AMERICANA TITLES, INCLUDING NEW YORK
STATE HISTORY, LITERATURE AND
NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES
(updated July 24,
2010)
Thomas S. Abler [Editor], CHAINBREAKER: THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR MEMOIRS OF GOVERNOR BLACKSNAKE, As Told to Benjamin Williams. (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1989) 306 pp., index, bibliography, notes, appendices, a few b&w ills. The late 18th Century is graphically portrayed in the writings of a great Allegany Seneca chief. The work also covers the years after the war when Indian Nation territories were established in New York State and Canada. v.g. copy in d.j. $25
Edwin Tappan Adney & Howard I. Chapelle, THE BARK CANOES AND SKIN BOATS OF NORTH AMERICA. (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1964) Museum of History and Technology, Bulletin No. 230. quarto, 242 pp., index, bibliography, profusely ill. with b&w photos and drawings. still the best and most comprehensive work on the subject. fine copy in olive-green clothing binding. $25
Richard Sanders Allen, COVERED BRIDGES OF THE NORTHEAST. (Brattleboro, VT: Stephen Greene Press, 1974 [1957]) revised edition. 121 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, appendices, ill. with many b&w photos and engravings. an excellent work covering the New England states, New York, and New Jersey. v.g. copy in torn d.j. $10
Susan Allport, SERMONS IN STONE: The Stone Walls of New England and New York. (NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 1990) square format octavo, 205 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with charming drawings by David Howell. a beautifully produced work on the history, construction and folklore of stone walls, related stone structures, and even glacial erratics. v.g. copy in slightly d.j., nicely inscribed by the author. $20
Seymour & Violet Altman, THE BOOK OF BUFFALO POTTERY. (NY: Crown Publishers, 1969) quarto, 192 pp., index, glossary, appendix, ill. with 400 pieces in color and b&w. The best work to date on the wide variety of decorative ware manufactured in Buffalo, New York, beginning in 1901. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $10
Kenneth L. Ames, DEATH IN THE DINING ROOM, and Other Tales of Victorian Culture. (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1992) quarto, 265 pp., notes, ill. with many b&w engravings and photos. A fascinating study of the myriad examples of material culture from this era. a v.g. copy in d.j. of the scarce hardcover edition. $35
Rick J. Ashton, THE LIFE OF HENRY RUITER, 1742-1819. (Chicago, IL: private published, 1974) 62 pp., appendices (including a family genealogy and transcription of early documents), ill. with a map and a b&w photo. A carefully researched and very scarce account of a Loyalist from Albany County, NY, who fled to Canada during the American Revolution. v.g.copy in perfect bound wraps, inscribed by the author. $35
Bernard Bailyn, THE PEOPLING OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA: An Introduction. (NY: Alfred Knopf, 1986) 177+ pp., index, notes. As one of the Curti Lectures held at the University of Wisconsin, the author the philosophies and strategies behind the settling of the Americas. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Henry C. Baldwin, THE STONEWARE POTTERS OF ASHFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS: Ashfield, Massachusetts, 1845 to 1856. (Greenfield/Northampton, MA: published by the author, 2003) first edition. 74 pp., appendix, copies of maps and other old documents, ill. with many b&w photos. a very scarce and highly detailed account of a pottery town in the Pioneer Valley, with valuable information on the lives and fascinating careers of the potters. Research into original sources has uncovered vital information found in few books on American ceramics. v.g. copy of a quality spiral bound work with color pictorial covers, signed by the author. $25
Henry C. Baldwin, A GUIDE TO WHATELY POTTERY AND THE POTTERS: Whately, Massachusetts, 1778 to 1873. (Greenfield, MA: published by the author, 2000) 157 pp., appendix, copies of maps and other old documents, ill. with many b&w photos. a very scarce and highly detailed account of a pottery town in the Pioneer Valley, with valuable information on the lives and fascinating careers of the potters. v.g. copy of a quality spiral bound work with color pictorial covers, now out-of-print, signed by the author. $35
Martin Barker & Roger Sabin, THE LASTING OF THE MOHICANS: History of an American Myth. (Jackson: University of Mississippi Press, 1995) 248 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with b&w photos and reproductions of other illustrations. An interesting work showing how James Fenimore's Cooper 1826 Classic, The Last of the Mohicans, and subsequent literature, comics, and film, perpetuated a inaccurate myth that Mohicans, Mohegans, and other Native American tribes had not survived American manifest destiny. fine copy of the scarce hardcover edition, in pictorial boards (no d.j. was issued). $15
Martin Barker & Roger Sabin, THE LASTING OF THE MOHICANS: History of an American Myth. (Jackson: University of Mississippi Press, 1995) 248 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with b&w photos and reproductions of other illustrations. An interesting work showing how James Fenimore's Cooper 1826 Classic, The Last of the Mohicans, and subsequent literature, comics, and film, perpetuated a inaccurate myth that Mohicans, Mohegans, and other Native American tribes had not survived American manifest destiny. v.g. copy of the quality softbound edition. $5
Harold Thomas Beck, CORNPLANTER CHRONICLES: A Tale of a Legendary Seneca Chieftain. (Custer City, PA: Mountain Laurel Publishing, 2001) 315 pp., brief bibliography. A first class fictionalized version of the life of Ganiodieu (1733-1832), known as Cornplanter, a remarkable chief of the Allegany Seneca nation of southwestern New York State, one of the very few Native American tribes to survive today on their ancestral land. v.g. copy in d.j., inscribed by the author. $20
Peter J. Bellis, NO MYSTERIES OUT OF OURSELVES: Identity & Textual Form in the Novels of Herman Melville. (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Pres, 1990) 222 pp., index, notes. In this insightful study the author shows how Melville identifies the concept of "self" in each of his novels on which to base personal and social relationships. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $5
Carl Benn, THE IROQUOIS IN THE WAR OF 1812. (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1998) 272 pp., index, excellent bibliography, glossary, maps, extensive notes. ill. with b&w maps and reproductions of old portraits and other drawings and engravings. An excellent study of a long-neglected aspect of American history covering Iroquois living both in Canada and in New York State. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $15
