3 002 résultats
1906réf. 122593New York & London: G. P. Putnam's Sons 1906. First edition of Union Major-General Newton Martin Curtis's memoirs; lengthily inscribed by him to American Civil War nursing pioneer Clara Barton. Octavo original cloth with gilt titles to the spine and front panel illustrated with four tissue-guarded engraved portraits including frontispiece of Major-General Curtis. Association copy inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper "Presented to Miss Clara Barton in grateful appreciation of her careful supervision of hospitals and devoted attention to the disabled soldiers of the Civil War. Newton Marin Curtis Christmas 1906." The recipient Clara Barton took the lead in developing a program to care for soldiers wounded in the American Civil War. At the time of the inscription Barton had just resigned from her position as president of the American Red Cross and was working on her autobiography The Story of My Childhood which was published in 1907. An exceptional association. Newton Martin Curtis was a Union officer during the American Civil War and a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. On May 15 1861 Curtis volunteered in the Union Army as a captain in Company G of the 16th New York Infantry. He fought in the Peninsula Campaign and was wounded in a minor engagement at West Point Virginia. On October 23 1862 he transferred to the 142nd New York Volunteer Infantry serving as lieutenant colonel until his promotion to colonel on January 21 1865. As commander of the 142nd New York Infantry he fought in the Bermuda Hundred Campaign of May 1864. He took command of the 1st Brigade 2nd Division X Corps during the Siege of Petersburg. Curtis received a brevet promotion to brigadier general on October 28 1864 for his actions at the Battle of New Market Heights. G. P. Putnam's Sons hardcover books
1905réf. 124862New York: Charles Scribner's Sons 1905. Signed limited edition of Roosevelt's classic work one of 260 numbered copies signed by Theodore Roosevelt this is number 197. Small quarto original cloth printed on ruisdael paper by the De Vinne Press photogravure frontispiece of Roosevelt illustrated throughout. In very good condition. "Like Audubon William Elliott and Judge Caton Roosevelt liked to chase deer with horses and hounds: 'To be able to ride through woods and over rough country at full speed rifle or shotgun in hand and then to leap off and shoot at a running object is to show that one has the qualities which made the cavalry of Forrest so formidable in the Civil War.' This volume also contains an excellent chapter on 'Books on Big Game' in which Roosevelt reveals his admiration for two other giants among deer hunters: Judge Caton and T.S. Van Dyke" Wegner 234. Charles Scribner's Sons hardcover books
réf. 124318Black and white photograph signed by conservative African American writer and civil rights activist George S. Schuyler at the beginning of his journalism career "George S Schuyler 10/5/24." After serving nine months in prison for deserting his military post in Hawaii when a Greek immigrant refused to shine his shoes because of his skin color Schuyler moved to New York where his outspoken conservative views and disdain for socialism caught the eye of H. L. Mencken who wrote "I am more and more convinced that Schuyler is the most competent editorial writer now in practice in this great free republic." Schuyler contributed ten articles to the American Mercury during Mencken's tenure as editor all dealing with Black issues and all notable for Schuyler's wit and incisive analysis. In fine condition. African-American author journalist and social commentator George Samuel Schuyler was best known for his staunch conservative views and sensational and often controversial articles dealing with Black issues. Throughout his career he published scores of columns short stories and novels often under a pseudonym his most notable being his 1926 article The Negro-Art Hokum and 1931 satire Black No More. unknown books
1865réf. 124557c. 1865. Rare thirty-six star printed American parade flag commemorating the statehood of Nevada. The first flag to appear after the end of the Civil War the thirty-six star flag was in use for two years between July 4 1865 when Nevada was admitted into the Union and July 3 1867 when Nebraska was admitted. Printed in blue and red ink on cotton the flag measures 27.5 inches by 19 inches. Matted and framed the entire piece measures 35.5 inches by 27 inches. In very good condition. A handsome presentation of a desirable Civil War era flag. "Although Nevada became a state while the Civil War was in progress its membership in the Union was not officially recognized by Congress until July 4 1865 several months after the war was over" Druckman & Kohn 56. Although not considered a Civil War flag this flag nevertheless contains elements of Civil War flags: "The preference of Civil War flagmakers was clearly for horizontal and vertical alignment of stars: that is complete parallelism of rows. The collective visual effect of Civil War flags is therefore one of hypnotic rhythm - the embattled stars drawn up in military order in defense of the threatened Union stride on relentlessly. Star patterns of this sort denser now and necessarily smaller may be described as 'phalanx' or 'battalion' arrangements" Mastai & Mastai 123. "The thirty-six star flag. typically contained five rows of stars. The first third and fifth rows hel eight stars each; the second and fourth rows had six each" Lepson 94. The present flag has the phalanx pattern in an unusual configuration of six rows of six five-pointed stars each. "While Civil War flags escaped much of the mortal rigidity of mechanical mass production their artistic merit was more particularly due to the delicate design relationship of the elements and to numerous subtle details - such as the directions of the arms of the stars which we never entirely regimented as they are on modern flags. And truly no modern replica can either do justice to the artistic character or render the 'patina' of one of these antique flags" Mastai & Mastai 124. unknown books
