Americana, Antiques, and Collectibles
Lot 213:
Description
A three-volume German-language edition of Jesse Ames Spencer’s comprehensive history of the United States titled Geschichte der Vereinigten Staaten: Von den fr?hesten Zeiten bis zur Administration von James Buchanan. Published in New York by Johnson, Fry & Compagnie at 27 Beekman Street with an 1858 copyright date. The volumes are quarto-sized and bound in mid-19th-century three-quarter dark leather with dark pebbled cloth boards. The spines feature raised bands with gilt-tooled decorative motifs and gold-lettered titles. Each front cover bears a gilt-stamped centerpiece with the owner’s name, J. Vollhardt. The work is profusely illustrated with high-quality steel engravings based on original paintings by prominent 19th-century artists including Emanuel Leutze, Robert Weir, William Henry Powell, and Alonzo Chappel. Featured plates include depictions of the Landing of Columbus, the Landing of Roger Williams, News from Lexington, and a portrait of George Washington. One engraved title page carries a 1 Shilling price stamp in the upper left corner, indicating the work was likely originally distributed in serial parts. The text was printed and stereotyped by Billin and Brother, located at 20 North William Street, New York.
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