Rick L. Berfield, COVERED BRIDGES OF NEW YORK STATE: A GUIDE. (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2003) large format octavo, 66 pp., index, appendices, ill. with excellent color photos by Richard R. Wilson. An excellent factual guide with up-to-date information. fine copy in perfect bound wraps of a quality softbound work. $10
Francis Bergan, THE HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK COURT OF APPEALS, 1847-1932. (NY: Columbia University Press, 1985) 354 pp., notes. The scarce and definitive work on the landmark court that was created as part of the State's new Constitution. v.g. copy in d.j., nicely inscribed by the author. $25
Erick Berry [Evangell Alenna Champlin Best], SEVEN BEAVER SKINS: A STORY OF THE DUTCH IN NEW AMSTERDAM. (Philadelphia: The John Winston Company, 1948) first edition, 275 pp., interesting decorative end-papers, ill. with charming line drawings by the author. A charming and very well written young adult novel set in the Hudson Valley in the 17th century in the "Land of the Free" series. The treatment of Mohican and Mohawk Indians and their involvement in the Dutch fur trade, seen through the eyes of a young Dutch trader, is most noteworthy. v.g. copy in slightly worn but very attractive d.j. $5
Robert E. Bieder, SCIENCE ENCOUNTERS THE INDIAN, 1820-1880: The Early Years of American Ethnology. (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1986) 290 pp., index, extensive bibliography, notes. An important study of Morgan, Schoolcraft, and others who began the first serious study of Native Americans. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
William Bixby, REBEL GENIUS: The Life of Herman Melville. (NY: David McKay Co., 1970) 133 pp. a highly readable and little known Melville biography. v.g. copy in d.j. $8
Karna L. Bjorklund, THE INDIANS OF NORTHEASTERN NORTH AMERICA. (NY: Dodd Mead, 1969) large format octavo, 192 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with attractive line drawings by Lorence F. Bjorklund. an interesting readable work on Northeast woodland Indians, with delightful illustrations. v.g. copy in worn d.j. $5
Mary Black & Jean Lipman, AMERICAN FOLK PAINTING. (NY: Clarkson Nott Potter, 1966) quarto, index, bibliography, ill., with 215 excellent color and b&w reproductions of charming paintings. The first important work which launched the popular interest in folk art in America. v.g. copy in d.j. $12
Mary Black & Jean Lipman, AMERICAN FOLK PAINTING. (NY: Bramhall House, 1987 [1966]) quarto, index, bibliography, ill., with 215 excellent color and b&w reproductions of charming paintings. The first important work which launched the popular interest in folk art in America. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $10
Thomas Borneman, THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR: Deciding the Fate of North America. (NY: Harper Collins, 2006) 360 pp., index, bibliography, notes. Dividing the wars of 1748-1763 into three phases, the author shows how important these conflicts were in preparing America for becoming a nation. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
William
Bouck,
Russell Bourne, GODS OF WAR, GODS OF PEACE: How the Meeting of Native and Colonial Religions Shaped Early America. (NY: Harcourt Co., 2002) 425 pp., index, notes, a few b&w period ills. a thorough and fascinating work covering various interactions between Natives and settlers involving religion in the northeastern United States through the early 1800s. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Russell Bourne, THE RED KING'S REBELLION: Racial Politics in New England 1975-1678. (NY: Atheneum, 1990) 273 pp., index, bibliography, a few b&w ills. Highly recommended, this work treats the political and social context of the infamous "King Phillips' War." v.g. copy in d.j. $5
Russell Bourne, THE RED KING'S REBELLION: Racial Politics in New England 1975‑1678. (NY: Atheneum, 1990) 273 pp., index, bibliography, a few b&w ills. Highly recommended, this work treats the political and social context of the infamous "King Phillips' War." v.g. copy of the quality softbound edition. $1
James W. Bradley, EVOLUTION OF THE ONONDAGA IROQUOIS: Accommodating Change, 1500-1655. (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2005) quarto, 260 pp., index, bibliography, appendix, notes, ill. in b&w with maps, drawings, and photos. An important study, based on archaeological evidence, of the Onondaga Nation of New York State from the 13th to the 17th centuries. v.g. copy of a quality perfect bound softbound work. $20
Clare Brandt, AN AMERICAN ARISTOCRACY:
THE LIVINGSTONS. (Garden City, NY:
Doubleday, 1986) 297 pp., index,
bibliography, notes, ill. with historic b&w photos, along with a map and
genealogical chart. The amazing saga
of a powerful early family in the lower Hudson Valley of New York State.
v.g. copy in d.j. $15
John Bryant, MELVILLE AND REPOSE: The Rhetoric of Humor in the American Renaissance. (NY: Oxford University Press, 1993) 312 pp.; index, notes. A noteworthy study of Melville's various uses of humor in all his works. v.g. copy in slightly creased d.j. $10
J.S. Bulkeley, THE LEADING INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS OF GLENS FALLS, SANDY HILL & FORT EDWARD. (Glens Falls, NY: privately printed, 1982) 44 pp., ill. with a few woodcuts and advertisements as in the original. a quality reprint of a very scarce 1877 work describing various industries in these Warren and Washington County communities in detail as rarely encountered in works of this era. For example, it provides valuable details on the processes involved in the pottery, lime burning, and brewing industries. v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $10
Walter Burmeister, APPALACHIAN WATERS 2: THE HUDSON RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. (Oakton, VA; Appalachian Books, 1974) 488 pp., index, bibliography, fold-out map. a dependable older canoe guide that contains detailed information not found in more recent works. a little cover wear, o/w a v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $10
A.
Martin Byers, THE
North Callahan, HENRY KNOX: General Washington's General. (South Brunswick, NJ: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1958) 404 pp., bibliographical notes, ill. with a b&w portrait frontis. The only biography of a forgotten Revolutionary War General. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $20
Colin G. Calloway, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN INDIAN COUNTRY: Crisis and Diversity in Native American Communities. (NY: Cambridge University Press, 1985) 327 pp., index, notes, ill. with b&w maps and reproductions of old portraits and other drawings and engravings. A thorough yet highly readable treatment of how various Native tribes faced the issues of taking of sides and neutrality and how most all of them suffered as a result. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Colin
G. Calloway, THE SCRATCH OF THE PEN: 1763 and the Transformation of
Colin
Calloway [Editor], AFTER KING PHILIP'S WAR: Presence and Persistence in Indian
New England. (Hanover, NH:
University Press of New England, 1997) 268
pp., index, bibliography, notes, biographical sketches of contributors.
