165 leaves, typescript on rectos only. Illustrated with 7 original hand-drawn and colored maps; 20 hand-drawn and colored original illustrations including 14 full page; one full page color photograph; 164 hand-colored photographs of various sizes mounted throughout the text. (4to) 10¼x8½, quarter red polished calf, marbled boards, spine lettered in gilt.

Original typescript by a professional journalist of an unpublished history-cum-travel narrative of the towns and landscape around the Administrative District of Famatina in the state of La Rioja, (Western) Argentina, and its largest city, Chilecito. With chapters on both Famatina (“El Potosi Argentino”) and Chilecito as well as on burros, local churches, textile and pottery making, and very long (and as noted, illustrated) chapters on the mines of the region and on the cable-railroad system that serviced the Mexican Mine (La Mina La Mexicana). In a manuscript colophon to “este libro único de impresiones de un viaje por la región rioja” Pérez Turner states that he drew all of the illustrations and maps (most dated 1950), and took most of the photographs (as well as hand-coloring them). Tipped to rear flyleaf is a newspaper article from Buenos Aires (Jan. 24, 1956) on the destruction of the Cabel-Carril de la Mina La Mexica by a “nefasta del peronismo” Laid in is a long typed letter from Prof. Armando Raúl Bazán (Buenos Aires, Jan. 19, 1965) praising Pérez Turner for his “lively style that wins over the reader and for capturing the sight and sound of the countryside”—and especially for his chapters on the cable-carril and his account of the mining region (which Bazan felt made an important contribution to the history of mining). Bazan’s only complaint was with author’s politics—but he hopes to see publication of this dignified and meritorius work. A specialist in Argentinian local history, Bazan’s own works include Historia de La Rioja (1979) and La Rioja y Sus Historiadores (1982). Either because of Pérez Turner’s non-academic status or the fact that this book was never published, Bazan does not mentioned this manuscript in either of this studies. Pérez Turner’s impressive manuscript features large amount of original photography, attractively presented.