1836réf. 1243531836. Rare autograph letter signed by one of the most prominent American lawyers of the 19th century Daniel Webster written in anticipation of the opening of the American west. One page folded text in the hand of an amanuensis the letter stipulates which types of land Webster and Perkins wish the recipient Joseph R. Williams of Toledo Ohio to invest in with their $5000 speculative fund. The reads in part "Washington 16 May 1836 Dear Sir Mr. H. Perkins Esq. of Boston who is doubtless well known to you at least by character and reputation is now here. He and myself have argued to join in some investments in lands in your part of the country and we propose to place a sum in your hands for that purpose to be invested on the same terms and conditions as you invest other funds for me and for Mr. Davis. The sum which we propose to place at your disposal for this purpose is five thousand dollars; of which three fourths are to be invested for account of Col. Perkins and one fourth on my account. Of course we leave the choice of places to your discretion looking to safety and to the hopes of profit. We would not devise you to be too adventurous in regard to town lots; but if you should see a good prospect of a handsome advance in property of that kind you will embrace the opportunity so to dispose of part of lands for agricultural purposes in townships already settles and settling near to great lines of communication and taken up at Government prices cannot well fail to produce handsome returns on the capital. Still we should be very glad if you could make a lucky hit at some point where the land should soon be wanted for town purposes or where it would be met by some canal or other improvement which should enhance its value. As to the mode of remittance we have thought of no better way than for you to draw on me. I shall be in this city until the early part of Jun perhaps later and then in Boston. As commercial transactions in your quarter may enter in New York and Philadelphia your Bills on me may be made payable either at Boston or at the Merchants Bank in the city of New York or the Bank of the United States at Philadelphia. You will of course write me on the receipt of this. You will see what day shall be fixed on for the adjustment of Congress and may take it for granted that I shall be here till about that time." Signed at the conclusion by Webster "with regards Yr obedient Serv Daniel Webster'. Additionally signed "Joseph R. Williams Esq Toledo" and "approved & agreed to by me Th. Perkins". The spring and summer of 1936 saw the admission to the Union of Arkansas and Michigan as the 25th and 26th states respectively and the organization of the Wisconsin Territory essentially opening the American West as the next urban frontier. In near fine condition. Accompanied by an etched portrait of Webster. American lawyer and statesman Daniel Webster represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison John Tyler and Millard Fillmore. As one of the most prominent American lawyers of the 19th century he argued over 200 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court between 1814 and his death in 1852. During his life he was a member of the Federalist Party the National Republican Party and the Whig Party. During the Mexican-American War he emerged as a leader of the "Cotton Whigs" a faction of Northern Whigs that emphasized good relations with the South over anti-slavery policies. In 1850 President Fillmore appointed Webster as secretary of state and Webster contributed to the passage of the Compromise of 1850 which settled several territorial issues and enacted a new fugitive slave law. unknown books
1961réf. 1248041961. The National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Annual Award Dinner held at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on December 5 1961 boldly signed by him and college Hall of Famer Marshall Goldberg below. President John F. Kennedy gave the address at the annual awards dinner for the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. During the banquet the President received the National Football Foundation's Gold Medal for his promotion of the role of athletics in the development of civic and political leadership. In his speech President Kennedy congratulated the University of Alabama's football team for their advancement to the Sugar Bowl and discussed the importance of improving the country's physical fitness and the recent establishment of the Council on Youth Fitness. Bob Hope served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening. In this speech President Kennedy called on Americans to participate in sports and other forms of physical activity. In near fine condition. Rare and desirable. All four Kennedy brothers played football at Harvard. Robert and Edward both were Harvard football lettermen. Joe Jr. played at the Choate School and was an active member of the Harvard Squad. JFK gamely pursued a playing role in Harvard's football program but did not progress beyond the junior varsity as illness and injury in his freshman year curtailed his involvement. unknown books
réf. 124196Rare original Anthony Berger carte-de-visite signed by Abraham Lincoln as President; the most recognizable portrait of Lincoln which was later used as the model for the Lincoln cent. Original mounted albumen photograph double ruled in gilt with "Brady's National Photographic Portrait Galleries" stamp to the verso. Boldly signed by Abraham Lincoln "A Lincoln." With an additional inscription on the verso which reads "Contributed for the benefit of the S.A.S. of Westford Mass. at their Levee Dec. 14th 1864 by Mr. Lincoln." Through the use of many paid assistants renowned 19th century portraitist Mathew B. Brady produced thousands of photographs documenting the American Civil War including portraits of Lincoln Grant and both Union and Confederate soldiers in camps and battlefields. The body of work created by Brady's photographers including Anthony Berger Alexander Gardner and Timothy O'Sullivan has become the most important visual documentation of the Civil War. Taken on February 9 1864 by the manager of Brady's Washington studio Anthony Berger this the most recognizable portrait of the 16th president of the United States was later used by Victor David Brenner to create the Lincoln cent. During this same sitting Berger also took the photograph of Lincoln that would later appear on the five dollar bill. The present example was signed by Lincoln to help the Sanitary Association of Westford