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The American Apollo: Containing the Publications of the Historical Society, Essays, Moral, Political, and the Daily Occurences in the Natural, Civil, and Commercial World

Original 1/4 leather with plain thin boards, front board detached, leather well worn and deteriorated. 416 pp. 36 (of 39) weekly issues of Part II of this 18th century American weekly periodical, running from January 6 to September 28, 1792. Lacks numbers 20, 33, & 37. A old note on the front endpaper reports this as well, indicating they were removed long ago. Contains articles and news reports of current events of the period. Among these were a text description of the laying out of Washington D. C. by Peter Charles l'Enfant in the January 12 issue. This was published 2 months before Thackara and Vallance issued the first known printed version of the plan of Washington. This 3-page report details the width of the streets, the placement of parks, fountains and monuments, and the location of the "Congress House" (Capitol), among other things. We are unaware of earlier printings of these specifications, though we have not been able to determine definitively that there were none. They are certainly extremely early publication of the plans for the layout of Washington. Also of interest is a note, in the January 5 issue, is this note: "We are happy in presenting the public with the Apollo, from the first complete Printing-Press ever made in this town. - the wood-work was made by Mr. Berry, and the iron-work by Mr. McClench, it is well executed in every part, and does honor to the ingenious constructors." Evans 24035, Brigham p. 272, AAS catalog record 15589.