American Mountain Series

    For readers interested in mountains, this series will be attractive. It was identified in the very useful bibliography produced by Carol Fitzgerald and published by Oak Knoll: Series Americana: Post Depression-era Regional Literature, 1938-1980: a Descriptive Bibliography Including Biographies of the Authors, Illustrators, and Editors, ed. by Jean Fitzgerald. 2v. Oak Knoll/Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, 2009. 
   None of the books listed are in the public domain, but they can all be found on AbeBooks and elsewhere. The Western University catalogue was searched and five of the books found - the two bolded titles are in the Western Libraries (a search of the Western catalogue now includes the holding of some other Ontario university libraries and they are provided below.)The search was done in early 2025.
   In some cases, the contents are listed and a few reviews and other sources are noted. 

         "American Mountain Series" (Vanguard Publishing) ‒ Roderick Peattie,
          Editor,1942-1952.

"The Mountain series, edited by geologist Roderick Peattie and written by scientists and local experts of the day, includes nine volumes published between 1942 and 1952 . The books provide detailed, scholarly portraits of the major mountain ranges in the United States." 

   For more information about the editor, Roderick Peattie, see: “Roderick Peattie, Geographer and Romanticist, 1891-1955,’ by Guy-Harold Smith, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 1957-03, Vol.47, (1), pg.97.
  Roderick Peattie's brother has already been profiled in Mulcahy's Miscellany: See: 
 Donald Culross Peattie (1898 -1964). Some samples of his writing are found in No.7, The Pacific Coast Ranges. 

1.The Berkshires: The Purple Hills, W.P. Eaton, et al, - Guelph, Ottawa.

   Contents, [iii-v]; CONTENTS: What are the Berkshire hills? By W.P. Eaton.-With what the hills are clothed, by A.K. Simpson.-Four seasons of Berkshire bird lore, by G.J. Wallace.-Byways to pleasure, by Bartlett Hendricks.-Streams and casting, by Theodore Giddings.-Man changes the landscape through gardening, by A.K. Simpson.-Winter sports among the hills, by Bartlett Hendricks.-Indian legends, by Haydn Mason.-Two hundred and fifty years of history, by W.P. Eaton.-Berkshire folks and folkways, by W.S. Annin.-The invaders and what they have meant, by Margaret Cresson.-The Berkshire Festival, by Margaret Cresson.- Illustrations, p. [vii-ix]; Index, p. 401-414. - [Map] "Berkshire County", on front and back lining papers."

2. The Black Hills, Roderick Peattie, - Western - storage - F657.B6P4.
   Contents, [iii-iv]; CONTENTS: [1.] The Black Hills / by Badger Clark - [2.] Where B.C. means Before Custer / by Leland D. Case - [3.] History catches up / by Leland D. Case - [4.] Crazy Horse -the greatest among them / by Elmo Scott Watson - [5.] Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane / by Clarence S. Paine - [6.] "Don't fence me in!" / by Paul Friggens - [7.] The tourists come / by Badger Clark - [8.] The mountain that had its face lifted / by Badger Clark - [9.] The Black Hills -a storehouse of mineral treasure / by R.V. Hunkins - [10.] America's greatest gold mine -the Homestake / by R.V. Hunkins.Illustrations, p. [v-vi]; Index, p. 311-320]"

3.The Cascades: Mountains of the Pacific Northwest. N/A

4. The Friendly Mountains: Green, White, and Adirondacks, Roderick Peattie,- Guelph, Ottawa.  

5. The Great Smokies and the Blue Ridge: The Story of the Southern Appalachians, Roderick Peattie, Western - storage - F443.G7P4 

