
Collections
2008 Adopt-A-Book Catalog
1. THE ADVISER
Adopted by J. Kevin Graffagnino in honor of
Marcus A. McCorison
The Adviser; or Vermont Evangelical Magazine (Middlebury, VT). Dec. 1812 - Dec. 1813. 10 issues in wrappers
This religious periodical, which ran from 1809 to 1815, was edited under
a cumbersome arrangement by which 12 to 14 editor/ministers were
appointed annually by the General Convention of Congregational and
Presbyterian Ministers of Vermont. While AAS had bound volumes of this
title, we recently had the opportunity to acquire these unbound issues
in the original wrappers. The wrappers are rich resources for book trade
history. Some advertise publications, such as a primer published by the
Vermont Missionary Society at a price of three dollars per hundred,
followed by a list of agents where it could be procured. Every wrapper
has some note about subscribers needing to send in payment, e.g.,
"Notwithstanding the large sums now due for the Adviser, there has not
been money enough paid to the publisher to defray the necessary
expenses; and he has been obliged to supply the deficiency for a
considerable amount from his own resources."
~ Vincent Golden
2. THE ALBANY ALMANACK. Adopt me for: $1,500
The Albany almanack and ephemeris of the motions of the sun and moon ... for the year of our Lord 1773 ... By Thomas More, Philom. Albany: Printed and sold by Alexander and James Robertson, [1772]
Despite the bibliographical labors of Charles Evans and others,
unrecorded 18th-century American imprints still turn up with surprising
frequency. Here is the most notable recent "not in Evans" acquisition
made by AAS: a hitherto unknown almanac published in Albany, NY within a
year after printing commenced there. Discovered last year in upstate New
York, this copy is incomplete, extending only to p. 16 (of 24?). But
since no other copy has surfaced over the past two centuries, we are
content to make do with this until such time as a perfect copy should
come our way! Alexander and James Robertson established a press in New
York City in 1768 before moving it to Albany in 1771, making Albany the
second New York town to have a press. Printing ceased there from
1776-1782 after the Robertsons' loyalist sympathies prompted their
flight back to New York. Prior to this discovery, the earliest known
Albany almanac dated to 1782, though there is a 1776 almanac with an
Albany imprint (but probably printed elsewhere).
~ David Whitesell
3. FEDERALIST BROADSIDE. Adopt me for: $1,750
Albany General Committee of Correspondence. Democracy versus Washington. To the electors of the State of New York. [Albany, 1809]
Although technically a four-page folio pamphlet, this unrecorded text
will reside in the broadsides collection because of its size. This is
the response of the Federalists in New York to a pamphlet published in
March 1809 by the Jeffersonian Republicans. Attacking DeWitt Clinton,
Albert Gallatin, and others, the Federalists seek to convince voters
that their opponents did not respect the precepts of Washington. The
Federalists refer back to the Jay Treaty, Republican jubilation on
Washington's retirement, and Gallatin's role in the Whiskey Rebellion,
and reprint extracts from writings by Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Lewis
Burwell.
~ Gigi Barnhill
4. WISCONSIN CARRIER'S ADDRESS. Adopt me for: $650
[Allen, Thomas Scott, 1825-1905)]. The carrier of the Mineral Point Tribune takes pleasure in presenting to his patrons his 13th annual message. [Mineral Point, WI, 1859]
AAS continues to seek carrier's addresses for the collection. This
one reflects less on the political situation than some, but is amusing in
its presentation of some aspects of social life. Thomas Scott Allen, a
newspaper man, miner, surveyor, teacher, and public official,
caricatures the women's rights movement and does mention that John Brown
"deserved the felon's fate." Of the community of Mineral Point, he
writes about excessive taxes, worthless paper money, and rowdies defying
local ordinances and constables. This address is unusual because it is
printed in blue ink with part of the title printed in red ink. The
attribution to Allen is made on the basis of a contemporary pencil
inscription on the verso.
~ Gigi Barnhill
5. DOS-À-DOS BINDING. Adopt me for: $500
American dos-à-dos binding in black straight-grain goatskin, gilt (Boston?, ca. 1835) with owner's name stamped on covers, enclosing nos. 1-10 of a series of children's tracts published in Boston (1833-1835) by William S. Damrell
Beginning in the 16th century, some European bookbinders offered their
customers unusual dos-à-dos bindings. These typically consist of two
small, complementary volumes (e.g., a New Testament and a Psalter) bound
back to back and having a common rear cover, so that each volume opens
in the opposite direction. Dos-à-dos binding are remarkably convenient,
but they are rarely seen. Early American examples are virtually
non-existent, and we are unaware of any examples in AAS's distinguished
collection of American bindings. Imagine our surprise when a private
collector offered us, just this past month, a fine and attractive
example, probably made by an unidentified Boston bookbinder ca. 1835!
The binding encloses a series of 10 children's tracts.nos. 1-5 on one
side, 6-10 on the other.with the original owner's name (Margaret Melinda
Seely) gilt-stamped on each cover. This is a "must-have" acquisition!
~ David Whitesell
6. AUNT WINNIE
Adopted by the Massachusetts Center for the
Book
Aunt Winnie's stories. Boston: American Tract Society, [ca. 1866]
A collection of short stories for children; includes stories about: two
sisters who are saved from the orphan asylum by a couple who adopts
them; a little girl who breaks her "crybaby habit"; a family that works
together to find a young daughter who wandered away from the home. This
collection by "Aunt Winnie" reminds us of the urban dangers and
Christian aspirations present in 19th-century America.
~ Laura Wasowicz
7. MEDICAL PERIODICAL
Adopted by Linda K. Kerber, in honor of
Richard Kerber, M.D.
Baltimore Medical and Philosophical Lycaeum. Vol. 1. 1811
This rare medical periodical was edited and published by Nathaniel
Potter, an important figure in the early years of the College of
Medicine of Maryland (now the University of Maryland's School of
Medicine). Potter is best known for his work concerning the spread of
yellow fever. At the time Dr. Benjamin Rush was the major proponent of
the theory that the disease was contagious. Potter experimented on
himself to prove that it wasn't (it is actually spread by mosquitoes).
As editor, Potter was able to disseminate new medical research,
including his own.
~ Vincent Golden
8. PHONETIC BIBLE
Adopted by Lisa Gitelman
Bible. N.T. Matthew. The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In Comstock's perfect alphabet. Published in numbers. No. 1. The Gospel according to St. Matthew. Philadelphia: A. Comstock, 1847.
Andrew Comstock, M.D., of Philadelphia was one of several early
19th-century reformers who believed that the English language could be
learned more readily if rendered into a phonetic alphabet. Comstock's
alphabet, first published in 1846, defined characters for each of the 38
elementary, and six compound, sounds he believed comprised spoken
English. Comstock proselytized for his scheme through a monthly
periodical, Comstock's phonetic magazine, in which he published various
texts transcribed into his phonetic alphabet. One of these was the New
Testament, for which Comstock transcribed at least the Gospel of Matthew
and the first part of Mark. His version was separately published in this
very rare pamphlet. Although additional parts were promised, none have
so far been traced.
~ David Whitesell
9. OHIO POLITICAL CARICATURES
Adopted by Daniel A. Cohen, in honor of Joanne Chaison on the
occasion of her retirement
Book of martyrs, pen stabs and pencil scratches. Mansfield, OH: Coughlin & Wade, 1874.
This very rare collection of caricatures in words (by "F. D. M.") and
pictures (by "W. B. D.") lightheartedly skewers selected members of the
1874 Ohio State Legislature. Its perpetrators are as yet unidentified,
though their initials (as well as their self-caricatures in the final
illustration) should lead to their unmasking.
~ David Whitesell
10. MANUSCRIPT LETTER. Adopt me for: $800
Burritt, E. H. Letter to Thomas Dick, Dec. 24, 1836
Elijah Hinsdale Burritt was the eldest brother of the "Learned
Blacksmith" Elihu Burritt and was himself an astronomer and author of
the bestselling textbook Geography of the Heavens, first published in
1833. This long letter to the Scottish astronomer Thomas Dick includes
interesting comments on publishing, astronomy and the reconciliation of
science with religion.
~Thomas Knoles
11. EARLY MONTREAL IMPRINT
Adopted by Helen R. Kahn, in
memory of Fred Kahn
Catholic Church. Officium in honorem Domini Nostri J. C. summi sacerdotis et omnium sanctorum sacerdotum ac levitarum. Monti-Regali [Montreal]: Fleury Mesplet, 1777.
