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Rare Americana List
Last updated January 10, 2012
To order, call 800-823-9124, or e-mail schwab@pcu.net
1. Barber, John Warner . CONNECTICUT
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS, CONTAINING A GENERAL COLLECTION OF INTERESTING FACTS,
TRADITIONS, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, ANECDOTES, Etc., Relating to the History and
Antiquities of Every Town in Connecticut, with Geographical Descriptions.. New
Haven, Connecticut: Durrie & Peck & J.W. Barber, 1836. Second edition.
560 pages. Full brown leather binding shows wear to the spine edges and corners.
Some scuffing and rubbing to the joints and board edges. There is a piece of the
leather missing from the bottom of the spine, about one inch. The front joint is
split, but the board is still held firmly in place by the binding cords. A few
pages are dog-earred or bent at the corners. Binding is tight. This is the
second edition. Illustrated with in-text woodcuts and some full-page engravings.
The folding color map of Connecticut near the front of the book is in very good
condition. $80.00
2. Barton, Llewellyn-compiler. THE
MAINE OFFICIAL INDEX: WITH COURT AND BUSINESS DIRECTORY.. Portland,
Maine: Llewellyn Barton, 1910. Heavy shelf wear. Corners bumped. Fading and
discoloration to covers and spine. $20.00
3. Brown, George D. FROM
COAST TO COAST. The Only Man to Drive a Single Course across the Continent,
Starting at Catalina Island, California.... Simsbury,
Connecticut: Privately Printed, 1923. Wear and discoloration to covers. Library
ink mark on spine. Softbound covers. The front cover has some chips and a
diagonal piece cut away from the bottom corner, with no text affected. This is a
fascinating Americana publication. The author rode a horse-and- buggy from
California to New York state. He kept a detailed journal of his travels and
rights of the many small towns and larger cities that he traveled throughout
history. There is good information on the people and scenery of the states that
he traveled through, including California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado,
Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and finally New York. A
rare and fascinating privately printed United States travel narrative. $125.00
4. Egle, William H. AN
ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSLYVANIA, CIVIL, POLITICAL, AND
MILITARY.. Harrisburg, PA: De Witt C. Goodrich,
1877. 1204 pages. Shelf wear to spine, corners bumped. Slight soiling to the
covers. The edges of the spine and corners are slightly frayed. Binding is
tight. $100.00
5. Elliott, Huger. MEMORIAL
ART.. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Granite Marble and
Bronze, 1923. 172 pages. 1923 edition. Limited edition of 300 copies with a
bookplate signed by the author inside front cover. Half-leather binding with
brown boards. Light wear. A beautiful book. Examines architectural forms such
as columns, mouldings, ornaments, lettering, tombs, headstones, etc. in
architectural structures throughout the world. Includes 24 plates and 13
figures. The plates are of such structures as Rome's Basilicaa, the Tomb of
Mausolus, Treasury of the Athenians in Delphi, Lucca Cathedral in Italy,
Colonial Headstone-Boston, Greek Sarcophagus, Pillar of Absalom,
Churchyard-Staunton-Lacy, England, and many others. The figures and
illustrations also show examples of lettering, ornamentation, carving, and other
details of these structures. A wonderful reference book. $115.00
6. Hayward, E.F. TWO
BITS. FULL OF LIVE ONES, NEW AND ORIGINAL. Very scarce American humor book.. Chicago:
Thomas W. Jackson Publishing, 1904. First American edition. Softbound covers
with pictorial covers. Wear & some soiling. This is the 1904 edition
published by Thomas W. Jackson. Pages browned. Binding tight. Front cover has
small spots where the paper is scarred from something sticky being removed. The
sub-title mentions that the book contains "Funny Railroad Stories",
Old Time Darky Sayings", "Minstrel Jokes", "All the Late and
Funny Sayings of the Day". $55.00
7. Hill, Isaac. THE
FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. Intended to Promote the Interest of the Farmer, to
Defend the Dignity of the Agricultural Profession, and Encourage the Practice of
Domestic Economy. Volume II (2). 1840.. Concord,
New Hampshire: Published by John M. Hill, 1840. 190 pages. Complete volume 2,
issued monthly. Fully original binding, with brown leather spine and corners and
with marbled paper over board covers. There is shelf wear to the spine edges and
the board edges and corners. A few scuffs and rubbed spots to the spine, mostly
along the joints and the edges. The binding is tight and the pages are clean. A
beautiful copy. This volume contains an issue with a section on farm
architecture, with illustrations and plans for building and dwelling quarters
for a laborer without a farm, and plans for a village cottage for a small
family. A most interesting early American agricultural book. Measures 12.5
inches tall by just under 9 inches wide. The articles are entirely on the
subject of agriculture, both domestic and international. There are some woodcut
illustrations of farm implements and tools such as plows, harrows, and other
implements. $150.00