a series of 10 valuable essays on Native Americans who lived in
Richard Carlson [Editor], ROOTED LIKE THE ASH TREES: Mew England Indians and the Land. (Naugatuck, CT: Eagle Wing Press, 1987) quarto, 86 pp., bibliography, appendices, ill. with b&w photos, maps, and drawings. A fascinating and uncommon work showing how Native traditions carry on in present day New England as well as presenting historical precedents. v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $10
Henry B. Carrington, THE SIX NATIONS OF NEW YORK: THE 1892 UNITED STATES EXTRA CENSUS BULLETIN. (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1995) With an Introduction by Robert Venables. quarto, 89 pp. + additional pages of b&w photos and maps of the reservations. The scarce hardcover edition of a quality reprint of a very important work presenting a valuable snapshot of the Iroquois in New York State in 1892. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $20
Harvey Chalmers II, THE BIRTH OF THE ERIE CANAL. (NY: Bookman Associates, 1960) 195 pp., bibliography, ill. with b&w period plates. a highly readable work on the development and construction of the Erie Canal. v.g. copy in d.j., signed by the author. $15
Franklin Henry Chase, WHERE TO FIND IT: BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SYRACUSE HISTORY. (Syracuse, NY: Onondaga Historical Association/Dehler Press, 1920) 219 pp., index. A still useful reference work, by the Syracuse City Historian, that has become rather scarce. original wraps with hand-lettered backstrip, missing the title page which is supplied in photocopy. corners of some leaves chipped away but not affecting text, which has been annotated in pencil with corrections and other information by an astute early owner, o/w a good reading copy. $10
O[liver] P. Clarke, GENERAL GRANT AT MOUNT MACGREGOR. (Saratoga Springs, NY: Saratoga Sun Press, 1906 [1895]) 47 pp. an interesting pamphlet written by the first curator of "Grant's Cottage" at Wilton, New York, where the ex-President spent the final five weeks of his life. Suffering with throat cancer, Grant used this time to amazingly complete his now famous memoirs. Fist issued ten years after Grant's death, this scarce little work presents an accurate picture of a sad chapter in American history. a little cover soiling, o/w a v.g. copy in original stiff paper wraps. $20
John Garry Clifford, THE CITIZEN SOLDIERS: The Plattsburg Training Camp Movement, 1913-1920. (Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky Press, 1972) 324 pp., index, bibliographic essay. A detailed study of the military reform movement which derived form the Business Men/'s Military Training Camps in upstate New York. top of b.s. bumped, o/w a v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $8
Philip Cohen etal., AN ATLAS OF LONG ISLAND'S WATER RESOURCES. (Albany, NY: New York State Water Resources Commission, 1962) Commission Bulletin 62. oblong format large octavo, 117 pp., bibliography, ill. with photos, charts, and maps. fairly uncommon, this useful state document covers Long Island unique hydrology and how to protect it. v.g. copy in dark plum faux leather cloth binding, very slightly spotted, otherwise in very good condition. $10
Harriet Maxwell Converse, MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE NEW YORK STATE IROQUOIS. (Albany: New York State Museum, 1981 [1908]) Edited and annotated by Arthur C. Parker. 195 pp., index, appendices, notes, ill. with b&w reproductions of photos and drawings. an excellent detailed overview of Iroquois folklore from prehistoric to modern times. fine copy in pictorial wraps. $20
Michel-Guillaume St. Jean de Crevecoeur, JOURNEY INTO NORTHERN PENNSYLVANIA AND THE STATE OF NEW YORK. (Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1964) Translated by Clarissa Spencer Bostlemann. 620 pp., extensive notes. The first complete and most accurate translation of the remarkable journal of a prominent Frenchman who traveled in America for 27 years in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. v.g. copy in d.j. $25
Richard Critchfield, TREES, WHY DO YOU WAIT: America's Changing Rural Culture. (Washington, DC: Island Press, 1991) 270 pp., index, bibliography. By studying two rural midwest communities, Critchfield reveals that part of the decline of rural communities can be traced by the simultaneous decline of American cities. Through the author's lucid writing the people who form the foundation of rural America come to life. This copy is nicely inscribed by the author to Charles Kuralt on the half-title in handsome script. The journalist, Kuralt (1934-1997), was best known for his "On the Road" segments which told interesting human-interest stories found in his travels all across rural America, and which received two Peabody awards. v.g. good copy in a v.g. (only very slightly worn) d.j. $50
Joan M. Crouse, THE HOMELESS TRANSIENT IN THE GREAT DEPRESSION, 1929-1941. (Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1986) 319 pp., index, bibliography, notes. The best account of the causes of the first wave of homeless and what government did in an attempt to solve the dilemma. fine hardbound copy in pictorial boards. $10
Lucinda Damon-Bach & Victoria Clements [Editors], CATHERINE MARIA SEDGWICK: Critical Perspectives. (Boston: Northeastern University Press, 2002) Foreword by Mary Kelly. 328 pp., index, notes, a few b&w plates. the best critical study of the work of an important but overlooked 19th century author from Stockbridge, Massachusetts. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
[Cecile Marguerite de la Tour de Pin], MEMOIRS OF MADAME DE LA TOUR DE PIN.
(NY: McCall Publishing, 1971) Edited
and Translated by Felice Harcourt. Introduction
by Peter Gay. 468 pp., index, notes,
appendices. a few period ills.,
including a portrait of the authoress. The
Marquise (1770-1853) recorded valuable and insightful recollections of life in
Maude Esther Dilliard, AN ALBUM OF NEW NETHERLAND. (NY: Bramhall House, 1963) quarto, 125+ pp., ill. with quality b&w reproductions of maps and photos. A very comprehensive illustrated work covering Dutch architecture, fine and decorative arts in New York in the early 1600s. v.g. copy in green cloth binding. $10
William B. Dillingham, MELVILLE'S LATER NOVELS. (Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1986) 430 pp., index, notes. an intuitive and very valuable study of Moby Dick, Pierre, Israel Potter, The Confidence Man, & Billy Budd. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $10
Sara Donati, LAKE IN THE CLOUDS. (NY: Bantam Books, 2002) 613 pp., a fairly scarce recent novel about early settlers and their Native American neighbors in the upper reaches of the West Branch of the Sacandaga River in the southern Adirondacks. It centers around the life of Hannah Bonner, Nathaniel's half-Indian daughter, who learns to become a healer with an interesting combination of White man's medicine and traditional Indian practices. She also becomes embroiled in controversy for treating Selah Voyager, a fugitive slave. In one of the more interesting scenes, Hannah travels to New York City to consult with other physicians on how to treat smallpox. Her visit is cleverly documented in a reproduction of a fictitious 1802 newspaper article. A new American Indian character is introduced, Strikes-the-Sky, an impressive and somewhat frightening Seneca, who comes seeking help for distressed Indians who had removed to the American west (an aspect of New York's Native American history not dealt with in many literary works.) In addition, a winter festival scene is portrayed in interesting detail. While lengthy, the novel reads easily and deals with Native American and White relations in the years following the American Revolutionary with considerable sensitivity. v.g. copy in d.j. $5
Abner Doubleday, MY LIFE IN THE OLD ARMY, THE REMINISCENCE OF ABNER DOUBLEDAY. (Fort Worth, TX: TCU Press, 1998) Edited and Annotated by Joseph E. Chance. Illustrated with Engravings by Wil Martin. 402 pp., index, bibliography, notes. An important work publishing for the first time the wartime life of the man best known as the founder of American baseball, who served the military in four conflicts, including the Mexican and Civil Wars. fine copy in d.j. $15
Joan Druett & Mary Ann Wallace, THE SAILING CIRCLE: 19th Century Seafaring Women from New York. (Setauket/Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Three Village Historical Society/Cold Spring harbor Whaling Museum, 1995) Introduction by Lisa A. Norling. small quarto, 47 pp., index, bibliography, appendix listing women sailors, well ill. with color and b&w period sources. a very significant work covering Long Island and metropolitan New York City. v.g. copy in pictorial wraps. $5
Edgar A. Dryden, MELVILLE'S THEMATICS OF FORM: The Great Art of Telling the Truth. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1968) 226 pp., index, notes, ill. with a few interesting drawings in the text. A revealing study of how Herman Melville dealt with the dilemma of conveying what he knew was true in his works. v.g. copy in slightly torn d.j. $5
Shirley W.