One of the earliest imprints from the first press established at
Montreal. Born in France, Fleury Mesplet moved first to London and then
to Philadelphia in 1774. There he printed for a short time.including, at
the behest of the Continental Congress, a French translation of a
military manual for use in the ill-fated Canadian campaign.before moving
his press to American-held Montreal in May 1776. But Montreal fell to
the British a month later, and Mesplet remained to print a newspaper and
other works, though his relations with British authorities were
understandably strained. Six hundred copies were printed of this
pamphlet containing the office to be celebrated on the first Thursday
following August 29. It is now the second earliest Montreal imprint at
AAS.
~ David Whitesell
12. CINDERELLA. Adopt me for: $400
Cinderella or the little glass slipper. Illustrated by Gustave Doré. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1867.
This is a fine early example of a children's picture book illustrated by
French artist Gustave Doré (1832-1883). Here we see a rare nitty-gritty
portrayal of Cinderella's fairy godmother scooping out the pumpkin,
preparing it for its more glamorous role as Cinderella's coach. This
richly detailed illustration, with its earthy shades of reds and browns,
reminds the modern reader that Cinderella's glorious entourage sprouted
from the mundane products of the garden patch and the mouse traps!
~ Laura Wasowicz
13. FREEDMEN IN NEW YORK
Adopted by Thomas G. and Lucia Z. Knoles
City of New York. Two blank forms relating to freed slaves. New York, [181-] and 1816.
We generally do not purchase "blank forms," assuming that such ephemeral
printings might already exist somewhere in the AAS manuscript
collection. However, these two items documenting the presence of slavery
in New York City in the early 19th century were quite out of the
ordinary. One form was designed to note the manumission of a slave by
the owner. The other form, printed in 1816, identifies the free "person
of Colour" more fully, including the person's address proving that he
was renting property within the city limits.
~ Gigi Barnhill
14. POCKET SLATE
Adopted by Molly McCarthy
Companion slate teacher & class. New York: Silicate Book Slate Co., [186-?]
In order to support its Program in the History of the Book in American
Culture, AAS collects not only books, but selected artifacts relating to
printing, publishing, reading, and writing. Once ubiquitous in
19th-century schoolhouses, students' school slates are now rare, and AAS
is slowly collecting examples. This pocket version contains six black
"slates" (actually paper board surfaced with silica powder) on which
pupils could write (and erase) using a special pencil; the slates are
hinged into a standard publisher's cloth binding. Its owner has left
traces of a geometry lesson on one slate.
~ David Whitesell
15. VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK
Adopted by Revell Carr, in honor of James McGrath Morris
Cowan, John, M.D. What to eat, and how to cook it, with rules for preserving, canning and drying fruits and vegetables. New York: Cowan & Co., 1870.
Rare first edition of this almost exclusively vegetarian cookbook.
Having earlier published works on sexual hygiene and the evils of
tobacco, Cowan here turns his attention to diet, advocating .natural.
foods consisting almost exclu-sively of grains, fruits, and vegetables,
simply prepared. Although lean roast beef is permitted in moderation,
the list of banned foods is long and sobering: salt, spices, vinegar,
tea, coffee, chocolate, fat, virtually all meats, and above all fish.
Milk, butter, and cheese, although "abnormal," are nonetheless allowed
in many of the consequently simple recipes.
~ David Whitesell
16. ANIMAL PICTURE BOOK
Adopted by Hal Espo and Ree DeDonato
Curious and wonderful animals. New York: Mahlon Day, 1834.
This is a rare picture book of animals (both wild and domestic) with
hand-colored wood engravings from the press of Quaker publisher Mahlon
Day. The animals covered run the gamut from exotic and fearful beasts
such as the hyena and hooded snake, to commonplace pets such as a setter
dog and a cat. The back cover advertisement shows what books were
available from Mahlon Day for three or four cents — many of which
are now
available for study at AAS.
~ Laura Wasowicz
17. NEVADA NEWSPAPER. Adopt us for: $500
Daily Nevada Tribune (Carson City, NV). 1880. 18 issues
Begun as a semi-weekly in 1872, the Nevada Tribune switched to a
daily edition in 1874 and lasted until 1896. Founder R.R. "Deacon"
Parkinson
aimed at publishing a newspaper that was both "spicy and newsy." By
1875 his son Ed Parkinson was the sole proprietor, but his father
continued as editor. Although a Republican newspaper, during elections
it remained independent. The Tribune is probably most noted for an
incident in 1874. There was much animosity between the Parkinsons and
David Sessions, the editor of its rival the Appeal. What started with a
vitriolic editorial by Sessions turned into a fistfight, and then, on
April 9th, a gunfight in the middle of the street between Sessions and
Ed Parkinson. Both were wounded, leaving both alive to continue the feud
in print. Only two institutional files from 1880 are known, one at the
Bancroft Library and another at the University of Nevada.
~ Vincent Golden
18. CAMPAIGN NEWSPAPER. Adopt me for: $200
Democratic Rasp (Utica, NY). 1840. 7 issues
This rare Whig campaign newspaper supported the election of William
Henry Harrison for President. During the 19th century special newspapers
were issued during elections in support of specific candidates,
platforms, or parties. The election of 1840 was particularly
contentious and subsequently generated many campaign newspapers, often
with imaginative titles such as this one. Only one other file of this
title is known. The motto of the paper was, "Nerve to the arm -
fortitude to the heart - triumph to the soul struggling for the rights of man."
~ Vincent Golden
19. EARLY MAINE SERMONS. Adopt me for: $2,500
Eaton, Samuel. Sermons, 1770-1810.
Samuel Eaton (1737-1822) of Harpswell, Maine, graduated from Harvard
College in 1763 and succeeded his father as minister of the First
Congregational Church of Harpswell. Clifford Shipton wrote of Eaton: "On
his parish travels he carried lancet and simple medicines with which he
treated most of the ills of his people, referring serious sickness to
professional physicians. Similarly, being hostile to the ordinary
practice of the law, he served his people by drawing up wills and other
legal papers, and arbitrating most of their controversies. As a preacher
he was effective and could often bring his congregation to tears
although strangers to his oddities found them disturbing." On a Sabbath
in August 1775 "a recruiting officer arrived in Harpswell on an
emergency mission, but the minister refused to let him act until after
sundown, when he himself preached a sermon which put forty men of the
congregation on the march within an hour."
This collection includes several dozen sermons preached by Eaton,
usually with notes on where and when they were delivered. Until now,
only two sermons by Samuel Eaton were known to have survived.
~Thomas Knoles
20. BROADSIDE ELEGY. Adopt me for: $500
An elegy on the death of Mr. Asaph Walling. [Hartford, NY?, 1810]
This anonymous, unrecorded, elegy was "written, for Amusement, by a
Friend, and published by Request of the Mourners." Walling was just
twenty-one years of age when he was killed by a tree. Unfortunately,
there are no details of the accident, only that he was with his father
on his way to work. The writer reminds his readers, over and over and in
many different ways, that life is short.
~ Gigi Barnhill
21. GEOGRAPHY BOOK. Adopt me for: $1,000
The elements of geography made easy. Philadelphia: Morgan & Yeager, [ca. 1825]
This marvelous picture book explains basic geographical concepts such as
continents, cataracts, peninsulas, and archipelagos, aided by delicately
hand-colored metal engravings. The back cover sports a neat list of
Morgan & Yeager's engraved picture books. Successors to legendary
engraver and publisher William Charles (1776-1820), Morgan & Yeager
published charming picture books coveted by nineteenth-century children
and modern collectors alike.
~ Laura Wasowicz
22. PRINTED CLOTH BINDING
Adopted by John Herron, in memory of Frances M. Herron
Elliott, Ebenezer. The poems of Ebenezer Elliott. New York: Leavitt & Co., 1850.
In December 2006 AAS member John Grossman gave AAS a remarkable American
publisher's cloth binding: an elaborate design printed in five colors on
white cloth covering an 1849 New York imprint. We were unaware of any
comparable binding in the AAS collection. As luck would have it, three
months later AAS was offered not one, but two similar examples in
excellent condition! Both are volumes in the short-lived Leavitt's
Cabinet Series issued in 1850 by New York publisher Leavitt & Co.
The
designs are identical, save for the author and title printed on the
spine. In other words, Leavitt briefly employed this as a series
binding. Interestingly, AAS has since acquired other volumes in this
series, but in less elaborate publisher's bindings, suggesting that the
printed cloth versions proved either unpopular or too expensive.