6. The Inverted Mountains: Canyons of the West, N/A
   Contents, p. v-viii; CONTENTS: Canyon review - by Weldon F. Heald; Features of the canyon country - by Edwin D. McKee; Fossil life of the canyon country - Edwin D. McKee; Three hundred years of Spain - By Weldon F. Heald; Indian life - past and present - by Harold S. Colton; The Americans come - by Weldon F. Heald; The Colorado River - by Weldon F. Heald; Riding Grand Canyon rapids - by Weldon F. Heald; The canyon wilderness - by Weldon F. Heald; On foot and in the saddle - by Edwin D. McKee; The canyon trails - by Edwin D. McKee; Environment controls life - by Edwin d. McKee; Illustrations, p. ix-x; Index, p. 379-390]"

7. The Pacific Coast Ranges, Roderick Peattie, - McMaster, York.
    Contents, p. v-ix; CONTENTS: "Father Serra's rosary" / by Donald Culross Peattie -The first inhabitants of the coast ranges / by John Walton Caughey - Footsteps of spring -a wild flower trail / by Donald Culross Peattie - Glimpses of wild life / by Aubrey Drury - Foothills / by Judy Van der Veer - Farm, rock, and vine folk / by Idwal Jones - Headlands in California writing / by John Walton Caughey - The wilderness mountains / by Lois Crisler - Timber / by Thomas Emerson Ripley - People of the Oregon Coast Range / by Archie Binns - People of the Washington Coast Range / by Archie Binns - The geologic story / by Daniel E. Willard - Climatic transitions and contrasts / by Richard Joel Russell.Illustrations, p. xi-xii; Maps of the Pacific coast ranges [by Guy-Harold Smith], p. [384-386]; Index, p. 387-402 

8. The Rocky Mountains, Wallace W. Atwood. N/A 

9. The Sierra Nevada: The Range of Light, N/A.
   For a positive review see: Ruth E. Baugh, Pacific Historical Review, Vol.- 17, No.2, p.223.

SEAPORT Book Series

    You will have noticed in MM posts that are about "Book Series" and here is another one. Those of you who like to read books about certain subjects, or collect all of the titles as an investment, should look at the "Seaport Series." The twelve volumes were published by Doubleday, Doran during the 1940s. 
   As well, you may simply find a book which provides a diversion during our divisive times and those interested in Canada will see three titles which relate to this country. That two of them apply to ports that are not really on the sea does not bother me.
   None of these books are yet in the public domain, with the exception of Leacock's Montreal which is available digitally from several providers and can be read from wherever you are. The others can be acquired via AbeBooks or a local bookseller.
   Along with some of the titles you will find brief notes to assist you with your decision making. Also provided are some of the university libraries in Ontario which have the books. (If you have access to the Western Libraries you will know that a search yields results from other participating libraries, from which the book may be borrowed.) Nine of the books are available and Western has seven of the titles. The ones about Gloucester, San Francisco and Honolulu don't seem to be in any of the libraries searched, but you should check with a Western Librarian. 

                                            The Seaport Series

1. Baltimore on the Chesapeake, Hamilton Owens.
(Guelph, Laurentian)

2. Boston: Cradle of Liberty, John Jennings.
(Western, Laurentian)

3. Harbor of the Sun: The Story of the Port of San Diego, Max Miller. 
Review by: Franklin Walker, Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Sep., 1941), p. 383

4. Montreal: Seaport and City, Stephen Leacock.

(Western, King’s, other libraries, Digital versions on Canadiana, Project Gutenberg and Faded Page.)

5. Northwest Gateway: The Story of the Port of Seattle, Archie Binns.

(Western, Queen’s,York) See the review by Louis Gaffney in America, Vol.65, 1941.

"FOR one with a love of the cutting salt spray, the romance of the sea, the dash and color of the rugged west, Indian wars and the rush for gold—for such a

one Northwest Gateway will afford keen delight. This is the third book of the Seaport Series, preceded by Max Miller's story of San Diego, Harbor of the Sun.

It is not fiction, but history, and into the narrative is breathed a lightness and warmth of style that vivifies the cold historical facts."