Dunn, THE MOHICANS AND THEIR LAND, 1609-1730.
(Fleischmanns, NY: Purple Mountain Press, 1995 [1994])
343 pp., index, appendices, notes, bibliography, ill. with b&w
photos, engravings, and maps. The
definitive work on the early history of the Native American tribe that inhabited
the mid-to upper Hudson River valley in New York State, who later lived in
western Massachusetts and central New York, and now are headquartered in
Wisconsin. minor cover wear, o/w a
v.g. copy of the quality softbound edition (no hard cover edition was issued).
$35
Shirley
W. Dunn, THE MOHICAN WORLD, 1680-1750. (
N.H. Egleston & Rev. John Norton, OLD FORT MASSACHUSETTS: In the Plantation of East Hoosuck, First Built 1745, To Protect the Commonwealth's Extreme Western Limits During the Wars With the French, Captured and Burned 1746, Rebuilt 1747. (North Adams, MA: New Englandiana Book Shop, 1965) 16, 51 pp., being Reprints of The Old Fort and What Became of Its, by N.H. Egleston (1881) and Rev. John Norton, The Redeemed Captive . . . (1748). A surprisingly rare compilation of two important short on 18th Century history of western Massachusetts. original stapled wraps, slightly soiled, o/w a v..g copy of a quality softbound work. $20
Stanley Elkins & Eric McKitrick, THE AGE OF FEDERALISM: The Early American Republic, 1788-1800. (NY: Oxford University Press, 1993) 925 pp., index, bibliography, notes. The most complete study to date of this important era in American history. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Dean F. Failey & Zachary N. Studenroth [and Helen Batcheller], EDWARD LANGE'S LONG ISLAND. (Setauket, NY: Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities, 1979) oblong large format octavo, 67 pp., bibliography, notes, ill. with 76 color and b&w reproductions of the artist's paintings and drawings. Lange (1846-1912) produced a number of remarkable views of homes, farms, and villages in the 1870s and 1880s when Long Island was still largely rural and only beginning to be subject to residential development. a v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $10
Nathan Farb, THE ADIRONDACKS. (NY: Rizzoli Publishers, 1985) large quarto, 183 pp., map, ill. with the superb color photos of the Adirondack wilderness that launched Farb's fame as a landscape photographer. v.g. copy in stiff prefect bound wraps of a quality softcover publication, signed by the author. $20
Barry Fell, SAGA AMERICA. (NY: Times Books, 1980) 425 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, ill. with many b&w photos, maps, and detailed drawings. An interesting and controversial study of ancient stone lithic sites across America and their similarities to sites found in ancient Europe. Fell studies various ancient civilizations that may have explored the Americas. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $25
Patricia Fenn & Alfred P. Malpa, REWARDS OF MERIT: Tokens of a Child's Progress and a Teacher's Esteem as an enduring aspect of American Religious and Secular Education. (charlottesville, VA: Ephemera Society of American, 1994) oblong quarto, 224 pp., index, bibliography, decorative end-papers, beautifully illustrated with color reproductions of hundreds of examples. By far the best work ever issued on the subject. minor damage to top of one leaf, o/w v.g. copy in d.j. $10
David Hackett Fischer, CHAMPLAIN'S DREAM: The European Founding of North America. (NY: Simon & Schuster, 2008) 834 pp., index, bibliography, notes, appendices, very well ill. with period maps, plans, engravings, and paintings in color and b&w. By far the most exhaustive study to date on Samuel de Champlain's life and accomplishments. fine copy in d.j. $15
Patrick Frazier, THE MOHICANS OF STOCKBRIDGE. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1992) 307 pp., index, bibliography, notes, a few b&w ills. an excellent study of this Native American tribe during the 18th century, in western Massachusetts, through the Colonial and Revolutionary wars and their removal to central New York State. v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $10
Victorian Freeman, DISTANT RELATIONS: How My Ancestors Colonized North America. (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2000) original edition. 535 pp., extensive notes, ill. with maps and b&w photos. In one of the latest works in a fairly recent genre of scholarly yet readable family histories, the author traces her roots from early Colonial settlement in New England to emigration to the Canadian frontier in the 1800s. fine copy in d.j. $10
Stanton
Garner, THE CIVIL WAR WORLD OF HERMAN MELVILLE.
(Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press, 1993)
544 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with b&w photos.
The definitive work on how the Civil War years affected the Melville
family, and in particular on Melville's writings on the War, especially his
famous poems, the "Battle Pieces."
v.g. copy in d.j. $7
John Arthur Garraty, SILAS WRIGHT.