~ David Whitesell
23. INDIAN VACCINATION BROADSIDE
Adopted by Thomas and Maria McDermott
Fansher, Sylvanus, 1770-1846. Vaccine institution for exterminating small pox and varioloid. [New Haven, 1838]
A physician, Fansher wrote several pieces on smallpox vaccination that
are listed in Austin's Early American medical imprints. He also
published a book about electricity. This broadside recounts the heavy
mortality among Native American tribes such as the Mandans,
Assinneboins, Creeks, and Blackfeet amounting to 27,600 and tries to
garner financial support for vaccinating remaining Native Americans.
Fansher's effort is analogous to the campaign against polio in our era.
The image depicts Native Americans suffering from the disease; the text
describes the sufferers. last days in gory detail.
~ Gigi Barnhill
24. YONKERS CARRIER'S ADDRESS
Adopted by Dr. and Mrs. Donald Nelson
Fourth annual address of the carriers of the Yonkers Herald. Yonkers, NY, 1855.
Many carrier's addresses present local, regional, national, or even
international news. This example reports that the pages of the Yonkers
Herald would only present local news.
We will not weary you with tales of strife,
Of shipwrecked vessels or of wasted life,
Yonkers, alone, should all our powers engage,
And here they find a wide and ample stage;
Let others prate of Europe's bloody war,
We vote these topics a decided bore,
But all who want to read such sickening stuff,
Should take the Tribune and they'll find enough.
~ Gigi Barnhill
25. GIRLS' STORIES
Adopted by Lucy Margaret Bridge
Hartley, Emily. Half a dozen girls. Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, [ca. 1874]
Six short stories; each of them exposes the sweetness and foibles of six
different girls; includes the timeless tales of Rosa, the girl who
"helped" her mother by jamming up her sewing machine; and of "Fanny the
Fidget" who would not stand still for the photographer (quite the
lengthy process in the 1870s!).
~ Laura Wasowicz
26. PRIMROSE PRETTYFACE. Adopt me for: $1,100
The history of Primrose Prettyface; who by her sweetness of temper, and love of learning, was raised from being the daughter of a poor cottager to great riches, and the dignity of lady of the manor. London: T.C. Hansard for Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, and John Sharpe, 1818; Philadelphia: H. Conrad & E. Parsons, 1835.
This is a charming tale of an impoverished girl who grows into a woman
of accomplishment by her intelligence, work ethic, and beauty. This rare
little book is one of a handful of early 19th-century English children's
books reissued by Philadelphia publisher Conrad & Parsons in the
1830s.
This copy has publisher's advertisements for both the English and
American publishers, giving us a glimpse into the transatlantic world of
children's book publishing in antebellum America.
~ Laura Wasowicz
27. MANUSCRIPT PERIODICAL
Adopted by Jo Radner
Holland, R. "Manhattan Sun." 1847-1848.
Holland was likely a young man when these two issues in very different
formats were produced. In the first issue Holland writes, "The object of
the editor of the M.S. will be to give his readers some scanty
information relating to the movements of the mighty mass of men, women,
& children who flourish in this great Empire City of the Western
world."
These are part of a growing collection of manuscript periodicals at AAS.
~ Thomas Knoles
28. RELIGIOUS BROADSIDE
Adopted by Kyle Roberts and Crisostomo Gouveia
The holy war. [Suffield, CT or Newport, RI: H. & O. Farnsworth, 1797-1799]
The author of this unrecorded and anonymous broadside summons readers to
serve Christ as if he were recruiting soldiers to fight in a war. The
author's captain is Jesus Christ; his general is God. Havila and Oliver
Farnsworth were brothers who printed in Suffield in 1797 and 1798 and in
Newport in 1798 and 1799.
~ Gigi Barnhill
29. MANUSCRIPT DIARIES
Adopted by Molly McCarthy
Hudson, Henry James, 1821-1901. Diaries, 1835-1839.
Hudson was born in Newburyport, MA. He graduated from Harvard College in
1843 and was a Unitarian minister in Plattsburgh, NY and Stonington, CT.
This group of small diaries span the years from 1835 to 1839. Many
entries are humorous, as for example a "Bulletin of Extraordinary
Events" including the statement
GREAT CALAMITY!
MOURN, COLUMBIA MOURN!
My snail is lost!!! Oh dear!!!
~ Thomas Knoles
30. INDIAN MEDICINES. Adopt me for: $850
Indian medicines. Recommendations and directions. [Boston, 1805?]
Although damaged, this advertisement for a range of Indian herbal
recipes credits a Mrs. Shaw for bringing the herbal and medicinal
knowledge of Native Americans in Connecticut, Long Island, and New
Jersey to the public. This sheet provides many testimonials from people
who had suffered from a variety of illnesses noting the efficacy of Mrs.
Shaw's preparations. Among the conditions remedied were dysentery,
cancer, rheumatism, sore throat, scarlet fever, pimples and insect
stings, consumption, worms, burns, piles, and poisoning.
~ Gigi Barnhill
31. BUSINESS DIRECTORY. Adopt me for: $350
J. Arthurs Murphy & Co. Reference book of the hardware, iron, steel, cutlery, and gun trades, plumbers, gas and steam fitters - also dealers in china, glass, crockery, and house-furnishing goods, in the United States for 1872. New York: J. Arthurs Murphy & Co., 1871.
A fine copy of this comprehensive directory and credit reference book
providing confidential information on thousands of American businesses.
J. Arthurs Murphy & Co. was an early credit reporting bureau.
Businessmen seeking to verify the credit-worthiness of customers or
potential partners could purchase individual credit reports, or they
could rent the firm's annually published directories. In this directory
businesses are listed geographically, and an arcane system of letters,
numbers, and abbreviations (explained at front) provides coded data
about each business. Each copy of this directory was serially numbered
and bears the admonition: "subscribers will pledge themselves to keep
[this book] for their own use, [and] under no circumstances are they to
lend or hire the book or in any case exhibit it to their customers."
Because subscribers were required to return their copies in order to
receive updated editions, these directories are now quite rare.
~ David Whitesell
32. MINIATURE CHILDREN'S BOOK
Adopted by J. Thomas Touchton
The lighthouse keeper's daughter. Philadelphia: Protestant Episcopal Book Society, [ca. 1861-1874]
This tiny miniature combines adventure with piety. When her father is
waylaid by a band of "wreckers" eager to plunder ships during a storm,
little Mary uses her dead mother's Bible as a step to reach the
lighthouse lamp. Tract societies like the Protestant Episcopal Book
Society experimented with unique book formats to attract young readers.
~ Laura Wasowicz
33. BILL OF MORTALITY
Adopted by Helen Deese
List of deaths in Ashfield, Massachusetts, from Oct. 27, 1843, to March 7, 1858. Greenfield, MA: A. M. Robinson, 1858.
This broadside, arranged chronologically, lists the name of the
decedent, date of death, cause, name of father, and name of husband.
With this arrangement, it is possible to determine the prevalence of
certain diseases as they passed through the town in waves, such as
scarlet fever and dysentery. Other illnesses, such as consumption, were
endemic. Many men and women lived into their 80s, dying of "old age."
There are sad tales in this chart: Lois Williams died of childbirth at
the age of 23. Apparently she gave birth to twin daughters who died a
month later.
~ Gigi Barnhill
34. LITTLE PARTNERS
Adopted by Gretchen Adams
The little partners, the snow fort, and Little Howard. New York: Methodist Episcopal Sunday School Union, [ca. 1856-1868]
A collection of stories for boys about boys learning how to lead upright
lives (often the hard way!). The "little partners" realize they cannot
enjoy their shared ownership of a ball without sharing; the builders of
the snow fort learn to build their winter play house through cooperative
effort; "Little Howard" develops a penchant for charity bazaar raffles
that eases him into the underworld of gambling. Moral tales with bite!
~ Laura Wasowicz
35. PHOTO-ILLUSTRATED SALESMAN'S SAMPLE
Adopted by Scott E. Casper, in honor of Joanne Chaison upon the
occasion of her retirement
Lossing, Benson J. Washington and the American Republic. New York: Virtue & Yorston, 1867.
Recent readers of AAS's newsletter will know of our strong interest in
collecting early salesman's sample books as well as books illustrated
with original mounted photographs. We never expected these two genres to
intersect, but now a private collector has offered AAS the chance to
acquire this very rare and highly unusual salesman's sample book,
illustrated with an original albumen photograph! We know of no other
like it. This volume, finely bound in publisher's gilt-tooled brown
morocco, contains sample pages and engravings from the complete work. At
the end are ruled pages for subscribers to add the names and address,
and 40 distinguished citizens of Brooklyn Heights have done so.