Massachusetts raise funds for Unions soldiers toward the end Civil War. An example at Heritage Auction brought 175000 in 2006. In near fine condition. An exceptional piece. Abraham Lincoln served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War the country's greatest moral cultural constitutional and political crisis and in doing so preserved the Union of the United States of America abolished slavery and strengthened the federal government. Lincoln ran for President in 1860 sweeping the North in victory. The South was outraged by Lincoln's election and in response secessionists implemented plans to leave the Union before he took office in March 1861. War began in April 1861 when secessionist forces attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina just over a month after Lincoln's inauguration and after years of deadly military conflict officially ended on April 9 1865 when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at the Battle of Appomattox Court House. On April 14 1865 just days after the war's end at Appomattox Lincoln was attending a play at Ford's Theatre with his wife Mary when he was assassinated by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln is remembered as the martyr hero of the United States and is consistently ranked as one of the greatest presidents in American history. unknown books
1941réf. 1248151941. Rare original black and white photograph of Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt sitting together at a table signed by both dated Christmas 1941. The photograph measures 8 inches by 10 inches. Double matted and framed. The entire piece measures 16.5 inches by 18.5 inches. unknown books
1781réf. 125872April 10 1781. Exceptionally rare autograph letter signed by George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army to French ally Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur comte de Rochambeau whose military assistance in the Siege of Yorktown essentially ended the Revolutionary War. The body of the letter is entirely in the hand of Alexander Hamilton and dated 10 April 1781. In the spring of 1781 officials from Massachusetts approached Rochambeau with a proposal to attack the British post at the mouth of the Penobscot river which had been established in June 1779 to secure timber for shipyards in Halifax and to protect Nova Scotia from any American advance. On April 6 Rochambeau informed Washington that he was willing to send a detachment of troops and that Admiral Destouches would offer naval assistance but observing that he was under Washington's command he would await his approval before approving the action Rochambeau to Washington 6 April 1781 Papers of George Washington Library of Congress. Washington here responds offering his gratitude that Destouches who had only recently lost a naval engagement with the British in an unsuccessful attempt to relieve Lafayette in Virginia would be willing "to undertake the expedition to Penobscot and to you for your readiness to furnish a detachment of troops for the same purpose. The object is certainly worth attention and if it can be effected will be very agreeable to the States particularly to those of the East." He trusts that Destouches "can best judge from the situation of the enemy's fleet how far it may be attempted with prudence and Your Excellency from the information you have recently received what number of troops will be sufficient for the enterprise--I am persuaded it will be calculated how far it is probable the enemy may follow with a part of their fleet--whether the post can be carried by a coup de main or may require so much time as to make it likely the operation will be interrupted before its conclusion--in case of a superior squadron being sent by the enemy what possibility there is of protection or a safe retreat for the ships and even for the land force through an unsettled country in which numbers perished for want of provision in a former attempt--All these are points too important not to have been well weighed and your conversations with the Massachusetts deputies will have been able to enlighten you upon them." Here he is referencing the unsuccessful attempt by Massachusetts in 1779 to destroy the post abandoned when British ships with reinforcements forced an arduous overland retreat by the Americans. Despite his assurances that Rochambeau and Destouches had matters well in hand Washington took the "liberty to remark on two things--one that it appears to me frigates without any ships of the line will answer the purpose as well as with them and less will be risked than by dividing the body of the fleet. Frigates especially the forty fours will afford a safe escort to the troops against any thing now in those Seas and with respect to a detachment from the enemy's fleet it would be always proportioned to the force we should send and if we have two sixty fours they would even be an object for their whole fleet. The other observation I would make is that dispatch being essential to success it will in my opinion be adviseable not to depend on any cooperation of the Militia but to send at once such a force from your army as you deem completely adequate to a speedy reduction of the post. The country in the neighbourhood of Penobscot is too thinly inhabited to afford any resource of Militia there and to assemble and convey them from remote places would announce your design--retard your operations and give leisure to the enemy to counteract you. Indeed I would recommend for the sake of secrecy to conceal your determination from the State itself." On 15 April Rochambeau replied to Washington observing that while he had sufficient troops to spare "your Excellency's observations upon the Separation of our fleet and upon the danger to be interrupted by superior forces during the course of the Expedition which Mr Destouches does not Look on as possible to be undertaken with his frigates only are the motives which cause this project to be Laid aside for the present moment." Rochambeau to Washington 15 April 1781 Papers of George Washington Library of Congress. Soon Washington and Rochambeau's attention returned again to Virginia and within months their combined forces would be closing in on Yorktown. In near fine condition. Exceptionally rare and desirable being the only communication between the storied commanders