(NY: Columbia University Press, 1949)
# 552 in the
Mary Frank Gaston, COLLECTOR'S HANDBOOK OF KNOWLES, TAYLOR & KNOWLES CHINA. (Paducah, KY: Collector Books, 1996) quarto, 175+ pp., bibliography, appendices, profusely ill. in color and b&w (some copies of historic documents). The book contains excellent background information on the famous East Liverpool, Ohio, pottery. v.g. copy in pictorial boards. $10
Dr. Tony Gengarelly [Editor], RANDY TRABOLD'S NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTY. (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2003) Images of America series. large format octavo, 128 pp., ill. with the moving b&w photos of Randy Trabold, a well‑known newspaper photographer from North Adams, Massachusetts, who took remarkable images of urban and rural life between 1935 and 1979. v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $5
William H. Gilman, MELVILLE'S EARLY LIFE AND REDBURN. (NY: New York University Press, 1951) 378 pp., index, extensive notes, appendices (examples of his youthful writing) genealogy charts on end-papers, ill. with a b&w photo frontis. Still a useful work, this book was the first Melville biography to adequately cover Melville's formative years in detail, prior to his publication of Moby Dick. a v.g. copy in dull blue cloth binding. $15
Brace A. Glasrud & Alan M. Smith [Editors], RACE RELATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA, 1607-1783. (Chicago: Nelson Hall, 1982) 355 pp., bibliography, notes. A series of significant essays studying the historical impact of relations between Whites, Black, and Native American people in the early colonies. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Joseph T. Glatthaar & James Kirby Martin, FORGOTTEN ALLIES: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution. (NY: Hill & Wang, 2006) 434 pp., index, bibliography, appendices, ill. with maps and a frontis. An excellent study of the important role Oneidas played during the American Revolution. fine copy in d.j. $15
Abba A. Goddard [Editor], THE TROJAN SKETCH BOOK. (Troy, NY: Young & Hartt, 1846) 180 pp., a.e.g., ill. with a frontis engraving (a panoramic view of Troy, NY). a very scarce collection of poems and fictional sketches by reasonably competent local authors; the famous educator, Emma Willard, was one of the contributors. some wear to bs., foxing and some spotting throughout, o/w a v.g. copy in dark brown cloth binding, nicely inscribed by the author to an E.P. Christy. $75
Rev. Thomas Grassmann, THE MOHAWK INDIANS AND THEIR VALLEY: Being a Chronological Documentary Record to the End of 1693. (Schenectady, NY: Eric Hugo, 1969) 772+ pp., index, a few period b&w ills. an exhaustive scholarly resource on the early years of the Mohawk Nation of Colonial New York. fine copy in red cloth binding in slightly worn, darkened d.j., signed by the author with an ink stamp. $65
Brian Greenberg, WORKER AND COMMUNITY: Response to Industrialization in Nineteenth-Century American City. Albany, New York, 1850-1884. (Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 1985) 226 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with a few maps. an important and scarce study that focuses on the social and cultural effects of industrialization. v.g. copy in pictorial boards. $25
Clyde & Sally Griffen, NATIVES AND NEWCOMERS: The Ordering of Opportunity in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Poughkeepsie. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1965) 291 pp., index, notes, statistical tables. A valuable work in the Studies in Urban History series reflects a vast amount of research into original source materials to study this small city in the Hudson River valley between 1840 and 1870. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $15
James B.
Griffin [Editor], ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES.
(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1952)
quarto, 392 pp. of text and 198 pp. of b&w plates, fold-out maps,
index, bibliography. A standard
reference work with contributions by 28 scholars.
a v.g. copy in slightly torn d.j. $50
George C. Groce & David H.
Wallace, DICTIONARY OF ARTISTS IN AMERICA, 1564-1860.
(New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1967)
759 pp., key to sources. Published
for the New York Historical Society, this valuable work also covers engraves,
lithographers, and sculptors. v.g.
copy in slightly torn d.j. $50
Harold F. Guilland, EARLY AMERICAN FOLK POTTERY. (Phila.: Chilton Book Co., 1971) 322 pp., index, extensive bibliography, notes. profusely ill. with reproductions of color and b&w photos from the Index of American Design. a useful overview of early American pottery, with illustrations not found in other works on the subject. v.g. copy in worn d.j. $50
Harold F. Guilland, EARLY AMERICAN FOLK POTTERY. (Phila.: Chilton Book Co., 1971) 322 pp., index, extensive bibliography, notes. profusely ill. with reproductions of color and b&w photos from the Index of American Design. a useful overview of early American pottery, with illustrations not found in other works on the subject. v.g. copy in light brown cloth binding (lacking the d.j.) $20
Andrew Gulliford, AMERICA'S COUNTRY SCHOOLS. (Washington, DC: Preservation Press, 1991 [1984]) 2nd edition, quarto, 293 pp., decorative end-papers, index, bibliography, appendix of schools covered, ill. with many historic b&w photos. The most thorough coverage of one-room schoolhouses throughout the United States. v.g. copy in very slightly worn d.j. $15
Charles J. Haberstroh Jr., MELVILLE AND MALE IDENTITY. (Cranbury, NJ: Associated University Presses, 1980) 147 pp., index, bibliography, notes. An interesting study of Melville's treatment of male characters and his early personal life. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $5
Rev. Charles H. Hall, THE DUTCH AND THE IROQUOIS. (NY: Francis Hart & Co., 1882) 55 pp. This was a paper read before the Long Island Historical Society, covering "suggestions as to the importance of their friendship in the great struggle of the 18th century for the possession of this continent." A rare pamphlet in its original edition, a v.g. copy in light blue perfect-bound wraps, worn at the edges and the b.s. $25
Laurence M. Hauptman, BETWEEN TWO FIRES: American Indians in the Civil War. (NY: Free Press, 1995) 304 pp., index, extensive bibliography, notes, b&w period ills., maps on end-papers. a comprehensive account, the best to date, of Native Americans in the Civil War across the nation. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
William A. Haviland & Marjory W. Power, THE ORIGINAL VERMONTERS: Native Inhabitants Past and Present. (Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1981) 326 pp., index, bibliography, notes, appendices, ill. with b&w photos and maps. an important work with coverage up through the 20th century. one small spot on fore-edge, o/w v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $4
Charles Hayes [Editor], FROM THE HUDSON TO THE WORLD: Voices of the River. (Poughkeepsie, NY: Sloop Clearwater, 1978) quarto, 141 pp., bibliography, ill. in b&w from earlier works. This VERY SCARCE volume is a remarkable compilation of Native American folklore of all ages from the Hudson River valley of New York State. one corner slightly bent, o/w a v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $35
Kevin J. Hayes, MELVILLE'S FOLK ROOTS. (Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1999) 134 pp., index, bibliography, notes. The first comprehensive study of Herman Melville's use of folklore in his works. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Thomas Farel Heffernan, MUTINY ON THE GLOBE: The Fatal Voyage of Samuel Comstock. (NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 2002) 280 pp., bibliography, notes, appendices, maps on end-papers, ill. with a few b&w period plates. The definitive account of a famous mutiny on a whaling ship that occurred in the 1820s. v.g. copy in d.j. $8
Lucile
Henzke, AMERICAN ART POTTERY. (Camden,
NJ: Thomas Nelson, 1970) quarto, 336
pp., index, glossary, profusely ill. with photos and other b&w and color
ills. an excellent overview of the
subject from a historical perspective. v.g.