Subscribers are promised a large (33 x 26.) engraving of "Washington
Receiving a Salute on the Field of Trenton" and, so that they can see
what they will be getting, an albumen photo of this print has been bound
into the sample book. This is another must-have acquisition for AAS!
~ David Whitesell
36. PUBLISHER'S CIRCULAR
Adopted by John Herron, in memory of Ann M. Lyell
M. T. Brockelbank & Co. Journal of the Fine Arts. New York, 1851.
This circular letter joins an extremely strong collection of posters,
broadsides, and leaflets pertaining to the printing and publishing of
all manner of material. This particular item solicits advertising from
book publishers for the Journal of the Fine Arts. The printed portion
claims that the Journal had the largest circulation of any journal of
its type. On the inside is a manuscript letter from Brockelbank
announcing that he was enlarging the Journal and opening its advertising
pages to book publishers for the first time. To encourage business he
was offering a ten percent discount. Documents such as this reveal a
great deal about the business of publishing and advertising.
~ Gigi Barnhill
37. FIREMAN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Adopted by David R. Whitesell
McRobie, William Orme, b. 1838. Fighting the flames! Or twenty-seven years in the Montreal fire brigade: a record of prominent fires. Thrilling adventures, and hair-breadth escapes. Montreal: "Witness" Printing House, 1881.
There are many books and prints about fires and firefighting in the AAS
collection, but this recent acquisition may be our only autobiography of
a 19th-century firefighter! McRobie began his career at the age of 15
as a "torch-boy" for a Montreal fire brigade, eventually rising to the
rank of captain. His absorbing narrative of notable fires and their
aftermath, and of the lives and interactions of fire brigade members,
provides an essential and unique perspective lacking from official
reports. The volume is bound appropriately with a gilt-stamped fireman
on the front cover. Look carefully at the frontispiece photograph of the
author — a copy of his book, in the same binding, appears by his
right
hand!
~ David Whitesell
38. MALLORY SCRAPBOOKS. Adopt us for: $6,500
Mallory, Richard P. Two scrapbooks of his wood engravings and those of several of his contemporaries. Lancaster, MA, 1828-1845.
Mallory learned his trade as a wood engraver in the firm of Carter,
Andrews & Company of Lancaster, MA. The scrapbooks contain many
examples
of Mallory's work. Of great importance are his pencil notations
providing information about the artists who designed the images that he
engraved on wood. Among those artists are George Loring Brown (who
worked in Worcester in 1838), David Claypoole Johnston (AAS owns an
extensive collection of his work), and William Croome, who later founded
the Boston Bewick Company. Mallory went on to work for the American
Engraving & Printing Company. These volumes document the close
collaboration among a group of artists just learning their trade. Some
went on to further work in Boston for Abel Bowen and other publishers.
~ Gigi Barnhill
39. PATTERNED CLOTH BINDING. Adopt me for: $300
Marcet, Mrs. (Jane Haldimand), 1769-1858. Willy's rambles, for young children. New York: Edward Kearny, 1839.
19th-century American publisher's cloth bindings almost never employed
richly patterned and colored cloth of this kind; indeed, the gilt
stamping on spine and front cover is hardly visible against the busy
background. Hence this example.unusually well preserved for a children's
book.is an exceptionally rare find and an important addition to AAS's
Bindings Collection.
~ David Whitesell
40. MOUNT-PLEASANT REGISTER
Adopted by Larry and Gloria Abramoff in honor of Barbara and Paul Levy
Mount-Pleasant Register (Mount Pleasant, NY). Dec. 18, 1798.
When Clarence Brigham listed this newspaper in his A history and
bibliography of American newspapers 1690-1820 (AAS, 1947), all of his
information came from secondary sources and no copies could be located.
This is the second copy now known (an earlier issue is at the New York
State Library). Brigham guessed that the paper ceased publication in
1800, but in this issue the printer advertises the newspaper as for sale
because he intended to leave Mount Pleasant in the spring of 1799. The
printer, William Durell, was arrested and convicted in July 1798 for
libeling President John Adams in this paper, but he was pardoned during
the Jefferson administration.
~ Vincent Golden
41. THE LOBSTER-BOY
Adopted by Ogretta McNeil
Mudge, Zachariah Atwell, 1813-1888. The lobster-boy; or the son who was a heaviness to his mother. Boston: American Tract Society, [ca. 1866]
This is an endearing tale of a tough lobster fisherman's son who grows
up to become an honorable young man, despite an abusive alcoholic
father, numerous temptations to make easy money illicitly, and the
burning of the family lobster boat. Rev. Mudge's tale reminds us that
the lot of working class boys was not necessarily wholesome fun.
~ Laura Wasowicz
42. ORANGE COUNTY NEWSPAPERS.
Adopted by Eric Caren
New-Windsor Gazette (New Windsor, NY). Nov. 27, 1798. Orange County Republican (Wardsbridge, NY) 1806-1808. 15 issues
These two titles are part of a bundle of 67 issues of early Orange
County, NY newspapers purchased from an estate sale conducted on eBay.
All newspapers from this county listed in Clarence Brigham's A
history
and bibliography of American newspapers 1690-1820 (AAS, 1947) are
scarce
and often known only in scattered issues. The issue of the New-Windsor
Gazette, only the third recorded, is important because it is several
months later than the other two known issues and shows a change in
ownership. For the Orange County Republican, some of the issues help
fill in an almost year-long gap in the known issues, and some are later
than any other issues known. The issue dates, plus editorial comments in
the later issues, reveal that this newspaper suspended publication for
about five months, accounting for part of the gap.
When tracing the history of particular newspaper titles, it is
almost impossible to do so without having originals in hand. Second-hand
accounts (e.g., county histories) are often incomplete or misleading.
Previously unknown issues such as the ones above can be very fruitful in
filling in the historical gaps.
~ Vincent Golden
43. NIAGARA REPORTER. Adopt me for: $850
Contributing godmother Molly
McCarthy
Niagara Reporter (Niagara, Canada). May 1837 - June 1838.
Besides American newspapers, AAS collects newspapers from Canada and the
West Indies before 1876 and Great Britain before 1783. The Niagara
Reporter is an extremely scarce newspaper lasting just seven years.
Published just across the border from Buffalo, NY, it provides a
Canadian perspective to contemporary events, as well as a first-hand
account of a major incident from September 1837. A runaway slave from
Kentucky, Johnson Molesby, took refuge in Niagara. Because he stole a
horse from his master to aid his escape, Molesby was arrested to be sent
back to Kentucky as a horse thief. When the sheriff, with the assistance
of British soldiers, tried to take him back across the border to
slavery, a mob of locals (mostly free blacks) showed up and helped him
escape, but two were killed by deputies during the confusion. The
paper's credo was Bernjamin Franklin's statement, "The Liberty of the
Press is indeed essential to the nature of a Free State."
~ Vincent Golden
44. RUSSIAN IMPRINT
Adopted by Kathleen M. Haley in memory of Daniel F. Haley
Nystrom, John W. Description of a hydraulic pontoon-dock. Invented by John W. Nystrom. St. Petersburg [Russia]: Imperial Academy of Science, 1859.
Why, one might well ask, was a Russian imprint acquired for AAS? Because
it is 1) unrecorded, and 2) helps to document the career of one of
America's most innovative 19th-century engineers. Swedish by birth,
Nystrom had established himself in Philadelphia by the early 1850s as a
leading engineer, author of several highly regarded handbooks, and
member of the Franklin Institute. The later 1850s saw him in Russia as
consultant to various railway and steam navigation companies. This
pamphlet, illustrated by four hand-colored lithographic plates,
describes a notable invention from Nystrom's Russian sojourn: a
hydraulic pontoon dock. These self-contained, steam-powered units were
equivalent to mini-submarines, able to submerge beneath a vessel and
then raise it out of the water.
~ David Whitesell
45. OLEAN ADVOCATE. Adopt us for: $275
Olean Advocate (Olean, NY). 1836-1837. 26 issues
This is third newspaper published in Olean (the first two were issued
when it was called Hamilton). The Olean Advocate began as the
Allegany
Mercury in 1835 but changed its name the next year when Rufus W.
Griswold became editor. (He is better known for his anthologies of
poetry, succeeding Edgar Allan Poe as editor of Graham's
Magazine,
and
his attack on Poe's reputation after his death.) No other copies are
recorded, and these issues were rescued from an individual who was going
to sell them on eBay. Unfortunately two had been sold by the time we
spotted it. At one time they were in a lovely ribbon-embossed cloth
binding, but only the front board remains. On the flyleaf is an
inscription: "H[amilton] R. Searles. Presents this volume to his grand
Nephew Randolph S. Hartley, he being the grandson of the Editor. New
York. Nov. 1st 1893."
