bust Portrait depicts John Burroughs as a young man when he was twenty-two years old and just beginning the literary and naturalist career. Burroughs would ultimately become one of the most celebrated American writers on nature of the nineteenth century. The engraver's name, “W H N Bakoll” appears very faintly in the plate below the image. Nicely Signed and Inscribed by Burroughs in blue ink: "John Burroughs / in 1859." The verso bears a penciled note of this item’s provenance written in the hand of J.W.P. Frost, reading: "Given to Ralph S. Bartlett, Esq. in West Maine on one of Mr. Burroughs' visits to that community. Mr. Bartlett, a friend of Mr. Burroughs, visited and went fishing with him a number of times in the Adirondack Mountains." Burroughs was a lifelong lover of fishing and the Adirondacks, and his friendships with prominent figures in American intellectual and outdoor life are well documented. A lovely engraving with his large signature measuring fully 3” long.

[Gilded Age, 19th Century America, Literary Americana] [John Burroughs, American Naturalism, Adirondacks] [Engravings, Autographs, Signed Photographs]