copy in slightly worn d.j. $12
Amos L. Herold, JAMES KIRKE PAULDING: Versatile American. (NY: AMS Press, 1966 [1926]) 167 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with a b&w frontis portrait. A quality edition of a dependable older biography of an important but forgotten American early author. v.g. copy in blue cloth binding. $1
Donald R. Hickey, THE WAR OF 1812: A Forgotten Conflict. (Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1989) 457 pp., extensive notes, a few b&w portraits. an excellent and a fairly scarce overview of the war. v.g. copy in d.j. $20
Brian Higgins, HERMAN MELVILLE: A REFERENCE GUIDE, 1931-1960. (Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1987) 531 pp., author and subject indices. A very useful annotated bibliography of 20th century criticism of Melville's work for a 30-year period. v.g. copy in plum cloth binding. $15
Charles Howell & Allan Keller, THE MILL: at Phillipsburg Manor Upper Mills, and a Brief History of milling. (Tarrytown, NY: Sleepy Hollow Restorations, 1977) Foreword by Rex Wailes. 192 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, ill. in b&w with modern photos and a few architectural drawings. More than merely an account of the restored grist mill at Sleepy Hollow (North Tarrytown), this work provides on the best accounts of the operation of milling in America in the 18th and 19th centuries. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Jeanne Chretien Howes, POET OF A MORNING: Herman Melville and the "Redburn" Poem. (San Francisco, CA: Cadmus Editions, 2001) 166, 49 pp., a few b&w ills. While misguided the author nonetheless makes an interesting case for Melville being the author of "Redburn; or the Schoolmaster of a Morning," an obscure 1844 poem. covers a bit soiled, o/w a v.g. copy of a quality softbound work, nicely inscribed by the author. $10
Nelson Hull, REMINISCENCES OF THE SETTLING OF THE VALLEY OF THE LITTLE HOOSICK: Events of the Revolutionary War, &c., With a Sketch of the Life and Character of Some of the Most Prominent Men of the Town of Berlin. (Hoosick, NY: Dog Ears Books, 1997) 36 pp., A useful reprint of an important 1858 work with valuable information on the early history of eastern Rensselaer County, New York. v.g. copy in original wraps. $5
Diamond
Jenness, THE INDIANS OF
Herbert Alan Johnson & Ralph K. Andrist, HISTORIC COURTHOUSES OF NEW YORK STATE. (NY: Columbia University Press, 1977) Foreword by Judge Charles D. Breitel. large format square octavo, 175 pp., ill. with fine b&w photos by Milo Stewart. A valuable illustrated survey of historic court houses built between 1772 and 1900 that still serve a variety of public uses. a v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $5
Manfred Jonas & Robert Wells [Editors], NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN A NEW NATION: The Development of New York After the Revolution. (Schenectady, NY: Union College Press, 1982) 146 pp., ill. with maps. Six prominent historians explore the State's formative years in insightful essays. v.g. copy in glossy boards. $7
Agnes
Halsey Jones, REDISCOVERED PAINTERS OF UPSTATE
Jacob Judd & Irwin H. Polishook
[Editors], ASPECTS OF EARLY
Jane Kallir, GRANDMA MOSES IN THE 21ST CENTURY. (Alexandria, VA: Art Services International, 2001) the scarce hard-cover edition. quarto, 263 pp., index, bibliography, notes, chronology, attractive pictorial end-papers, ill. with wonderful color reproductions of her paintings (many of them from private collections) as well as old b&w photos of her home country in Rensselaer and Washington counties, New York. quite possibly the best work on the 20th century folk artist produced to date. near fine copy in d.j. $20
Jane Kallir, GRANDMA MOSES: The Artist
beyond the Myth. (Secaucus, NJ:
Welfleet Press, 1982) quarto, 160
pp., index, bibliography, notes, chronology, ill. with wonderful color
reproductions of her paintings (many of them from private collections) as well
as old b&w photos of her home country in Rensselaer and Washington counties,
New York. a significant work on the
20th century folk artist produced to date. v.g.
copy in slightly worn d.j. $25
Carolyn L. Karcher, THE FIRST WOMAN OF THE REPUBLIC: A Cultural Biography of Lydia Maria Child. (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1994) 804 pp., index, bibliography, extensive notes, a few b&w plates. The definitive biography of an important but overlooked 19th century novelist and abolitionist. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Henry J, Kauffman, EARLY AMERICAN IRONWARE: CAST AND WROUGHT. (NY: Weathervane Books, 1977 [1965]) quarto, 166 pp., index, profusely ill. with b&w plates. An excellent work on "the crafts of the blacksmith, whitesmith, tinsmith, farrier, locksmith, gunsmith, and others. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
John L. Kay & Chester M. Smith Jr., NEW YORK POSTAL HISTORY: The Post Offices and First Postmasters from 1775 to 1980. (State College, PA: American Philatelic Society, 1981) 556 pp., ill. with a county map. a very rare and most authoritative work covering every post office that ever existed in the state. v.g. copy in burgundy cloth binding. $100
Theodore K. Kazimroff, THE LAST ALGONQUIN. (NY: Walker & Co., 1982) Foreword by Ralph S. Solecki. 176 pp., index, b&w area map. The fascinating story of Joe Two Trees, a Native American who lived into the 1920s in a deserted coastal area of the northeast Bronx, clearly truth stranger than fiction. v.g. copy in slightly torn d.j. $10
William Ketchum, EARLY POTTERS AND POTTERIES OF NEW YORK STATE. (NY: Funk & Wagnalls, 1970) first edition. 278 pp., index, bibliography, appendix listing of potters, ill. with b&w photos and reproductions of early advertisements and documents. The rare first edition of the seminal work on the subject. a v.g. copy in d.j. $90
Sung Bok Kim, LANDLORD AND TENANT IN COLONIAL NEW YORK MANORIAL SOCIETY, 1664-1775. (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1978) 478 pp., index, notes, appendices, ill. with a few maps. The definitive work on the remarkable feudal manorial land-ownership systems in the Hudson Valley of New York State, belonging to the Van Rensselaers, Livingston, and other prominent early families. This work explains the background behind the so-called "Anti-Rent Wars" of the 19th century which have fascinated so many historians. fine copy in d.j., nicely inscribed to noted author and historian, Michael Kammen, with the latter's bookplate. $50
S.C. Kimm, THE IROQUOIS: A History of the Six Nations of New York. (Astoria, NY: J.C. & A.L. Fawcett, 1994 [1900]) 122 pp., includes a reproduction of a fold-out map of upstate New York in 1771. A quality softbound reprint of a rare booklet written by the supervising principal of the Middleburgh, New York, public schools. $5
Verlyn Klinkenborg, THE RURAL LIFE. (NY: Viking, 2003) 213+ pp., ill. with chapter-head engraving by Reynolds Stone. a highly readable seasonal account of our personal relationship to the rural environment. The author, best known for his column in the New York Times, lives on a farm in Columbia County, New York. fine copy in d.j, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. $5
Verlyn
Klinkenborg, THE LAST FINE TIME. (NY:
Alfred Knopf, 1991) 209 pp., notes.