8. Hill, Isaac. THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. Intended to Promote the Interest of the Farmer, to Defend the Dignity of the Agricultural Profession, and Encourage the Practice of Domestic Economy. Volume I (1). 1839.. Concord, New Hampshire: Published by John M. Hill, 1839. 190 pages. This is volume 1 complete in 12 monthly issues for 1839. Original binding with brown leather spine and corners and with marbled paper over board covers. There are a few chips to the leather at the top of the spine and quite a bit of wear and rubbing to the spine and corners. The corners are rubbed through. The binding is tight and the pages are clean and tightly bound. Measures 12.5 inches tall by just under 9 inches wide. The articles are entirely on the subject of agriculture, both domestic and international. There are some woodcut illustrations. A wonderful early American agricultural and farming periodical. $150.00
9. Key, Francis Scott. "The
Defence of Fort McHenry" ("The Star-Spangled Banner") in The
Analectic Magazine, Volume 4.. Philadelphia:
Analectic Magazine, 1814. 524 pages. Red leather spine and corners with paper
over board covers. Beautiful leather restoration at the top and bottom of the
spine and corners. The majority of the leather spine is original, with the edges
magnificently restored. A tight, clean and square copy. Pages are clean and
white. This is the complete volume 4 of the "Analectic Magazine"
for 1814. The November 1814 issue contains the first published appearance of the
poem "The Defence of Fort McHenry", by Francis Scott Key. The poem
appeared ephemerally in a couple of newspapers shortly after its September 1814
creation, but was not printed in permanent form until this appearance in the
November 1814 Analectic Magazine. The poem became the United States national
anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner. There is a descriptive introduction to the
poem stating the circumstances under which it was written. Truly an Americana
treasure. $1600.00
10. Laboulaye, Eduardo. HISTORIA
POPULAR DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS. Complete set of 2 volumes.. Barcelona,
Spain: Libreria Iberica de Victor Perez, 1873-1874. 1,038 pages. Two volume set
complete. Bound with red leather spines and heavy dark red cloth boards. Some
shelf wear and rubbing to the spine edges and corners. The head At the top of
volume one has a small repaired tear. Bindings are tight and the contents
complete. There are 8 illustrated engravings, featuring George Washington,
Abraham Lincoln, the Revolutionary war, and other high points of American
history. The text is entirely in Spanish. A beautiful and very scarce United
States history as composed and published in a foreign country. $200.00
11. Milgram, James W. PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGN ILLUSTRATED ENVELOPES AND LETTER PAPER, 1840-1872: A SECOND VOLUME OF
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN STATIONERY.. North Miami,
Florida: David G. Phillips, 1994. 1st Edition. 263 pages. Slight shelf wear to
binding and rubbing to spine and corners. Rare. $72.00
12. Packard, Edward H. NEW
ENGLAND ESSAYS: THE CHALLENGE OF AN INDIVIDUALIST.. Boston:
The Four Seas Co. , 1929. 191 pages. This copy has a presentation inscription
that is signed "the author".Some shelf wear. Corners bumped. Former
library bookplate and marks inside front cover. Small library label removal
scuff mark on bottom of front cover. Overall a nice copy with minimal library
usage and wear. A very scarce New England literary book. $55.00
13. Pease, Theodore Calvin. THE
DIARY OF ORRVILLE HICKMAN BROWNING. Two volume set. Volume I-1850-1864; Volume
II-1865-1881.. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois
State Hist. Library, 1927. Two volume set. Slight shelf wear to spine and
corners. both volumes. Some fading to covers. Bumped spine and rubbed corners.
Bindings tight. $95.00
14. Peattie, Elia W. THE
STORY OF AMERICA: CONTAINING THE ROMANTIC INCIDENTS OF HISTORY, FROM THE
DISCOVERY OF AMERICA TO THE PRESENT TIME.. Chicago:
Mid-Continent Publishing Co. , 1892. Bound in full leather. The last text page
is tape-repaired. Binding faded and somewhat scuffed. This is a salesman
dummy sample book, with sample bindings inside the front and back covers. There
is a sample of beautiful blue cloth binding and of a black leather binding, as
well as a brown cloth binding. The back of the book contains blank lined pages
for subscriber's names. $75.00
15. Pillsbury, Parker. ACTS
OF THE ANTI-SLAVERY APOSTLES.ACTS OF THE ANTI-SLAVERY APOSTLES.. Concord,
New Hampshire: Privately Printed, 1883. 503 pages. Slight wear and rubbing to
spine and corners. Binding is tight. A very nice copy, clean and tightly bound.
This copy has an inscription that says "This book was presented by the
author to me personally in my office at the Buckeye Vidette, Salem, Ohio".
This inscription is signed by the previous owner, however, and not the author.
$45.00
16. Powell, Lazarus W & John L. Helm. BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCH OF THE HON. LAZARUS W. POWELL, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF KENTUCKY FROM
1851 TO 1855.... Frankfort, Kentucky: Kentucky
Yeoman Office, 1868. 1st Edition. Bound in black cloth with title in gold on
front cover. Some shelf wear to spine and corners. Some rubbed spots on
covers. Binding tight. This book also contains another title bound after the
first title. The second book is "Biographical Sketch of the Hon. John L.
Helm, Late Governor of Kentucky. $55.00
17. Warren, R.M. CHAUTAUQUA
SKETCHES: FAIR POINT AND THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL ASSEMBLY.. Buffalo:
H. H. Otis, 1878. Some wear and fading to spine. Discolored spot on front
cover. Some dampstains to text block and stains to a few pages. An early and
scarce Chautautqua book. $70.00