of the Yorktown campaign to appear at auction in more than a century. In 1780 French nobleman Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur comte de Rochambeau was appointed commander of land forces as part of the project code named Expedition Particuliere. He was given the rank of Lieutenant General in command of some 7000 French troops and sent to join the Continental Army under George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. He landed at Newport Rhode Island on 10 July but was held there inactive for a year due to his reluctance to abandon the French fleet blockaded by the British in Narragansett Bay. The College in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations now known as Brown University served as an encampment site for some of Rochambeau's troops and the College Edifice was converted into a military hospital now known as University Hall.3 In July 1781 the force left Rhode Island and marched across Connecticut to join Washington on the Hudson River in Mount Kisco New York. Washington and Rochambeau then marched their combined forces to the siege of Yorktown and the Battle of the Chesapeake. On 22 September they combined with the Marquis de Lafayette's troops and forced heavily outnumbered and trapped Lord Cornwallis to surrender on 19 October. The siege of Yorktown was a decisive victory for the American Continental Army and proved to be the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War in the North American region as the surrender by Cornwallis and the capture of both him and his army prompted the British government to negotiate an end to the conflict and ultimately resulted in the Treaty of Paris of 1783. unknown books
1788réf. 125980New York: Printed and Sold by J. and A. McLean 1788. First edition of The Federalist one of the rarest and most significant books in American political history which "exerted a powerful influence in procuring the adoption of the Federal Constitution." 12 mo two volumes bound in one bound in full contemporary calf rebacked preserving most of original gilt-ruled spine with red morocco label. In very good condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. An exceptional example of this landmark book. When Alexander Hamilton invited his fellow New Yorker John Jay and James Madison a Virginian to join him in writing the series of essays published as The Federalist it was to meet the immediate need of convincing the reluctant New York State electorate of the necessity of ratifying the newly proposed Constitution of the United States. The 85 essays under the pseudonym 'Publius' were designed as political propaganda not as a treatise of political philosophy. In spite of this The Federalist survives as one of the new nation's most important contributions to the theory of government" PMM 234. The Federalist "exerted a powerful influence in procuring the adoption of the Federal Constitution not only in New York but in the other states. There is probably no work in so small a compass that contains so much valuable political information. The true principles of a republican form of government are here unfolded with great clearness and simplicity" Church 1230. "A generation passed before it was recognized that these essays by the principal author of the Constitution and its brilliant advocate were the most authoritative interpretation of the Constitution as drafted by the Convention of 1787. As a commentary and exposition of the Constitution the influence of the Federalist has been profound" Grolier American 100 56. Of the only 500 copies published Hamilton is said to have sent nearly 50 copies to Virginia for the ratifying convention. The remaining 450 copies sold poorly and "the publishers complained in October 1788 long after New York had ratified the Constitution that they still had several hundred unsold copies" Maggs 815. Printed and Sold by J. and A. McLean unknown books
1962réf. 125982New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers 1962. First edition early printing of this selection of President Kennedy's speeches and writings from election through his first legislative year. Octavo original cloth. Boldly signed by John F. Kennedy on the verso of the half-title page. Edited by John W. Gardner. Foreword by Carl Sandburg. Introduction by President Kennedy. Near fine in a very good price-clipped dust jacket. Jacket design by Ricki Levinson. Author photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt. Housed in a custom clamshell box. From the library of legendary collector Philip D. Sang. Rare and desirable signed by Kennedy. "President Kennedy has an extraordinary capacity to express himself in speech and in writing. Rarely has an American President stated the nation's problems with such clarity or voiced its aspirations so movingly. The reader of these pages is in no danger of getting entangled in thickets of bureaucratic prose. He will find here a lucid instructive and eloquent introduction to the problems facing a great nation in a troubled century" from the Editor's note. Harper & Brothers Publishers hardcover books
1769réf. 125438London: Printed for David Henry and sold by Francis Newbery 1769. First complete edition of "the most important scientific book of 18th-century America" and "America's first great scientific contribution" PMM. Octavo bound in full contemporary calf with gilt ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands red morocco spine label lettered in gilt double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels. With the rarely found half-title. Advertisement & errata leaf bound in following the preface. Illustrated with 7 copper-engraved plates 4 of which are folding. This the fourth first complete and most desirable edition of Franklin's important work contains for the first time complete notes on all of the experiments as well as correspondence between Peter Collinson Franklin and several other collaborators. The earlier editions each issued in three parts as separately published pamphlets usually bound together were carelessly published. Franklin edited this new one-volume edition himself significantly revising the text adding for the first time a number of his own philosophical letters and papers introducing footnotes correcting errors and adding an index Cohen Benjamin Franklin's Experiments. In near fine