6. Philadelphia: Holy Experiment, Burt Struthers.
(Western(2), Brock, Guelph, York)

7. The Port of Gloucester, James B. Connolly.  For a review see: America, Oct. 19, 1940. W.J. McGarry notes, "The Port of Gloucester is a book not to miss."   8. The Port of New Orleans, Harold Sinclair (Western) See: "Romantic Town Flayed," by John J. O'Connor, in America, Vol.67, No.18, 1940. "THIS latest addition to the Seaport Series is a hyper-critical chronicle of one of America's most romantic and exotic cities. In an introductory chapter, Mr. Sinclair describes New Orleans as "a Marseilles or a Shanghai, American style, shot through with overtones of Christy Minstrels, the code duello, white steamboats on a chocolate-colored river, coffee and cotton, wine in cobwebbed bottles, vine-festooned patios, and Basin Street jazz." But when Mr. Sinclair really warms to his work, the moonlight and clarinets vanish and we are introduced to a city which permitted its garbage to pile up in the streets and allowed its harbor to go to the dogs."

9. The Ports of British Columbia, Agnes Rothery. (Western, Algoma, Carleton, Brock) For a review see: The Pacific Northwest Quarterly, Vol. 34, No. 4 (Oct., 1943), pp. 403-404, by W. Kaye Lamb.  "It is essentially a character study of the cities of Vancouver and Victoria. Anyone who has ever visited them will remember that the contrasts between the two are many and varied....All this and much else Agnes Rothery has observed shrewdly, with humor, and with considerable penetration. Of the two studies, that of Victoria is the more successful, for the obvious reason that Victoria is in many respects more individual than its sister city on the mainland. But Vancouver is developing a personality of its own, and the British, American, and Canadian At the same time it is apparent that something of that character escaped her. Notably, she failed to sense the indelible impression left upon Vancouver, physically and spiritually, both by the hectic boom that preceded the first World War, and the depression of the nineteen thirties."10. Quebec: Historic Seaport, Mazo De la Roche

(Western Archives, Huron, other libraries)

11. San Francisco: Port of Gold, William Martin Camp.
(York)

12. Tropic Landfall: The Port of Honolulu, Clifford Gessler. Source:  For more about this series and others see: Series Americana: Post Depression-Era Regional Literature, 1938-1980: A Descriptive Bibliography: Including Biographies of the Authors, Illustrators, and Editors, by Carol Fitzgerald.

   For another "Book Series" post in MM see, for example: "American Customs."

American Customs Series

    Again, I am discussing a book series, this one about "American Customs." Considered are the customs and folkways of folks living in various regions of the United States. There are three books about the northeast (Cape Cod, Maine and New England), one for the mid-Atlantic area (Pennsylvania), one for the south (New Orleans) and two for the west (California and the Old Wild West.) The seven books were published by Vanguard Press during the years from 1946 to 1949. 

   These are unprofessional social histories, which means you are likely to enjoy them and find a good recipe-or-two, as well as some tales and yarns. The tables of contents of a few of the volumes are presented, as well as a some brief summaries. They are all still protected by copyright, which means that you cannot read complete digital copies of them. All are found on AbeBooks and some are inexpensive. 

It's An Old New England Custom

A listing and exploration of many customs associated with New England. Pie for breakfast, bundling, high excellence in epitaphs, phantom ships, haunted houses-these and many more are explored as to their sources and identification with the locale. A humorous and unusual historical curiosity of a regional nature, amusing prints, gay verses, bits of odd information, curious episodes- a characteristic Mitchell item. In format it has a slightly juvenile flavor which may limit the market. (Kirkus)

It's An Old California Custom

Informal chronicling of California's personality in terms of traits, inherited, adopted and native. Stories of old romances, gambling heritages, the large scale hospitality, the types of messiahs and cults, the pleasures of food and drink, the spirit of fiesta, are combined with material on gold hunting, bandits, hoaxes, real estate, the tendency for self deception, the playtimes of various clubs and groups, the exhibitionism, and the originality in solving problems of public works and civic questions. This traces, from the old land grants and the old families, the roots of California's individuality, independence and pride, and is a pleasant review, in conversational style, of the state's story....One of the numerous California books gauged to the interest generated by the centennial. Of regional appeal largely. (Kirkus)

