[AVIATION]. PORTER, Rufus (1792-1884). Aerial Navigation... San Francisco: Lawton R. Kennedy, 1935. 8vo. Illustrated with 3 (burlesque) color lithographs (2 folding), and intertextual illustrations. [23] pp. Publisher's red cloth backstrip over printed boards, printed paper label on spine. LIMITED EDITION OF THIS HANDSOMELY BOUND FACSIMILE OF THE 1849 FIRST EDITION, ONE OF 200 COPIES; THIS COPY INSCRIBED BY THE PUBLISHER ON THE COLOPHON. The 1849 first edition was published as an investing prospectus by Porter, artist, inventor, and founder of Scientific American magazine. He was attempting to build a dirigible to travel from New York to California in 3 days, in an effort to transport people to the Gold Rush territory. He made 3 attempts to construct this airship, all failed due to a variety of reasons.

Light rubbing, toning, soiling to binding, some offsetting and foxing to endleaves, folding plates with creases and rubbing to outer fore-edges. Still, fine, better than usually seen.