Rare Book Monthly
Articles - January - 2004 Issue
Artistry in Books from<br>Bernard J. Shapero
From Sir William Hamilton’s observations of Sicilian volcanoes.
Among the items of interest to collectors of Americana is Henri Chatelain’s Atlas Historique… from 1718-20. This 7-volume set covers much of what was known about the world at that time. Volume 6 is focused on the Americas, and includes the “Carte tres Curieuse” depicting discoveries from Columbus through the French expeditions of the late 17th century. It also includes images of North American natives such as the Iroquois and Eskimos. Item 187. £22,500.
Item 221 is Malachy Postlethwayt’s The Universal Dictionary of Trade and Commerce…Adapting the Same to the Present State of British Affairs in America… This is a major work of commerce, translated by Postlethwayt from the original French and then expanded. Much of the focus was on British trade with America, which undoubtedly was about to undergo some important changes since the printing date was 1774. Included are four maps of North America and three of South America. £1,950.
Another volume of commercial interest to the Americas is Johann Marquard’s Tractatus Politico-Juridicus… Many of the original documents reprinted in this book have been lost. Included is a history of the Swedish South Company’s settlement in Pennsylvania. Offered is a first edition printed in 1662. Item 207. £4,500. Item 48, though printed in Nice, is also related to America. It is Kenneth Chapman’s Pueblo Indian Pottery, printed in 1933. It includes 50 color plates of Pueblo pottery. £1,750.
Here’s an item that may be of interest to collectors of Americana though it has no American connection itself. It’s an album of forty watercolors of the dress of various Egyptian people. They include a soldier, various merchants, a washer woman, slave, melon seller plus ten depicting people at Moslem prayer. The album includes an inscription to Charles Cecil Clayton from his godfather, Charles Augustus Murray. Murray was Consul General to Egypt from 1846-1853. Earlier, Murray had traveled to America and wrote Travels in North America, a significant book for those who collect items from the frontier from the first half of the 19th century. Murray’s earlier book is particularly noted for his description of the Pawnees, with whom he stayed for three months, at a time before they were greatly influenced by white culture. Item 128. £1,200.
