Bickerstaff's Books, Maps Archives - Rare Book Insider

Bickerstaff's Books, Maps

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An Exact Map of New England, New York, Pensylvania [sic] & New Jersey from the latest Surveys.

[Northeastern U.S.] [American Revolution.] This is the first -- and apparently unrecorded -- appearance of John Lodge's map of the northeastern United States in the midst of the American Revolution. The map is documented as having appeared in William Russell's The History of America, London, 1778. However, we find no record of it appearing in The English Magazine at the end of 1777. Indeed, Jolly makes no mention of The English Magazine in either Maps of America in Periodicals before 1800 or Maps in British Periodicals. The map includes the colonial description of Long Island Sound as "The Devil's Belt." An interesting map in a previously unrecorded source. McCorkle, New England in Early Printed Maps, 1513-1800: 778.5. Phillips, A List of Maps of America: 859. This is the first -- and apparently unrecorded -- appearance of John Lodge's map of the northeastern United States in the midst of the American Revolution. The map is documented as having appeared in William Russell's The History of America, London, 1778. However, we find no record of it appearing in The English Magazine at the end of 1777. Indeed, Jolly makes no mention of The English Magazine in either Maps of America in Periodicals before 1800 or Maps in British Periodicals. The map includes the colonial description of Long Island Sound as "The Devil's Belt." An interesting map in a previously unrecorded source. McCorkle, New England in Early Printed Maps, 1513-1800: 778.5. Phillips, A List of Maps of America: 859. 7 1/2 x 10."
  • $1,250
  • $1,250
book (2)

The Gentleman’s and London Magazine: or, Monthly Chronologer. MDCCLXXIV.

[American Revolution.] [Boston Map.] 800 + indices. Despite the title, this Magazine was published in Dublin. It is the volume of twelve issues plus indices for the year 1774. There is considerable reporting of the American unrest, including "Thoughts of a Traveller upon our American Disputes" (pp. 789-794). An account of the closing of the port of Boston as of June 1 notes that the day was observed as one of mourning "at Harvard in Connecticut [sic]" with bells ringing, the town-house draped in black and shops closed. Most significant, however, is a nice report on the Boston tea party and the events leading to it (pp. 84-85). Finally, an extremely uncommon map of Boston remains bound into the volume in the June, 1774 issue (opposite p. 358). Titled A New and Accurate Plan of the Town of Boston, in New England, the map is clearly based on a very similar map that appeared in the May, 1774 issue of the London-based Universal Magazine. The map is newly engraved, however, as is evident by the orientation of the title block and the misspelling of a few street names. Jolly does not list the map in his Maps of America in Periodicals Before 1800; he does, however, describe maps from the Gentleman's and London Magazine "as rare as all get-out." In addition, Jolly does describe the map in his more comprehensive Maps in British Periodicals (GAL-104). A rare map in an uncommon magazine presenting an Irish perspective on the growing unrest in the American colonies. Quarter calf over very worn marbled boards. Red spine label with gilt title. Considerable erosion along joints. Lacking endpapers. Lacking most plates and with several leaves partially loosened from the text block.
  • $2,500
  • $2,500
book (2)

The American Magazine For May, 1758.

[Slavery] [Early American Magazine] Smith, William (editor). 359-408 pp. The American Magazine and Monthly Chronicle was described by Mott as "the most brilliant magazine issued up to that time." He noted that it contained "more original material than had yet appeared in an American magazine, and much that is genuinely amusing." This issue has two significant items. One is a five-page "Short Dissertation on the Ancient and Present State of Slavery," with a running title of "Dissertation on the Lawfulness of keeping Slaves," an early defense of slavery. There is also a lengthy medical article "Of the Yaws," which according to Guerra, provides "an excellent clinical description." In addition, the final page is devoted almost entirely to military aspects of the French & Indian War -- departure of the Louisburg expedition and an update on "the Southern expedition." Evans, American Bibliography: 8071. Sabin, A Dictionary of Books Relating to America: 1133, 84585. Mott, A History of American Magazines 1741-1850: pp 80-82. Lomazow, American Periodicals: 6. Richardson, A History of Early American Magazines, 1741-1789: 99-123. Guerra, American Medical Bibliography 1639-1783: C-3. Disbound with some edge roughness. Lacks title page with engraving and list of contents; otherwise complete. Old 3" tissue repair of tear at top of pages 375/376 affects about 40 words. Rubbing to final page. Staining and foxing throughout, generally quite light but occasionally moderate.
  • $1,250
  • $1,250
book (2)

The Gentlemen and Ladies Town and Country Magazine.For August, 1789.