~ Vincent Golden
46. DECORATED PAPER BINDING
Adopted by Jock Herron, in honor of Joanne Chaison on the occasion of
her retirement
The Opal: a pure gift for the Holy Days. MDCCCXLVI. New York: J. C. Riker, 1846.
A highly unusual and well-preserved American publisher's binding,
unsigned. The boards are covered with decorated paper —a star
pattern
printed gold-on-white — which in turn is overprinted in gold with
elaborate spine and cover designs. The star pattern is occasionally
found used as endleaves in American publisher's bindings. Here the
logical next step has been taken by using the paper on the outside, with
added decoration. Copies in this condition are exceptionally rare
— even
Ken Leach, whose celebrated collection of American bindings is now at
AAS, had to make do with a shabby example lacking one cover.
~ David Whitesell
47. MINISTER'S RECORD BOOK
Adopted by Anne Reilly in honor of Rev. Michael O. Shirley
Ordway, Nehemiah. Record Book, 1777-1829.
Nehemiah Ordway (1743-1836) was born in Amesbury, Massachusetts and
became a congregational minister after his graduation from Harvard
College in 1764. This small volume is a record of Ordway's ministerial
activities from 1777 to 1829. It adds considerably to what is known of
Ordway's career and activities. He was peripatetic, settling in
Middleton in 1777, but later also serving in Candia, East Haverhill,
Raymond, Kingston and Pembroke. In a note in the front of the volume
Ordway says, seemingly with pride, that he had preached in fifty towns.
The record book includes genealogical notes, and records of his
settlement at Middleton and records of as well as admissions, births and
marriages in the other churches with which he was associated.
~ Thomas Knoles
48. PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNAL
Adopted by Ellen S. Dunlap and Frank
Armstrong
Philadelphia Photographer. 1865-1870. 15 issues
Soon after photography became a commercial process, specialized
periodicals began to appear, starting in 1850 with the Daguerreian
Journal (New York). The Philadelphia Photographer was the
first
photographic journal to be published in Philadelphia beginning in 1864.
Each issue is filled with articles of advice, history, and latest
developments in photography. In the February 1870 issue, one advertiser
included an original photograph pasted to a card to show off a sample of
his chromo-ferrotype mat.
~ Vincent Golden
49. PUNCH AND JUDY
Adopted by Mr. and Mrs. William Pingeton
Punch and Judy. (Little Sunshine's stories.) Philadelphia: Davis, Porter & Co., [ca. 1865-1866]
This picture book version of Punch and Judy combines broadly drawn
illustrations with simple text that reads like the slapstick play it was
meant to imitate. Punch looks like a comic clown, but the text tells us
that he abuses and kills his child, wife, and a policeman. He is
sentenced to hang, but miraculously escapes to take his bow before the
audience. Behind its jolly veneer, this children's version of Punch and
Judy raises troubling questions about the acceptability of domestic
violence in 19th-century American culture.
~ Laura Wasowicz
50. COLOR-PRINTED TRADE CATALOG
Adopted by Holly Hock and Christopher Dumaine
Rand, Avery & Co., 117 Franklin St., Boston, railway printers & stationers, manufacturers and dealers in numbered railway tickets of every description ... Boston: Rand, Avery & Co, 1874.
A notable acquisition which enhances four AAS collections: trade
catalogs, printers' specimens, color printing, and railway literature.
In this exquisitely printed pamphlet, Rand, Avery showcases all of its
products catering to the railway industry. The product range extends
well beyond printing alone.
~ David Whitesell
51A-K. RECENT PUBLICATIONS
AAS's primary source materials are augmented by an outstanding and heavily used collection of secondary works, historical scholarship, local histories, genealogies, and reference works. Following is a small selection of the hundreds of recent publications received in recent months.
51A. Allen, Gloria Seaman. A Maryland sampling: girlhood embroidery 1738-1860. Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 2007. Adopt me for: $65
51B. Bamberg, Cheryl Fletcher. Elder John Gorton and the Six
Principle
Baptist Church of East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Greenville, RI:
Rhode
Island Genealogical Society, 2001.
Adopted by Gretchen A. Adams
51C. Berkeley, William. The papers of Sir William Berkeley,
1605-1677.
Richmond: Library of Virginia, 2007.
Adopted by Jon Kukla
51D. Brogan, Hugh. Alexis de Tocqueville: a life. New Haven: Yale
University Press, 2006.
Adopted by Anne H. Young in honor of Mary and John Young
51E. Fiske, Jane Fletcher. Thomas Clemence of Providence, Rhode Island and his descendants to the year 2007. Greenville, RI: Rhode Island Genealogical Society, 2007. Adopt me for: $40
51F. Howe, Daniel Walker. What hath God wrought: the transformation
of America, 1815-1848. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Pulitzer
Prize winner!
Adopted by Catherine Thompson
51G. Lacey, Barbara E. From sacred to secular: visual images in early American publications. Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press, 2007. Adopt me for: $70
51H. Michelson, Bruce. Printer's devil: Mark Twain and the American
publishing revolution. Berkeley: University of California Press,
2006.
Adopted by Ruth Ann Penka in honor of Steven Penka
51I. Nestor, Sandy. Silver and gold mining camps of the Old West: a state by state American encyclopedia. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2007. Adopt me for: $55
51J. Rediker, Marcus. The slave ship: a human history. New York:
Viking,
2007.
Adopted by Ogretta McNeil
51K. Richardson, Peter & Douglas. Canadian churches: an
architectural history. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, 2007.
Adopted by Kathleen Ricciardi in honor of Daniel Ricciardi
52. BALTIMORE CHILDREN'S BOOK
Adopted by Winston Tabb
Remember me. Baltimore: William Raine, [ca. 1840-1842]
This devotional poem is illustrated with wood engravings depicting
children engaged in everyday activities such as sailing a boat, picking
fruit, and giving money to beggars. AAS has over 30 picture books
produced by William Raine during his relatively short picture book
publishing career in Baltimore. The back cover has an advertisement for
Raine's New Coloured Books series, which includes Remember
me.
~ Laura Wasowicz
53. LIBRARY RECORDS
Adopted by John and Katherine Keenum, in memory of
Barbara Morey
Second Social Library, Standish Maine. Records, 1832-1841.
This volume contains the constitution and records of meetings of the
Second Social Library, founded as noted in the constitution by people
living at some distance from the village center. The constitution
begins thus:
"We the Subscribers, inhabitants of the town of Standish anxious to
acquire a knowledge of past time as well as passing events and believing
that a good portion of our time and that of our Children may be well
imployed in reading and living remote from the Central Vilage in this
town but in the Vicinity of each other and believeing it to be highly
important in a republicon government where each one is Caled upon to
perform his part in the government either in the discharge of his duties
of his office or by his vote and for him to do it with Clearness of mind
and soundness of judgment it is necessary for him to have some knowledge
of the history of his Cuntry and we further believe that ignorance is
degrading that it is the nursery of Vice and despotism and that it is in
a great measure by her that tyrants and superstition reign and we also
believe that that the situation of our country our selves and our
children call upon us for such an institution.
Therefore we have united and hereby unite to form ourselves in a Society
or body politic for the purpose of holding and preserving a library
under the following rules."
The volume also includes a record of the sale of the library books at
auction in 1841.
~ Thomas Knoles
54. UNRECORDED AMERICAN PLAY. Adopt me for: $2,500
Smith, John W. The jockey. A play. Being a new edition of "What it is to be a jockey." Hudson [NY]: Ashbel Stoddard, 1799.
Only known copy of a previously unrecorded 18th-century American play,
printed in Hudson, NY in 1799. The plot concerns a young jockey with a
penchant for drinking, lying, and cheating, who sells a horse under
false pretenses to an unsuspecting farmer. Sued by the farmer, the
jockey cleverly maneuvers the court into awarding him damages. The
action takes place in Bangall, NY, a small town northwest of Syracuse.
Nothing is yet known of the author, other than that he presumably lived
in Amenia, NY (near Hudson), per the "Advertisement" on page 2. The
earlier edition referred to on the title page is also unrecorded, or
perhaps simply the author's conceit.
~ David Whitesell
55. STRIPED CLOTH BINDING
Adopted by Doris N. O'Keefe and Elizabeth W. Pope in honor of Joanne
Chaison on the occasion of her retirement
Southey, Caroline Bowles, 1786-1854. Solitary hours. New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1847.
