Little Eagle: A Story of Indian Life by Therese O. Deming (FIRST PRINTING), 1931 📚🇺🇸🐻

This is a rare First Printing of Little Eagle: A Story of Indian Life, the foundational text in the renowned Indian Life Series.

The volume is classified as a top-shelf documentary artifact, appealing to collectors of American educational history and illustrated Americana.

Its value is secured by its verifiable First Printing status in 1931 and its unique, non-replicable connection to the Vaca Valley Union School District in Vacaville, California.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨ The book is a charming narrative intended for first-grade children, relating the simple, everyday life of a young Native American boy named Little Eagle. The stories focus on life within the tepee and the community, detailing early methods of travel and cultural traditions.

The text was written by Therese O. Deming from her first-hand accounts with various tribes. The volume’s true artistic asset is its watercolor illustrations by Edwin W. Deming, an artist celebrated for his detailed pictures of old-time Native American life. The images, featuring a child interacting with a dog and a bear, were designed to be visually accessible to young readers.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️ Therese O. Deming and her husband, Edwin W. Deming (Illustrator), collaborated on the successful Indian Life Series of educational books. Therese O. Deming wrote the text based on authentic, first-hand accounts.

Edwin W. Deming (1860–1942) was a painter and illustrator who lived among various tribes and was widely respected for his accurate depictions of Native American life and customs. The publisher, Laidlaw Brothers, was a major educational publisher with offices in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, strategically placing them to distribute this series throughout the California school system.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜 This First Printing was copyrighted in 1931, placing its publication at the start of the Great Depression. During this era, there was a major push to standardize elementary education across the United States.

The Indian Life Series represented the contemporary shift in education toward "social studies", aiming to provide elementary students with early information about different cultures. This copy’s history—authenticated by the indelible stamp of the Vaca Valley Union School District—functions as a tangible record of the specific educational curriculum used in California schools during the mid-20th century, a unique intersection of national publishing and local curriculum choice.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️ This volume is an essential acquisition for a curator of California Educational History and American children's literature.

It is ideally suited for a collector who specializes in documented institutional copies from the Bay Area region and seeks First Printings of major educational series. The Vaca Valley Union School District stamp transforms this book into a highly specific artifact of local social and academic history, belonging in a collection that prioritizes traceable institutional narrative.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️ This book is approximately 94 years old, surviving the entirety of the 20th Century's major conflicts and economic shifts.

The volume is a First Printing, which is a key bibliographical milestone for a major educational series. The monetary worth is sustained by its Provenance Premium. The indelible stamp of the Vaca Valley Union School District in Vacaville, California, provides a non-replicable chain of institutional ownership that is the primary asset of this volume, commanding a premium from collectors who prioritize traceable narrative.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨ The physical condition has been assessed directly from the provided high-resolution photography. The book is deemed to be in Fair to Good Antique Condition, with wear consistent with its long history as an elementary school textbook.

• Binding: Bound in original publisher's tan cloth. The rear cover shows significant water damage/abrasion where a label was likely removed .

• Markings: Features the indelible stamp of the VACA VALLEY UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT on the endpaper .

• Text Block: The text block is secure with light toning.

• Wear: The cloth binding shows rubbing and darkening along the spine and edges consistent with institutional use.

• Internal Image: Contains vibrant watercolor-style illustrations by Edwin W. Deming that are fully intact.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• Educational Pedigree: The series was edited by Milo B. Hillegas, Professor of Education at Columbia University, lending significant academic credibility to its content.

• Artist's Authenticity: Illustrator Edwin W. Deming was known to be so dedicated to the subject matter that he lived among the Native American tribes for many years to accurately record their culture for his paintings.

• The First Grade Text: The book's content was specifically prepared to be read by first-grade children, making it a key component of early American reading curricula.

• The Series Goal: The series' central purpose was to acquire a "true tradition and manner of living" from various Native American tribes to share with children.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Object Type: Antique Children's Textbook (Ex-Library Copy)

• Author: Therese O. Deming

• Illustrator: Edwin W. Deming

• Title: Little Eagle: A Story of Indian Life

• Year/Period: 1931 (Copyright)

• Publisher: Laidlaw Brothers, Publishers

• Place of Origin: Chicago, New York, San Francisco

• Format/Binding: Publisher’s Tan Cloth

• Edition/Rarity: First Printing, Documentary Artifact

• Transcription of Markings (Key):

  • Copyright Date: Copyright, 1931 By LAIDLAW BROTHERS Incorporated

  • Institutional Stamp: VACA VALLEY UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT VACAVILLE, CALIFORNIA