condition. Expertly rebacked. Housed in a custom full morocco clamshell box. Franklin's most important scientific publication" Experiments and Observations contains detailed accounts of the founding father's crucial kite and key experiment his work with Leiden jars lightning rods and charged clouds Norman 830. "The most dramatic result of Franklin's researches was the proof that lightning is really an electrical phenomenon. Others had made such a suggestion before him-- even Newton himself-- but it was he who provided the experimental proof" PMM. "The lightning experiments caused Franklin's name to become known throughout Europe to the public at large and not merely to men of science. Joseph Priestley in his History of Electricity characterized the experimental discovery that the lightning discharge is an electrical phenomenon as 'the greatest perhaps since the time of Isaac Newton. Franklin's achievement. marked the coming of age of electrical science and the full acceptance of the new field of specialization" DSB. Printed for David Henry and sold by Francis Newbery hardcover books
1787réf. 125345London: Printed for C. Dilly in the Poultry 1787. First edition of the last collection of Franklin's writings to appear during his lifetime; a major collection of his political philosophical and scientific writings a second volume of which was planned but never published. First issue with page 25 mispaginated "52." Octavo bound in full contemporary tree calf with elaborate gilt tooling to the spine red morocco spine label lettered in gilt gilt Greek key ruling to the front and rear panels. With four copper-engraved folding plates including diagrams of the Franklin stove and the earliest published map of the Gulf Stream. In very good condition. Armorial bookplate and early ownership inscriptions. Text and plates very clean. Rare. Intended by the publisher as a companion volume to the Experiments and Observations on Electricity 1769 and his Political Miscellaneous and Philosophical Pieces 1779 Franklin's Philosophical and Miscellaneous Papers contains a selection of important political essays including his Remarks concerning the Savages in North America 1784 The letter from Dr. B. Franklin to Benjamin Vaughan. of Privateering 1785 and Information to those who would remove to America 1784 which is "one of the clearest expressions of his belief that American society should be based on the virtues of the middle. classes" Isaacson 423. Also highly notable is Internal State of America his sharply optimistic postwar reply to "complaints of hard times in the American press. with an equally sharp consciousness of British propaganda" Crane William and Mary Quarterly XV:2 218. This volume additionally contains three major scientific writings: Description of a New Stove for the burning of Pitcoal 1785 Letter from Dr. B. Franklin to Dr. Ingenhausz On the Causes and Cure of Smoky Chimneys 1785 and Letter from Dr. Benjamin Franklin. containing sundry Maritime Observations 1785. Merging his political and scientific interests Franklin used Maritime's study of the sea and Gulf Stream to "proclaim the virtues of his nation and its people." This inspired others to also "think of the Gulf Stream in political terms. In 1790 Thomas Paine declared the French Revolution 'as fixed as the Gulf Stream' and Jonathan Williams claimed the current's waters were as distinct as 'the colors of red white and blue'" Chaplin 320-25. Printed for C. Dilly, in the Poultry unknown books
1886réf. 125249New York: George Routledge & Sons 1886. First American edition of Blackburn's biography of famed British illustrator Randolph Caldecott; from the library of Woodrow Wilson with his ownership signature. Octavo original publisher's cloth decorated in gilt with one hundred and seventy two illustrations frontispiece portrait of Caldecott. Signed by Woodrow Wilson on the title page. One of the most influential children's book illustrators of nineteenth century British artist Randolph Caldecott published 16 picture books throughout his career including The House that Jack Built 1878 John Gilpin 1878 The Three Jovial Huntsman 1880 and The Great Panjandrum Himself 1885. The Caldecott Medal first proposed by Frederic G. Melcher in 1937 was named in his honor. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco slipcase. The 28th president of the United States Thomas Woodrow Wilson grew up in the American South mainly in Augusta Georgia during the Civil War and Reconstruction. After winning the 1913 Presidential election he introduced a comprehensive program of domestic legislation with four major domestic priorities: the conservation of natural resources banking reform tariff reduction and equal access to raw materials which would be accomplished in part through the regulation of trusts. At the outbreak of World War I in 1914 the U.S. declared neutrality as Wilson tried to negotiate a peace between the Allied and Central Powers. Wilson narrowly won re-election in the 1916 United States presidential election boasting how he kept the nation out of wars in Europe and Mexico but in 1917 asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany in response to its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare that sank American merchant ships. After the Allied victory in November 1918 Wilson went to Paris where he and the British and French leaders dominated the Paris Peace Conference. There he successfully advocated for the establishment of a multinational organization the League of Nations which was incorporated into the Treaty of Versailles. Scholars have generally ranked Wilson in the upper tier of U.S presidents although he has been criticized for supporting racial segregation. His liberalism nevertheless lives on as a major factor in American foreign policy and his vision of ethnic self-determination resonated globally. George Routledge & Sons hardcover books