This remarkable publisher's cloth binding is one of the most unusual to
have been produced during the late 1840's — a particularly fertile
period
of experimentation in binding ornamentation. In their aggressive
efforts to catch the purchaser's eye, publishers introduced striped
cloth covers, some subdued, others quite gaudy. This example features
horizontal red stripes on cream-colored cloth, accentuated by a heavy
gold embossed panel of hatched arabesques on each cover. What makes this
binding so distinctive is the bold blind-embossed moiré pattern in the
cloth itself, which gives it an almost hypnotic appearance. Striped
cloth bindings — especially such busy designs as this one
— were not
a
success, however, and they all but disappeared from the American market
by the early 1850s. Today they are highly prized by collectors.
~ David Whitesell
56. RACY NEWSPAPERS.
Adopted by Hal Espo and Ree DeDonato
Stephen H. Branch's Alligator (New York, NY). Sept. 4 and Oct. 30, 1858.
A specific genre within AAS's newspaper collection is Racy Newspapers.
Most of these were published in New York from the 1830s to 1860s and
covered the seedier and morally dubious side of city life. All are
extremely rare with few issues surviving. Most of the AAS collection was
put together through three separate acquisitions over the past 70 years.
We rarely have an opportunity to add to it, but these two issues of
Stephen H. Branch's Alligator turned up at a local book fair
several
months after we acquired a single issue from another fair. At the time
these were published Branch was in jail, having been convicted of libel.
The September issue contains an editorial about the injustice of
Branch's conviction and freedom of the press; other articles cover
government corruption and prostitution. The October issue also contains
a very amusing ballad on the subject of libel.
~ Vincent Golden
57. RIGHTS OF THE MENTALLY ILL. Adopt me for: $300
Stone, Elizabeth T. The American Godhead: or, the Constitution of the United States cast down by Northern slavery, or by the power of insane hospitals. Boston: The Author, 1861.
Previously unrecorded, this pamphlet is an important document from the
patient's perspective on the treatment of mental illness in antebellum
America. Born in Westford, MA in 1811, Stone spent much of her life
shuttling in and out of mental institutions. During her occasional
periods of freedom, Stone took the unusual step of self-publishing three
highly critical accounts of her treatment: in 1842, 1859, and 1861. With
this acquisition, AAS now owns all three. Here Stone dwells on the legal
issues of depriving the mentally ill of their freedom: "At the present
time, our nation is shocked by the great national sin of slavery, but
what is that sin to this monstrous crime of Northern slavery?"
~ David Whitesell
58. CREDIT REPORTS. Adopt us for: $300
Strictly Confidential. (New York: John M. Bradstreet & Son). May 1, 1857. 8 issues
Like today, businesses in the 19th century needed information on the
credit worthiness of other companies before dealing with them. At that
time the need was filled by companies such as Bradstreet's. Because the
information was proprietary, reports such as these were often labeled
"Strictly Confidential," meaning they were available only to
subscribers, who often had to return them to the agency in exchange for
updated versions. These sheets cover Louisville, St. Louis, Chicago,
Boston, and Pittsburgh, though at that time Bradstreet covered a dozen
cities. Each sheet notes "The following is our opinion of the Merchants
named." The subscriber could find out the capitalization of each company
and its credit ranking: good, fair, fair only, only fair, not strong,
dissolved, assigned, sold out, and going out of business. As can be
imagined, these reports are extremely rare today.
~ Vincent Golden
59. TOLL ROAD BROADSIDE. Adopt me for: $550
Susquehannah Turnpike Corporation. Rates of toll. [Catskill, NY?, 1801?]
Doris O'Keefe, AAS senior cataloguer for rare books, reported to me that
the ability to research single items in the Readex Archive of Americana
facilitated the dating of this broadside. According to the provisions of
"An act to establish a turnpike corporation for improving and making a
road from the town of Salisbury, in the state of Connecticut, to
Wattle's Ferry on the Susquehannah River," passed by the New York State
Legislature on April 1, 1800, the corporation would be licensed to erect
toll gates and collect tolls after 4 ½ miles of road in each direction
from the ferry landing at Catskill, NY, had been completed. An article
in the Aug. 13, 1800, issue of the American citizen and general
advertiser reported that directors had been chosen for the "Susquehannah
Turnpike Company," Stephen Day elected president, and that the company
was prepared "to receive proposals and to contract for making a road
from Catskill to the westward."
~ Gigi Barnhill
60. LINCOLN MONUMENT LITHOGRAPH
Adopted by Paul S. & Anne M. Morgan
T. M. Breeden & Co. National Lincoln monument. Cincinnati: T. M. Breeden & Co., 1876.
Printed by the lithographic firm of William M. Donaldson, this image
reproduces the monument honoring Abraham Lincoln and containing his
remains designed by Larkin G. Meade. Built of Massachusetts granite, it
cost $300,000. AAS has several other documents that detail aspects of
the fundraising and design of the monument, including a book by John
Carroll Power that contains a description of the monument. The fact that
the AAS collections include other material on the monument made the
acquisition of this print a priority.
~ Gigi Barnhill
61. SILK COMPANY RECORDS
Adopted by Christopher Clark and Margaret Lamb
Thompson & Co. Great Western Express receipt book, 1857-1858.
A substantial silk business was carried on in Northampton, Massachusetts
in the nineteenth century. The Northampton Association for Education and
Industry was founded in 1841 as a utopian socialist community with the
production of silk as its business activity. Among the founders of the
Northampton Association was Samuel Lapham Hill (1806-1882). After the
dissolution of the community in 1853, Hill continued the business as the
Nonotuck Silk Company. This volume lists shipments of silk by the
express agents Thompson & Co. for Hill in the years 1857-1858. Large
quantities of silk were shipped to a variety of locations in New England
and New York, but also to companies as far away as Cincinnati,
Nashville, and Chicago. A little more than twenty years ago AAS acquired
records of the Northampton Association and so this is an excellent
addition to that collection.
~Thomas Knoles
62. VERTICAL PRESS ALMANAC
Adopted by Marcus A. McCorison
Town and country almanac, for the year of our Lord 1827 ... Philadelphia: Printed on the Vertical Press by D. & S. Neall, [1826]
Apart from filling a gap in AAS's peerless almanac collection, this
pamphlet brings to 19 the number of "Vertical Press" imprints now at
AAS. In 1825 Daniel Neall patented a revolutionary new hand press in
which the type forme and platen were both raised by mechanical action to
a vertical position.hence the name Vertical Press — and the forme
then
printed by pulling the traditional hand lever. Only one person was
needed to man the press — not the usual two — and ingenious
mechanisms
allowed for energy to be stored and reused during the next pull of the
press, thereby saving considerable labor and expense. Vertical Press
imprints prominently announced their novelty by featuring a vignette of
the press on their title pages, as here. But for reasons as yet unclear,
the Neall establishment ceased operation in 1829 and its press was not
adopted elsewhere.
~ David Whitesell
63. TYLER ORATION. Adopt me for: $250
Tyler, John, 1790-1862. An oration, delivered at York Town, Va. October 19th, 1837 ... Richmond: Thomas W. White, 1837.
A fine copy of this previously unrecorded pamphlet by Virginia Senator
John Tyler, who would be elevated to the Presidency upon the death of
William Henry Harrison in 1841. Tyler used his platform at the exercises
commemorating the 56th anniversary of the British surrender at Yorktown
to advance his states. rights views and belief in their compatibility
with a strong federal union. However, his view is ultimately a
pessimistic one, as Tyler all but concedes that sectionalism is likely
to tear the union asunder. "But, if fanaticism shall snatch the scepter
from the hands of reason — if sectional feeling shall overcome the
love of
union — my hope even then, will be, that LIBERTY will find an
abiding
place among us."
~ David Whitesell
64. UNDERGROUND RAILROAD PAMPHLET
Adopted by Chuck Arning in honor of Lee D. Arning
Vaughan, John C. Argument of John C. Vaughan, Esq., in the trial of the Rev. John B. Mahan, for felony, in the Mason Circuit Court of Kentucky ... Cincinnati: Samuel A. Alley, 1838.
Fine copy of this rare and important defense of an Ohio man who was
extradited to Kentucky and charged with aiding a fugitive slave. Mahan
was one of many who assisted an escaped Kentucky slave named John, who
passed through the busy Underground Railroad station at Ripley, OH on
the Ohio River, though it was his misfortune to be the sole person
indicted. Vaughan was one of four prominent Ohio attorneys who managed
Mahan's defense. This pamphlet contains Vaughan's lengthy summation, in
which he argues for Mahan's acquittal on factual and legal grounds,
denying the right of Kentucky to impose its laws on someone who could
prove he had never set foot in that state. To the surprise of almost all
present, Mahan was acquitted.
