Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - October - 2007 Issue
Early America and More from J & J Hanrahan
The Ariel Transit Co. had an airplane already designed in 1843.
Some books don't need to be read to understand the author's point of view. The title says it all. Such is the case with The French Convert: Being a True Relation of the Happy Conversion of a Noble French Lady from the Error and Superstition of Popery, to the Reformed Religion, by means of a Protestant Gardener, Her Servant... This is a later printing (1794 by Peter Edes) of this fair and balanced presentation. Item 113. $250.
Item 233 is a group of five pamphlets from the estimable Franklin Pierce. They start with a senate speech from early in his political career, 1840, with what appears to be an inscription from the future president, "J.H. White from F.P." They range through to 1854, when Pierce was living in the White House. Pierce was the only chief executive from New Hampshire and is arguably the greatest American president of the 1850s. $175.
Item 254 is a remarkable colored print, The First Carriage, The "Ariel." This is an airplane, designed by William Samuel Henson, created for the Ariel Transit Company, an international airline. Ariel planned flights all over the world from its London base. Posters showed their planes flying over London, the pyramids of Egypt, and various other locales. In this one, it is flying over an ocean beach, a crowd watching, as if this were the Wright Brothers flying over Kitty Hawk. Indeed this looks something like a Wright Brothers plane, though a more advanced mono rather than biplane. There's one problem with all of this. The date is 1843. Henson and his partner John Stringfellow were evidently way ahead of their time. As we all can surmise, despite the great plans, this airline never flew. Their plane experienced technical difficulties, but a look at the illustration shows that they were onto something. $1,500.
J & J Hanrahan may be reached at 207-646-1811.