1779réf. 125035London: Printed for J. Johnson 1779. First edition of "the only edition of Franklin's writings other than his scientific printed during his lifetime" Ford. Octavo bound half diced calf over marbled boards with elaborate gilt tooling to the spine red morocco spine label lettered in gilt. With the engraved frontispiece portrait of Franklin three engraved plates one folding and folding table of the reformed alphabet. In near fine condition. Complete with index addenda and corrigenda. An exceptional example. "The only edition of Franklin's writings other than his scientific which was printed during his lifetime; was done with Franklin's knowledge and consent and contains an 'errata' made by him for it" Ford 342. Edited by his close friend Benjamin Vaughan and published in London while Franklin was serving as America's ambassador this seminal collection contains many of his writings on the rebellious American colonies and incendiary British measures such as the Stamp Act. Of particular interest is The Examination of Dr. Benjamin Franklin 255-301 a record of his 1766 appearance before Parliament. In Franklin's answers to the over 150 questions posed him in an afternoon of "highly charged testimony he would turn himself into the foremost spokesman for the American cause" Isaacson. Printed for J. Johnson hardcover books
1871réf. 125391New York: Published at the Office of The Golden Age 1871. First edition of Tilton's biography of American suffragette Victoria Woodhull published shortly before she became the first woman to campaign for President of the United States. 12 mo original wrappers stitched as issued publisher's advertisement at rear. In very good condition. Housed in a custom cloth chemise and half morocco slipcase. Victoria Woodhull first made her reputation as a supporter of free love by which she meant the freedom to marry divorce and bear children without social restriction or government interference and as one of the only female newspaper publishers Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly with her sister Tennessee Claflin. She soon became an activist for women's rights and labor reforms and in a pivotal 1871 speech argued that the 14th and 15th amendments already covered women's suffrage. She decided to run for president in 1872 backed by the Equal Rights Party whose convention nominated Frederick Douglass for Vice President although he did not participate in the convention or acknowledge the nomination. While she obviously lost--and indeed could not have won constitutionally due to her age--Woodhull became one of the most powerful women's rights advocates of her day. This contemporary biography was written by Theodore Tilton a close friend of many within the movement. In 1872 Tilton confided in Elizabeth Cady Stanton that his wife was having an affair with Henry Ward Beecher. Tilton sued Beecher for alienation of affection and a salacious trial commenced. Woodhull abandoned her friendship to splash the scandal across the pages of Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly. Woodhull was arrested for obscenity and then acquitted--events that gave rise to the Comstock Laws of 1873 arguably the nation's most powerful and successful attempt at censorship. Woodhull emerged from the debacle with fewer friends--Susan B. Anthony for example disagreed with her behavior entirely--but nevertheless managed to retain her reputation as a leading supporter of women's rights and as an early American female politician. Published at the Office of The Golden Age hardcover books
1926réf. 125163Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company 1926. First edition of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first book being the text of a lecture delivered by him at Milton Academy on the Alumni War Memorial Foundation on May 18 1926. Octavo original cloth. One of one thousand copies printed. Association copy inscribed by the author on the title page on the occasion of publication and within a month of the delivery of the lecture to his son "For my son Elliott Roosevelt This copy of his Dad's first book Franklin D. Roosevelt June 1926." Additionally signed by Roosevelt on the title page "Franklin Roosevelt." Elliott was the fourth of Roosevelt's six children and Eleanor's acknowledged favorite. His future career included military service involvement in aircraft procurement and roles as author rancher radio station owner and Mayor of Miami Beach. Near fine in the rare original dust jacket which is in good condition. Housed in a custom cloth chemise and half morocco slipcase. Small bookplate to the pastedown. An exceptional association. American statesman and political leader Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as the President of the United States from 1933 to 1945. A Democrat he won a record four presidential elections and dominated his party after 1932 as a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic depression and war. Houghton Mifflin Company hardcover books
1885réf. 125381New York: Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co. c. 1885. Attractive bronze bust of of Ulysses S. Grant as General of the Army by famed American sculptor Henry Kirke Bush-Brown. The adopted nephew of sculptor Henry Kirke Brown Henry Kirke Bush-Brown was revered for his accurate realist sculptures illustrating American history. He produced three equestrian bronze sculptures erected at the Gettysburg battlefield depicting General George Mead the victor at Gettysburg General John F. Reynolds killed in action July 1 1863 and General John Sedgwick the senior most Union casualty of the American Civil War. In addition Bush-Brown made a bust of Abraham Lincoln dedicated in 1912 as part of the Lincoln Speech Memorial commemorating Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Mounted on a bronze base the entire piece measures 7.75 inches in height. In fine condition. Following the close of the American Civil War Congress revisited the idea of a superior General rank initially intended for bestowal upon George Washington who held the rank of "General and Commander-in-Chief" which was a grade senior to all American major generals and brigadier generals from the American Revolutionary War but only entitled him to the three-star insignia of an Army lieutenant general. On July 25 1866 Congress enacted legislation authorizing the grade of General of the Army and on that same date the new grade was conferred on Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant as a reward for saving the Union in the American Civil War. The grade was recognized and continued in various acts until the Act of July 15 1870 which contained the requirement that "the offices of general and lieutenant general shall continue until a vacancy shall exist in the same and no longer and when such vacancy shall occur in either of said offices shall become inoperative and shall by virtue of this act from thence forward be held to be repealed. Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co. unknown books