~ David Whitesell
65. MANITOWOC CITY VIEW. Adopt me for: $950
Vogt, Charles H. Manitowoc, Wis. Milwaukee: Printed by J. Knauber and published by C. H. Vogt, 1870.
I spotted this city view, described in John Reps's magnificent Views and
viewmakers of urban America but located only in a private collection, at
the San Francisco Book, Print, and Ephemera Fair in early February. I
went to the fair as president of the Ephemera Society of America,
spending most of a day sitting at the booth handing out membership
brochures and old issues of the newsletter. A dealer had this and a
print of Windham, CT, for sale, but was too lazy to quote them to me.
So, Roger Genser, a print dealer in Santa Monica, CA, who is active in
the American Historical Print Collectors Society and a good friend,
kindly snapped them up and then sent them on to me. This print is
particularly interesting because of the border printed in dark grey. The
colors of the view really pop off the sheet. The contrast between the
bucolic foreground and the densely populated town is striking. Manitowoc
must have had some importance in the late nineteenth century: there are
views published in 1869, 1870, 1883, and 1895!
~ Gigi Barnhill
66. 18TH-CENTURY MANUSCRIPT MUSIC.
Adopted by Kristin Espinosa and Meredith Neuman, in memory of their
grandmother,
Freda S. Petersen
Walter, Thomas, 1696-1725. The Grounds and rules of musick explained. Boston: Thomas Johnston, 1764.
AAS has another copy of this edition as well as numerous other editions
of Walter's works. Although this copy is defective, like a number of
other surviving copies it has manuscript additions bound into the back.
These offer a window into the musical interests of individual owners.
Differing notations within the manuscript entries suggest that two
different owners added material to the volume and that it was used over
a number of years.
~ Thomas Knoles
67. PORTLAND CITY VIEW. Adopt me for: $3,500
Warner, Joseph. Bird's eye view of the city of Portland, Maine, 1876. Madison, WI: J. J. Stoner, 1876.
We are always on the lookout for city views, particularly those that
reveal details about the city plan and the economic life of the city.
Many of the structures on this map are keyed to descriptive text below
the image, providing a great deal of information about ownership of the
wharves, location of churches, and placement of schools and other public
buildings within residential areas. Joseph Warner was an itinerant
artist, responsible for just three city views; this is his earliest. The
publisher, J. J. Stoner of Madison, WI, issued 314 views covering the
United States from Washington State to Maine. By the time that this view
was published, there were several firms, such as Stoner's, that
specialized in this genre.
~ Gigi Barnhill
68. CHILDREN'S BOTANY BOOK
Adopted by Georgia Barnhill
Welsh, Jane Kilby, b. 1783? The pastime of learning, with sketches of rural scenes. Boston: Cottons and Barnard, 1831.
This is a classic example of botany presented as a "lady's science."
Jane Kilby Welsh's text conveys the lessons through a series of informal
conversations between an intelligent mother and her children. This copy
also sports four fabulous hand-colored metal engravings depicting
various plants. Books like The pastime of learning inspired a young
Emily Dickinson to create her celebrated nature poems several decades
later.
~ Laura Wasowicz
69. EMBOSSED LEATHER BINDING.
Adopted by Michael R. Potaski
The young man's book of elegant prose. Philadelphia, 1836.
This is the scarcest of a series of anthologies of prose, poetry, and
letters, specially selected for young men or ladies, published during
the 1830's. The short selections were chosen primarily from English
authors, though Washington Irving and James Fenimore Cooper are also
represented. Included are adventure tales, satire, historical essays,
and especially biography, many selected as much for their moral content
as for their literary style. It is bound in an almost perfectly
preserved example of a publisher's embossed leather binding, a style
popular in England and the United States ca. 1825-1855.
~ David Whitesell
70A-J. PERIODICAL ISSUES IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS.
Individual issues of 19th-century periodicals were often published with
a separate protective paper wrapper. When bound collectively into
volumes, however, the binder usually removed the wrappers and any
advertisement pages. This is unfortunate because the discarded wrappers
and advertisements often contain a wealth of information about the
publication, illustrations, or other details which are now of great
interest to historians of American printing and publishing. Here is a
selection of issues in original wrappers.
~ Vincent Golden
70A. American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine (Baltimore,
MD).
Feb. 1833. Besides the wonderful cover images there are advertisements
for breeding stock of horses and upcoming races.
Adopted by Frank Amari
70B. Columbian Lady's and Gentleman's Magazine (New York). Apr.
1844.
Nice example of two-color printing. No color was used outside of the
wrappers.
Adopted by Rodney G. Obien
70C. American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review (New York). Mar.
1818. Excellent graphic of a bookseller's shop on the front cover.
Adopted by Rodney G. Obien
70D. Lady's Book, and Ladies. American Magazine (Philadelphia).
July
1838.
Adopted by Frank Amari
70E. American Masonic Register and Ladies & Gentlemen's
Magazine
(New
York). Oct. 1820. The list of agents on the back cover shows how
widely distributed this work was.
Adopted by Frank Amari
70F. Philadelphia Visiter and Parlour Companion (Philadelphia).
Jan.
1838. Lovely grape arbor border, with classified advertisements on the
inside and back covers.
Adopted by Frank Amari
70G. Revue du Nouveau-Monde (New York). Nov. 1849. Interesting
French-language periodical. On the back cover is a list of agents from
Canada, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, and France handling this
periodical.
Adopted by Frank Amari
70H. Atkinson's Casket, or Gems of Literature, Wit and Sentiment
(Philadelphia). Mar. 1838. The wrappers contain a table of contents,
lists of plates ("embellishments") covering volumes from 1829 to 1837,
and a long list of agents. There is also a note instructing postmasters
that, when subscriptions lapse, the postmaster is to return a legal
letter notice with the receipt and not the magazine itself (which would
require double postage), nor are they to return issues mutilated or
defaced in the mail.
Adopted by Frank Amari
70I. American Gardener's Magazine (Boston). Apr. 1835. Extra
advertising sheets for a variety of flowers and seeds are inserted.
Adopted by Frank Amari
70J. Wisconsin Farmer and Northwestern Cultivator (Madison, WI).
Aug.
1856. Great city view of Madison along with agricultural graphics on
the front cover.
Adopted by Jon Kukla
Addendum
71. Bisbee, Richard M. History of the town of Waitsfield, Vermont
1789-2000. Barre, VT: L. Brown and Sons, 2007.
Adopted by Carolyn Dik
72. Brady, Mary Louise Baldwin. Connecticut roots: Pilgrim & Puritan planters and Irish famine emigrants. Baltimore: Gateway Press, 2006. Adopt me for: $60
73. Caney, Donald L. Africa squadron: the U.S. Navy and the slave
trade, 1842-1861. Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books, 2006.
Adopted by Adrienne G. Clark
74. Graves, Eben W. The descendants of Henry Sewall 1576-1656 of Manchester and Coventry, England & Newbury and Rowley, Massachusetts. Boston: Newbury Street Press, 2007. Adopt me for: $60
75. Kukla, Jon. Mr. Jefferson's women. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. Adopt me for: $20
76. LaPlante, Eve. Salem witch judge: the life and repentance of
Samuel Sewall. New York: HarperOne, 2007.
Adopted by Janet Marie Bessette
77. Massey, Sara R. Texas women on the cattle trails. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. Adopt me for: $25
78. Moore, Susan Hardman. Pilgrims: New World settlers & the call
of
home. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007.
Adopted by Bernadine Birch
79. Murray, Meg McGavran. Margaret Fuller, wandering pilgrim.
Athens:
University of Georgia Press, 2008.
Adopted by Margareta Berg
80. Ohlhausen, Sidney K. The American Catholic Bible in the
nineteenth
century: a catalog of English language editions. Jefferson, NC:
McFarland, 2006.
Adopted by Carol van Berkel in memory of Thomas R. van Berkel
81. Oliver, Barret. A history of the Woodburytype: the first successful photomechanical printing process and Walter Bentley Woodbury. Nevada City, CA: Carl Mautz, 2006. Adopt me for: $60
82. Phegley, Jennifer. Educating the proper woman reader: Victorian family literary magazines and the cultural health of the nation. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 2004. Adopt me for: $35
83. Rasmussen, William S. Lee and Grant. Richmond: Virginia Historical Society, 2007. Adopt me for: $55
84. Sloan, Kim. A new world: England's first view of America. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2007. Adopt me for: $50
85. Werner, Emmy E. In pursuit of liberty: coming of age in the American Revolution. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2006. Adopt me for: $45
86. Wisconsin. Legislature. The legislative manual of the state of
Wisconsin - First annual edition. Madison: Smith & Cullaton,
1862.