A wonderful account of a Polish neighborhood on the East side of
Michael Korda, COUNTRY MATTERS: The Pleasures and Tribulations of Moving from a Big City to an Old Country Farmhouse. (NY: Harper Collins, 2001) 303+ pp., a few chapter‑head line drawings by the author. a highly readable discourse on life at an early farm house in Dutchess County, New York, or the education of an urban New Yorker. v.g. copy in d.j. $1
Brenda Krekeler, COVERED BRIDGES TODAY. (Canton, OH: Daring Books, 1989) quarto, 366 pp., extensive bibliography, ill. with 865 of b&w and 102 color photos. An encyclopedia listing (supposedly) all covered highway and railroad bridges in the United States; while there are surely better written and produced books on covered bridges none are this complete. v.g. copy in pictorial boards. $10
Jane M. Lape [Editor], TICONDEROGA: Patches and Patterns from Its Past. (Ticonderoga, NY: Ticonderoga Historical Society, 1969) 343 pp., index, appendices, ill. with b&w photos, maps, and portraits. A very informative history of the Town and Village covering much more than merely the fort. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Paul Laskey, THE FIRE OBSERVATION TOWERS OF NEW YORK STATE: Survivors That Still Stand Guard. (Ballston Spa, NY: MKL Publishing, 2003) Foreword by Lou Curth. quarto, 130 pp., profusely ill. with a map and b&w photos, some from the archives of the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation. The most comprehensive book today on New York State's fire towers, and the only one to include towers located outside the Adirondacks and Catskills. It tells the story of how fire towers were staffed (sometimes by intrepid women) for much of the 20th century as the first line of defense against devastating forest fires. v.g. copy in original wraps (no hardcover edition was published) signed by the author. $20
Zilla Rider Lea, THE ORNAMENTED CHAIR: Its Development in America. (Rutland, VT: Chas. E. Tuttle Co., 1962 [1960]) quarto,173 pp., index, profusely ill. with quality color and b&w plates. An important publication of the Society of Early American Decoration. v.g. copy in dj. $15
Lois Lehner, LEHNER'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF U.S. MARKS ON POTTERY, PORCELAIN, AND CLAY. (Paducah, KY: Collector Books, 1988) quarto, 634+ pp., indices, bibliography, appendices, b&w drawings of thousands of pottery marks. Still the most complete work on American pottery marks, with thousands of entries. v.g. copy in pictorial boards. $15
Bryan LeBeau, CURRIER & IVES: AMERICA IMAGINED. (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2001) 380 pp., index, notes, ill. with b&w and color reproductions of a broad selection of their work. The best study to date on the firm that first reproduce visual images for the masses. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Elaine
Levin, THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN CERAMICS FROM 1607 TO THE PRESENT: From Pipkins
and Bean pots to Contemporary Forms. (NY:
Harry N. Abrams, 1988) large quarto,
352 pp., index, bibliography, notes, profusely ill. with color and b&w
photos. The best illustrated history
of American ceramics. v.g. copy in
d.j. $20
James W. Loewen, SUNDOWN TOWNS: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism. (NY: The New Press, 2005) 562 pp., index, notes. ill. with period b&w photos. The remarkable and shocking story of discrimination against Blacks, Chinese, and others in mid-America. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Milton Lomask, AARON BURR. (NY: Farrar, Strauss, & Giroux, 1979) 2 volumes, 476, 433 pp., separate indices, bibliographies, notes, and a few b&w plates. Volume I covers "The Years from Princeton to Vice President, 1757-1805"; Volume II covers "The Conspiracy and the Years of Exile, 1805-1836." This is very uncommon as a two-volume set and is the definitive work on Burr. Vol. I has a neat owner's name, both are very good copies in worn d.j.s. $20
[H.A.
Manning Company],
Karal Ann Marling, GEORGE WASHINGTON SLEPT HERE: Colonial Revivals and American Culture, 1876‑1986. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1988) large square octavo, 453 pp., index, notes, well ill. with period b&w plates. A fascinating study of the Colonial revival movement resulting from the nation's Bicentennial and its profound effect on American culture to the modern era. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Tom Martinson, AMERICAN DREAMSCAPE: The Pursuit of Happiness in Postwar Suburbia. (NY: Carroll & Graf, 2000) 291 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with b&w photos. An interesting study of suburbia which presents the many architectural accomplishments and cultural advantages of the suburbs that escape their many harsh critics. v.g. cop in d.j. $10
Ronald Mason, THE SPIRIT ABOVE THE DUST: A Study of Herman Melville. (London: John Lehmann, 1951) 269 pp., index. An interesting and uncommon study of how Melville's other works, so often overlooked, were really as significant as a body of work as Moby Dick itself. v.g. copy in chipped sunned d.j. $5
Ben Harris McClary [Editor], WASHINGTON IRVING AND THE HOUSE OF MURRAY: Geoffrey Crayon Charms the British, 1817-1856. (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1969) 141 pp., index, bibliography, notes, appendices, ill. with a few portraits and other period b&w plates. Irving's charm and wit impressed the important British publisher who would later issue works by future America writers such as Herman Melville, v.g. copy in slightly torn d.j. $5
Elizabeth McCausland, THE LIFE AND WORK OF EDWARD LAMSON HENRY, N.A., 1841-1919. (Albany, NY: New York State Museum, 1945) 381 pp., index, bibliography. ill. with 262 b&w reproductions: of his paintings and also other photos and a frontis portrait. an excellent highly detailed study listing over 1,200 works (drawings, oils and water colors) of this significant regional artist from the Ellenville-Cragsmoor, New York area, based on extensive research and never duplicated since. fine copy in original wraps. $10
W. Douglas McCombs [Editor], PAUL CUSHMAN: THE WORK AND WORLD OF AN EARLY 19TH CENTURY ALBANY POTTER. (Albany, NY: Albany Institute of History and Art, 2007) 144 pp. index, decorative end-papers, profusely ill. with b&w period engravings and advertisements, and color photos of stoneware vessels taken for this publication. Paul Cushman (1767-1833) was one of the founders of the stoneware industry in upstate New York. This comprehensive and well produced work, withe essays by a series of experts (including William Ketchum and Leigh & Leslie Keno) , documents not only Cushman, but also his contemporaries and his world in New York State's Capital city in the early 19th century. fine copy of a quality softbound publication in decorative wraps. $30
Charles W. McCurdy, THE ANTI-RENT ERA IN NEW YORK LAW AND POLITICS, 1839-1865. (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2001) 408 p., index, notes. an excellent new study of the tenant "revolts" against feudal land holding in the Hudson River Valley of New York State, popularly referred to as the "Anti-Rent Wars." v.g. copy in slightly torn d.j. $15