1794réf. 125183Philadelphia: Printed by D. Humphreys for M. Carey 1794. Exceedingly rare first American edition and the earliest obtainable example of the first American bestseller. Octavo two volumes bound into one in three quarter calf over marbled boards morocco spine label lettered in gilt marbled endpapers. Although it was preceded by the first English edition published in 1791 no examples of the first English edition have been traced at auction. In very good condition. Bookplate to the pastedown bibliographic description tipped in. Housed in a custom cloth chemise and half morocco clamshell slipcase. Exceedingly rare with only one other example of the first American edition traced at auction in the last 75 years. Susana Rowson's best-selling novel Charlotte Temple relates the tale of 15-year-old English schoolgirl Charlotte Temple who is lured away from her prestigious boarding school by British army officer John Montraville. While en route to New York Montraville seduces Charlotte who he swiftly abandons upon arrival to his post and after a downward spiral into remorse illness poverty and the birth of a child she dies. Seduction novels were popular in the 18th century and the widely read Charlotte Temple went through more than 200 editions. Rowson a committed republican used the success of the novel to protest the sexual double standard that ruined the lives of women like Charlotte. Later in life she wrote a sequel that was published posthumously. Printed by D. Humphreys for M. Carey hardcover books
1769réf. 125709London: Printed by His Majesty's Law Printers 1769. Alexander Hamilton's copy of the tenth volume of Lucas's Modern Reports. Folio bound in one quarter contemporary calf over paper-covered boards. Signed by Alexander Hamilton and his son Philip Hamilton on the title page. In very good condition. Housed in a custom cloth chemise and half morocco slipcase. Rare and desirable books from Hamilton's library seldom appear on the market. The first treasury secretary of the United States and one of America's founding fathers Alexander Hamilton founded the nation's financial system the Federalist Party the United States Coast Guard and the New York Post newspaper. He was the main author of the economic policies of George Washington's administration and as Secretary of the Treasury established a national bank system of tariffs and trade relations with Great Britain. After the American Revolutionary War Hamilton resigned his seat in the Congress of the Confederation to practice law which he returned to in 1795 and was active in ending the legality of the international slave trade. Printed by His Majesty's Law Printers hardcover books
1937réf. 125130New York: Charles Scribner's Sons 1937. First edition of Barrie's rousing inaugural address; a favorite of John F. Kennedy's as a college student at Harvard which would later play a role in the development of his Pulitzer Prize-winning work Profiles in Courage. Octavo original cloth. Association copy inscribed by John F. Kennedy on the front free endpaper "Dear Jerry Here's coals to Newcastle! Courage to the Courageous! John Kennedy Christmas 1939." In 1939 Kennedy toured Europe the Soviet Union the Balkans and the Middle East in preparation for his Harvard senior honors thesis. He then toured Berlin where he became involved for the first time in U.S. diplomacy at the outbreak of WWII. Kennedy developed an interest in political philosophy as an upperclassman at Harvard and in 1940 completed his thesis "Appeasement in Munich" regarding the efficacy of British negotiations during the Munich Agreement. The thesis would go on to become a bestseller under the title Why England Slept. In addition to addressing Britain's unwillingness to strengthen its military in the lead-up to World War II the book also called for an Anglo-American alliance against the rising totalitarian powers. In 1956 Kennedy published his second major work Profiles in Courage a volume of short biographies describing acts of bravery and integrity by eight United States Senators. Profiles in Courage went on to become a best-seller and won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 1957. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco slipcase. A rare and unique association copy. Though he achieved literary acclaim as a dramatist most notably with the timeless children's classic Peter Pan James Matthew Barrie tackled many subjects over the course of his career often grappling with philosophical and psychological topics. The breadth of his intellect is on full display in Courage the inaugural address delivered upon his election as Lord Rector of St. Andrew's University in an effort to inspire the youth before him. Of the daring comments included in the rousing speech he said "I sound to myself as if I were advocating a rebellion though I am really asking for a larger friendship." Charles Scribner's Sons hardcover books
1787réf. 125308Philadelphia: Printed for Hall and Sellers; J. Cruikshank; and Young and McCulloch 1787. First edition of John Adams's greatest contribution to American political theory; from the library of one of the 39 signers of the United States Constitution Founding Father Gunning Bedford Jr. Octavo bound in full contemporary tree calf with gilt ruling to the spine red morocco spine label lettered in gilt gilt turn-ins. Signed by Gunning Bedford Jr. on the title page. Born in Philadelphia in 1747 Gunning Bedford attended the College of New Jersey where he was a classmate of James Madison and later served in the Continental Army as an aide to General George Washington. After the Revolutionary war he became a prominent political figure sitting in the legislature on the state council and in the Continental Congress 1783-85. One of the more active members of the Constitutional Convention on May 14 1787 he was one of the 39 delegates that signed the Constitution of the United States. Gunning Bedford also served as Attorney General of Delaware from 1784 until he was designated by George Washington as a federal district judge for his state in 1789 a position he held for the rest of his life. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco and chemise case. An exceptional example with fine provenance. Adams wrote this work on constitutional theory while serving as Minister to the Court of St. James as a response to liberal French statesman Turgot who had criticized the new American state constitutions for their conservative economic framework. Adams's Defence was often cited in the debates of the Constitutional Convention. "A work marked by insight breadth of views conviction courage and--we may venture to add--much wisdom" Larned Literature of American History 2287. At the start of 1787 while minister to Great Britain and a year before he returned to America John Adams "felt an urgency like that of 1776. Great events were taking place at home. Support for a stronger central government was gaining ground. A constitutional convention was in the offing and as he had been impelled in 1776 to write his Thoughts on Government so Adams plunged ahead. books piled about him his pen scratching away until all hours. By early January 1787 Adams had rushed the first installment of his effort to a London printer. Titled A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America. copies were sent off at once to the United States and to Jefferson in Paris" McCullough John Adams 374. Of the Defence Thomas Jefferson wrote to Adams "I have read your book with infinite satisfaction and improvement. It will do great good in America. Its learning and its good sense will I hope make it an institute for our politicians old as well as young" Sowerby 3004. "From Philadelphia where the Constitutional Convention had assembled Benjamin Rush a member of the Convention wrote that the Defence had 'diffused such excellent principles among us that there is little doubt of our adopting a vigorous and compound federal legislature. To a considerable extent Adams' Defence was an expanded more erudite rendition of the case for checks and balances in government that he had championed in his Thoughts on Government 1776 and later put into operation in his draft of the Massachusetts constitution" McCullough 375. "The work did much to familiarize the European mind to the novel state of things then taking place in America" Sabin 236. This volume was issued as a stand-alone work and was followed by two supplemental volumes the following year Sabin 234. Printed for Hall and Sellers; J. Cruikshank; and Young and McCulloch unknown books
1965réf. 125682New York: Simon and Schuster 1965. First edition of the first book about the Kennedy assassination and Lee Harvey Oswald to be authored by a member of the Warren Commission boldly signed by Ford. Octavo original cloth. Association copy inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper "To Bob O'Connor with warmest personal regards and very best wishes. Gerald R. Ford." The recipient Bob O'Connor was the mayor of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and a close personal friend of Ford. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Carl Smith. Photograph on the front of jacket by James Murray. Housed in a custom half morocco chemise and clamshell box. An exceptional association. Just one week after the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas President Johnson appointed a commission chaired by Chief Justice Earl Warren to investigate the tragic events. Then Representative Ford's seat on the panel put the Michigan Congressman in the national spotlight. In this volume the first such book written by a member of the Commission Ford and co-author John Stiles Ford's personal assistant during the Commission's work reconstruct in a novel-like format the path that led Oswald to the Texas School Book Depository on November 22 1963 from his sojourn in the Soviet Union to his frustrated defection to Cuba. Strikingly sympathetic to the closure sought by innumerable conspiracy theorists the authors nevertheless discern in these events "no meaning beyond the will of the killer to pull the trigger"--save the philosophical conclusion "that meaningful personal relationships are still the most important elements in any society. We do not live alone and neither a Lee Oswald nor anyone else can succeed in so doing. Simon and Schuster hardcover books
1896réf. 125077New York: The Century Co. 1896. Early printing of Roosevelt's fascinating account of the West. Quarto original publisher's decorated cloth top edge gilt. Illustrated by Frederic Remington. In very good condition. Bookplate. Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail is a detailed wide-ranging look at life in western America by the future president from his ranch on the Little Missouri covering the range the ranch the round-up and much more. Combines the talents of two of the most important chroniclers of the early American west. Frederic Remington was "the most successful Western illustrator in the 'Golden Age' of illustration at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th so much so that the other Western artists such as Charles Russell and Charles Schreyvogel were known during Remington's life as members of the 'School of Remington" Samuels ix. This is the second in Roosevelt's series of four books on ranching and hunting. The Century Co. hardcover books
1914réf. 125598New York: Charles Scribner's Sons 1914. First edition of Roosevelt's final work on big-game hunting. Octavo 2 volumes original buckram cloth with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt tissue-guarded engraved frontispieces with illustrations from photographs and drawings by Philip R. Goodwin and with forty faunal maps. In very good condition. A nice example. The 26th President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt was a prolific writer with a vast range of interests and areas of expertise. A lifelong naturalist Roosevelt was recognized for his robustly masculine persona which was reflected in his strong energetic style of writing. Published in 1914 Life-Histories of African Game Animals is Roosevelt's final novel on big game hunting preceded by the enormously popular Hunting Trips of a Ranchman 1885 Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail 1888 The Wilderness Hunter 1893 African Game Trails 1910 and Through the Brazilian Wilderness 1914. Charles Scribner's Sons hardcover books