It's An Old Pennsylvania Custom

There  are  two kinds  of historical writing: one is conceived  and  executed with fine attention  to  accuracy  of  facts  and  validity  of interpretation;  the other  is  conceived  and  executed  with  less  attention  both  to  the  facts  and their  interpretation.  The  former  is designed  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  the specialist, or at least  of the serious student; the other  is designed  to  satisfy the  nonspecialist,  or  the  "general"  reader.  Both  kinds  can  and  should  be attractively  presented, but the latter, having  for its primary  purpose popu-lar  appeal, emphasizes style  even  at  the  expense  of  content.It9s An  Old Pennsylvania Custom is clearly of the second kind. It  is indeed a fine example. It  was written  by Mr. Mitchell  in  an interesting style, is excellently  designed  by  Stefan  Salter,  and  was  well  manufactured  by  H.Wolff. It  presents  a wealth  of  historical  facts,  both  conventional  and  un-usual, relating  to Pennsylvania. At  the same time, it  arrives at  interpretations  of the  facts,  both  in general  and  in particular,  which  clearly  mark  it as  of the  second  kind  of historical  writing. 
(Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography)

It's An Old New Orleans Custom

Companion volume to It's An Old New England Custom and It's An Old Pennsylvania Custom, this somehow manages not to overlap to any considerable degree the other books on New Orleans which have been published in the year past. This is full of human interest bits, anecdotes, slices of history and biography. There's a brief survey of New Orleans history as the changes of flag went on. There's a section on the music  from street cries to the classics. The most interesting chapter, perhaps, is the one on commerce as it is pursued by the citizens, who prefer to cultivate the art of leisure. Some rather ironic comments on the beauty and the frailty of New Orleans women; some entertaining sidelights on gambling from cards to lotteries; the river front and its melodramatic contribution to the city's checkered career; weather, fire and water- and the parts they play; basis for the repute for wickedness --offset by equal repute for hospitality, and a genius for elegant living -- these represent some of the many facets that contribute to the unique flavor of this enchanting city. The section on food has some toothsome recipes; (yes, I copied three for future reference). (Kirkus)

It's An Old Wild West Custom

This book captures the colorful spirit of the American West in its history and quirks. Included are songs and stories, charts of brands used to mark cattle, and sketches of the boom and bust of the Old West. In one chapter, the author informs us that the Westerner left his names casually and naturally on the land and on each other, without ostentation. This led to names like Jerked Beef Butte or Rattlesnake Basin in Arizona, or nicknames for fellow cowboys like Crooked-Nose Pete and Three-Fingered Smith. 

Duncan Emrich was a professor and collector of American folklore, once a ranch hand and historian in the military. The American Art & Portrait Gallery copy of this book is signed by the author, and inscribed under his portrait as "old bag eyes, the Monday morning folklorist."   

It's An Old State of Maine Custom

Without the particular charm of the last in this series, It's An Old New England Custom, this still holds an interest for natives of or visitors to this region. In this miscellany of historical facts and special features, customs, legends, superstitions, you will pick up a good deal of information about the timber country and the logging and shipbuilding it produced; its other industries- quarrying and fishing; the scenic attractions of its gardens, old houses, islands, flowers, birds; the pleasures of the palate- lobsters, seafood, blueberry pies (with recipes); and the character of its native humor... A predictable, regional market for this. (Kirkus)

It's An Old Cape Cod Custom

From the New York Times, June 19, 1949, where the complete review will be found.

For a discussion of this series see: Series Americana: Post Depression-Era Regional Literature, 1938-1980: A Descriptive Bibliography: Including Biographies of the Authors, Illustrators, and Editors 1st Edition, by Carol Fitzgerald.

The Bonus:

  In its early days, Vanguard Press published radical books and during the later ones, such authors as Saul Bellow and Marshall McLuhan. It was bought by Random House in the 1980s.