Engravings

1771 · ref. 3835 — Three engravings by Paul Revere are certainly the most distinctive feature of this Boston almanac for 1772 namely: Miss Emma Leach a dwarf born in Beverley Massachusetts on front cover. The Patriotic American Farmer John Dickinson. Mrs. Catharine M'Caulay. Almanac making in colonial America was a rather unscrupulous affair at times. The notion of copyright was unknown among publishers. Indeed almanac piracy or perhaps liberal borrowing was the accepted industry practice. The present almanac offers an excellent example of heavy borrowing. The Boston Ames Almanack for 1772 was published in two versions: one by Ezekiel Russell and the other a pirated version by an unnamed printer/publisher. The text and images of the two are very similar although the cuts of the three subjects differ very slightly between the two almanacs. Paul Revere's daybook for December 1771 identifies two purchasers of plates for a 1772 Ames almanac Ezekiel Russell and Edes & Gill. Within a matter of a week it's apparent that Revere produced two sets of plates of the same subjects for competing almanacs. In an advertisement for Russell's version of the Ames almanac he "hopes that the publick with their usual impartiality will give him preference in buying of his Ames' genuine almanac before any pirated edition." Revere's contributions were in both the original and this pirated edition of the almanac. References: Evans: 11961; Drake Almanacs of the U.S.: 3205; Brigham Paul Revere's Engravings: pp. 202-203; Hamilton Early American Book Illustrators and Wood Engravers: 56; O'Neal Early American Almanacs: 115 mistakenly citing Russell as publisher. Condition: Disbound; leaves are separated with a later paper reinforcement in the gutter of two leaves. Chipping to lower corners of two leaves. Scattered mostly light staining and a few spots of foxing. Good. ICN 7815. [Printed by T. & J. Fleet and Edes & Gill. Price 2s. 8d. per dozen, and six coppers single. ]