Adopted by Rob Nurre in memory of Increase A. Lapham
87. The Sunday school juvenile Bible. Richmond: Peter Cottom,
1832.
Adopted by Russell W. Dalton
88. The Flower-Boy of the Prairie. New York: American Tract
Society,
[ca. 1861]
Adopted by Ann-Cathrine and Douglas Rapp, in honor of their
grandchildren
89A. The Sail on the River. Boston: Graves & Ellis, [ca. 1868]
Adopted by Kathleen Ricciardi in honor of Michael Ricciardi
The following "siblings" in the series can also be adopted for $30 each:
89B. Addie's New Story Book.
Adopted by Kathleen McClintock in honor of Sister Louise
Marie, S.S.J.
89C. Working for Mamma.
Adopted by Meredith Neuman, in honor of Dianne Neuman
89D. The Lost Child.
89E. Addie's Birthday.
89F. Addie's Country Home.
89G. The Magic Lantern.
Adopted by Sara Kirk and Nigel Gully
89H. Addie's Visitors.
89I. Laura's Garden.
Adopted by Laura Wasowicz in honor of Joanne Chaison
89J. Addie's Brother Freddie.
89K. Working for Papa.
Adopted by Meredith Neuman, in honor of Dianne Neuman
90. Old Merry Rhymes for Young Merry Hearts. Boston: Lee &
Shepard,
[ca. 1860-1875]
Adopted by Ann-Cathrine and Douglas Rapp, in honor of their
grandchildren
91. Elliott, Emily Steele. Under the Microscope. London,
Edinburgh,
&
New York: T. Nelson & Sons, 1873.
Adopted by Elizabeth and James David Moran
92. Howitt, Mary Botham. The Picture Book for the Young.
Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1862.
Adopted by George W. Tetler III in honor of Shelia L. Tetler
93. PERIODICAL ISSUES IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS. Adopt us for: $15 each
93A. The Millennial Harbinger (Bethany, VA) Oct. 1850.
93B. The Southern Agriculturist, and Register of Rural Affairs (Charleston, SC) May 1832.Adopted by Audrey Zook
93C. The Port Folio (New York) Nov. 1812.
93D. The Dollar Magazine (New York) Apr. 1841.
Adopted by Paul
Erickson
93E. The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine (New York)
Feb. 1842.
Adopted by Paul Erickson
93F. Holden's Dollar Magazine (New York) Mar. 1849.
Adopted by Paul Erickson
93G. The Analectic Magazine (Philadelphia) Sept. 1820.
93H. The Franklin Journal, and American Mechanics' Magazine (Philadelphia) Jan. 1828. Adopted by Meredith Neuman, in honor of Ronald E. Neuman
93I. De Bow's Review (New Orleans) Oct. 1854.
93J. The Weekly Visitor and Ladies' Museum (New York) May 27,
1820.
Adopted by Audrey Zook
94. PERIODICAL ISSUES IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS. Adopt us for: $15 each
94A. The Christian Repository and Ladies' Magazine (Dayton, OH)
May
1858.
Adopted by Krista Ferrante in honor of Mary Eloise Owens
94B. Arcturus, a Journal of Books and Opinion (New York) Mar. 1842.
94C. The International Monthly Magazine (New York) Dec. 1850. Adopted by Meredith Neuman, in honor of Ronald E. Neuman
94D. The Rose Bud (Lowell, MA) Oct. 1, 1832.
Adopted by Laura Wasowicz in memory of Joyce Tracy
94E. Hunt's Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review (New York)
Jan.
1857.
Adopted by Paul Erickson
94F. The Cincinnatius: Devoted to Scientific Agriculture, Horticulture, Education, and Improvement of Rural Taste (Cincinnati) May 1850. Adopted by Meredith Neuman, in honor of Ronald E. Neuman
94G. The New-York Visiter and Parlour Companion (New York) Apr. 1840.
94H. The Mother's Magazine and Family Monitor (New York) June 1853.
94I. The Western Literary Messenger, a Family Magazine (Buffalo, NY) Sept. 1853.
94J. American Phrenological Journal (New York) June 1847.
Adopted by Paul Erickson
95. PERIODICAL ISSUES IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS. Adopt us for: $15 each
95A. The Casket or, Flowers of Literature, Wit & Sentiment (Philadelphia) May 1829.
95B. The Connecticut Evangelical Magazine (Hartford, CT) Mar. 1801.
95C. The Baltimore Phoenix & Budget: a Monthly Magazine (Baltimore, MD) Nov. 1841.
95D. The American Journal of Education (Boston) Dec. 1828.
95E. The Antiquarian, and General Review (Schenectady, NY) Nov. 1845.
95F. Boston Monthly Magazine (Boston) May 1826.
95G. Horticultural Register, and Gardener's Magazine (Boston)
Aug.
1835.
Adopted by Audrey Zook
95H. The Valley Farmer. A Monthly Journal Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture, and Rural Affairs (St. Louis, MO) May 1864.
95I. The Christian Family Magazine and Annual (New York) Oct. 1844.
95J. New-York Visitor and Lady's Album (Albany, NY) May 1843.
96. PERIODICAL ISSUES IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS. Adopt us for: $15 each
96A. The Mother's Assistant and Young Lady's Friend (Boston) Mar. 1847.
96B. The American Magazine of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge (Boston) Sept. 1835.
96C. The New England Journal of Medicine and Surgery, and The Collateral
96D. Branches of Science (Boston) Apr. 1815.
96E. Godey's Lady's Book (Philadelphia) Mar. 1843.
Adopted by Paul Jones
96F. Fisher's National Magazine and Industrial Record (New York) Sept. 1856.
96G. Roberts' Semi-Monthly Magazine for Town and Country (Boston) Aug. 1, 1844.
96H. United States Magazine (New York) Aug. 1856.
Adopted by Paul Jones
96I. Collections, Historical & Miscellaneous (Concord, NH) July 1824.
96J. The Patriarch: or Family Library Magazine (New York) Aug. 1841. Adopted by Meredith Neuman, in honor of Ronald E. Neuman
96K. Graham's Lady's and Gentleman's Magazine of American Literature
and
Art
(Philadelphia) Jan. 1844.
Adopted by Paul Jones
Welcome to the American Antiquarian Society's First Annual Adopt-a-Book event! The Adopt-a-Book Catalog describes over 80 items acquired by AAS curators in recent months. All are being offered for "adoption." That is, you may adopt any item by pledging the stated amount. In return AAS will permanently record the adopter's name 1) on a special bookplate attached to each item, and 2) in the AAS online library catalog. Adopt a book in your name, in honor of a special friend, or in memory of a loved one. Or adopt a favorite item jointly, sharing the cost with one or more friends. All proceeds will be used by curators to acquire more items for AAS's outstanding collections.
Watch this website for updates on the Adopt-a-Book event. All "orphans" will remain available for adoption until August 31, 2008.
Gifts in support of the Adopt-a-Book event and the acquisitions program were received from: Aiglatson Rodney Armstrong Karl Briel Irene Q. and Richard D. Brown H. Martin Deranian DeWolfe & Wood Carol and James Donnelly Linwood Erskine Joyce & Jack Hanrahan Dr. Sharon Harris The Judy & Tony King Foundation Dr. Thomas Keenan Jack Lund Peter Masi Jane Nylander Marilyn Richardson Robert H. Smith, Jr. Tavistock Books John M. Woolsey 3rd
Thank you for supporting AAS's acquisitions program!
How to adopt:
1) First, browse the Adopt-a-Book Catalog and select the item(s) you wish to adopt.
2) Contact David Whitesell
a) by e-mail to: dwhitesell[at]mwa.org
b) by telephone to: (508) 471-2165
c) or by mail to:
Adopt-a-Book
American Antiquarian Society
185 Salisbury Street
Worcester, MA 01609-1634
Please provide your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address along with the number(s) of the item(s) you wish to adopt. AAS will contact you with information on how to redeem your pledge. Or save time and send a check (payable to AAS) for the full amount to the address above. (The AAS Adopt-a-Book event, was held in Antiquarian Hall on Tuesday, April 29, 2008, but the catalog will remain available for items not yet adopted though August 31, 2008.)
Not ready to adopt your favorite item? Then consider becoming a godparent by pledging 25% or more of the adoption cost for any item valued at $500 or more!
Questions? Contact AAS. Thank you for your support of AAS's acquisitions program!