[Early American Magazine.] Coverly, Nathaniel [publisher]. 337-392 pp. An uncommon Boston-based magazine that ran from February, 1789 to August, 1790. Although Coverly had been a printer in Boston for nearly 20 years when he began The Gentlemen and Ladies Town and Country Magazine, he chose an inauspicious moment to begin publication -- just as Isaiah Thomas (the Rupert Murdoch of his time) was launching The Massachusetts Magazine. Coverly kept the magazine alive, according to Richardson, by "winning a local following of women who contributed both prose and poetry." This issue, published during the early days of the formation of the Federal government, has several items of significance: the first Act of Congress of the United States (pp. 343-344), the message from President Washington to the House of Representatives regarding the urgent need for the Fedral government to address problems with "several powerful tribes of Indians within the limits of the Union" (pp. 386-387) and a list of the Revenue officers appointed by Washington for New England and New York (pp. 388-389). A scarce magazine, with ESTC locating holdings at only four institutions. Evans add a very testy note, in part: "This magazine terminated its execrable typographical existence, with the issue for August, 1790, with the questionable distinction of having been, probably, the worst-printed magazine that ever was issued." (Based on the issue at hand, the criticism seems overly harsh.) Evans, American Bibliography: 21849. Lomazow, American Periodicals: 26. Richardson, A History of Early American Magazines, 1741-1789: pp. 351-354. String-tied, never bound. Lacks printed wrappers. Edges ragged. First leaf repaired with loss of two lines on verso. Foxing and staining, often moderate, throughout.
  • $450
book (2)

A Map of the White Mountains of New Hampshire 1853. [with] Mt. Washington from North Conway [and four other views].

[New Hampshire.] [White Mountains.] Bond, George and B[enjamin]. Champney. [Publisher: John Bartlett.] The Bond map and the Champney views are without doubt one of the White Mountains classics. On the Bond map, "[t]he names of the individual peaks of the Presidential Range appear for the first time on any map, as well as the names Cannon Mt., Twin Mts., Carrigain, Tremont, and Giant's Stairs." ( Bent, p.84). Hachure marks are employed to suggest elevation, and Apt notes that this is the first topographic map of the region. The five lithographed views after Champney are printed on the reverse of the map as called for by Bent. Apt notes that map and views appear on separate sheets in some cases. We do not know the precedence or relative rarity of the two formats. The front paste-down provides a "Table of Distances" while the rear has a "Table of Heights, Bearings and Distances" of 30 peaks. Apt, Maps of the White Mountains of New Hampshire (Exhibition Catalogue): Map 14, pp. 9-10. Hanrahan [ed.], Bent's Bibliography of the White Mountains: p. 84. Cobb, Maps of New Hampshire to 1900: 206. Dark green cloth-covered folder with gilt title on front board; some scuffing at top 2" of rear board. Foxing or glue staining to tables pasted down on inside of both boards. Map and scenes are bright and quite clean with an occasional spot; folds reinforced. Map: 15 1/4 x 16 3/4." Folder size: 8 x 5 1/8."
book (2)

American Practical Lunarian, and Seamen’s Guide.

[Nautical.] Arnold, Thomas. xviii, [3], 844, 71, [6]. An interesting, comprehensive and uncommon seafarer's guide, combining elements of Bowditch's New American Practical Navigator and Blunt's American Coastal Pilot and Shipmaster's Assistant. Arnold covers the waterfront, so to speak, addressing matters as diverse as finding longitude by chronometer, taking in a topsail in a gale of wind, sailing directions for the River Plate (and many other locales), practical sea gunnery, information on the pepper trade on the west coast of Sumatra, American customs duties and marine insurance. Among the plates are a double-page, two-hemisphere map of the world and a double-page chart (with a small nibble at center left) "Plan of Port Soledad or Birkley's Sound, East End of Falkland Island." Another full-page plate shows the detail of the rigging of a three-masted vessel. From an advertisement following the table of contents, we learn that Arnold was the master of a "nautical academy" with thirty years experience and that he "continues to instruct gentlemen designed for and engaged in a seafaring life." Unlike the Bowditch and Blunt volumes, Arnold's appeared only in this single edition. Uncommon in the trade. Shoemaker, American Imprints: 7840. Original calf binding with spine label, well-used with abrasions and wear at hinges and head and tail of spine. Sixteen plates, as called for. Owner's name torn away at head of title and loss to several words in the detailed subtitle. Two previous owners' names remain on pastedown and ffep: James S. Bailey and Thad.[?] Brown, both of Marblehead. Foxing throughout, though mostly light. One plate heavily tanned. About ten pages in tables at rear misfolded.