For those who collect first editions, this is probably a very useful title. It’s called First Editions of Today and How to Tell Them… “Today” in this case is 1949, so this should be most helpful for those who focus on “firsts” from the first half of the 20th century. Item 276. $45.

Samuel Medary was an influential Ohio politician during the three decades leading up to the Civil War. He published several newspapers during his lifetime, and was a staunch supporter of the Democrats. He nominated President James K. Polk at the 1844 Democratic Convention, and Stephen Douglas, who lost out to James Buchanan, in 1856. Nevertheless, or maybe because of it, Buchanan appointed him territorial governor of Kansas when Kansas was the focal point of the slavery/anti-slavery debate. Medary shared Douglas’ point of view that the territories should decide for themselves whether to become slave or free states, a compromise position that pleased few either North or South. He would become a “Peace Democrat” during the Civil War, advocating an immediate end to hostilities. His life would come to an end before the war would. He died in 1864, a year after his newspaper office was torched by angry Union soldiers. Samuel Medary and the Crisis (the “Crisis” was the name of one of his newspapers) by Reed Smith recounts the career of this virtually forgotten politician and publisher. Item 761. $47.50.

For those seeking original copies of works kept electronically within the Americana Exchange Database, items 1086-1088 are volumes 1, 3, and 6 of The Celebrated Collection of Americana Formed by the Late Thomas Winthrop Streeter… sold at auction by Parke-Bernet in 1967. $100 each. Item 586 is a 1988 reprint of Wright Howes’ essential bibliography U.S. IANA (1650-1950)… $65.

Oak Knoll Books has a website at www.oakknoll.com, and may be reached by phone at 302-328-7232. Their winter sale catalogue is catalogue M558.