Gerald McFarland, THE COUNTERFEIT MAN: The True Story of the Boorn-Colvin Murder Case. (NY: Pantheon Books, 1990) 242 pp., index, bibliography, notes, a few period b&w ills. Fact is truly stranger than fiction when an amazing early 19th century murder case from Manchester, VT, is brought to life. The supposedly murdered man reappeared very much alive, or did he??? v.g. copy in d.j., nicely inscribed by the author. $15
Gerald McFarland, A SCATTERED PEOPLE: An American Family Moves Westward. (NY: Pantheon Books, 1985) 280 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with copies of historic b&w photos. In the first work in a fairly recent genre of scholarly yet readable family histories, the author traces his roots from early Colonial settlement in New England to emigration to the west coast, witnessing such historical events as the Harper's Ferry Raid, Bloody Kansas, and Wounded Knee. This remarkable, innovative book portrays the American experience in microcosm. The people in this work are not famous, but, through the author's meticulous research, every one of them comes to life. v.g. copy in torn d.j., signed by the author. $5
Gaile
McGregor, THE NOBLE SAVAGE IN THE NEW
Brian McKee, HISTORIC AMERICAN COVERED BRIDGES. (NY: American Society of Civil Engineers/Oxford University Press, 1997) small oblong quarto, 154 pp., comprehensive list of 1000 extant covered bridges and detailed coverage of 138 significant bridges, each ill. with a color photograph and a b&w drawing of the bridge truss. One of the more useful books on covered bridges as it stresses their architectural significance. v.g. copy in d.j. $20
Eleanor Melville Metcalf [Editor], HERMAN MELVILLE: JOURNAL OF A VISIT TO LONDON AND THE CONTINENT 1849-1850. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1949) 189 pp., index, extensive notes, a few b&w ills. Published here for the first time, his private journal dates from the period when he was composing White Jacket and Moby Dick. v.g. copy in badly torn d.j. $5
Jean Guard Monroe & Ray A. Williamson, FIRST HOUSES: Native American Homes and Sacred Structures. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993) square format octavo, 151 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with excellent line drawings by Susan Johnson Carlson. The best work on the subject covering all of North America. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Lewis Henry Morgan, THE LEAGUE OF THE HO-DE-NO-SAU-NEE, OR THE IROQUOIS. (North Dighton, MA: J.G. Press, 1995 [1851]) map of New York State on end-papers, 338, 124 pp. [2 volumes reissued as one], reproducing the illustrations from the original edition. a quality reprint edition of Morgan's classic popularizing the amazing culture of the Iroquois Indians. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Laura J. Murray [Editor], "TO DO GOOD TO MY INDIAN BRETHREN," THE WRITINGS OF JOSEPH JOHNSON, 1751-1776. (Amherst, MA; University of Massachusetts Press, 1998) 324 pp., index, bibliography, notes, a few b&w ills. The first work to collect the writings of Johnson, a Mohegan preacher and scholar active both in Connecticut and central New York State. v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $5
Andrew B. Myers [Editor], THE KNICKERBOCKER TRADITION: WASHINGTON IRVING'S NEW YORK. (Tarrytown, NY: Sleepy Hollow Restoration, 1974) 153 pp., index, notes, ill. with a few b&w plates. 6 essays on the 19th century world that Irving knew for its rich Dutch tradition. v.g. copy in d.j. $7
National
Ocean Survey [U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Institute], NEW YORK STATE BARGE CANAL SYSTEM.
(Washington, DC: N.O.A.A., 1977) 9th
edition. oblong folio (28 x 45 cm.),
unpaginated, 36 leaves containing nearly 60 colored lithographed maps at a scale
of 1:20,000. First issued in 1956,
this valuable atlas contains maps and charts of the New York State barge canal
system, covering the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga/Seneca canals, as well
as Cayuga and Seneca lakes; previous editions were issued by the U.S. Lake
Survey. a scarce work providing
detailed maps of the historic and scenic canal system and adjoining communities.
some cover wear and spotting, o/w a v.g. copy of a spiral bound work.
$20
[New York
Grace Greylock Niles, THE HOOSAC VALLEY: Its Legends and History. (NY: G.P. Putnams Sons, 1912) original edition. 584+ pp., index, t.e.g., well ill. with b&w photos. An information-filled, classic work on the early history of the parts of Massachusetts, Vermont and New York where this river flows, containing a great deal of interesting information, both history and folklore, not found in the standard published local histories. end-papers darkened, o/w a v.g. clean, tight copy in cranberry cloth with gilt lettering. $70
Michael Leroy Oberg, UNCAS: FIRST OF THE MOHEGANS. (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2003) 268 pp., index, notes, a few b&w ills. a fascinating and long overdue biography of the 17th Century Connecticut sachem whose life has been misunderstood by Cooper and others until now. ink stamp on top edge, a v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $1
James W. Oberly, A NATION OF STATESMEN: The Political Culture of the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohicans, 1815-1972. (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2005) 352 pp., index, bibliography, notes, appendices, ill. with maps, charts, and line drawings. A long-awaited work on the complex struggle of the Mohicans who removed from New York State to Wisconsin and finally secured homeland rights due them for many years. The 20th century political history is explained in detail found in few similar works for the first time. v.g. copy in d.j. $25
Raymond J. O'Brien, AMERICAN SUBLIME: Landscape and Scenery of the Lower Hudson Valley. (NY: Columbia University Press, 1981) 353 pp., index, bibliography, extensive notes, ill. with period and modern b&w photos, sketches, and drawings. a remarkably insightful study of the natural and cultural significance of the area, it's role in American history, and the roots of its preservation. a trifle fore-edge foxing, o/w v.g. copy in dark green cloth binding (slightly faded) in slightly worn d.j., signed by the author. $25
Henry S. Olcott, PEOPLE FROM THE OTHER WORLD. (Rutland, VT: Chas. Tuttle 1972) New Introduction by Terence Barrow. 492 pp., bibliography, ill. with period engravings by Alfred Kappes & T.W. Williams. The truly fascinating account of Olcott's investigations of supernatural "events" that occurred in Chittenden, Vermont in 1874, originally issued in New York newspapers. v.g. copy in d.j. $20
John McAuley Palmer, GENERAL VON STEUBEN. (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1937) 343 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with a frontis portrait and a few fold-out maps. The extremely scarce original edition of the standard biography of the Prussian immigrant General whose service was so valuable in the Revolutionary War. neat ink stamp on front end-paper, o/w an unusually clean, right copy in steel blue cloth binding with gilt decoration. $50
Victor Hugo Paltsits [Editor], MINUTES OF THE COMMISSIONERS FOR DETECTING AND DEFEATING CONSPIRACIES IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK: ALBANY COUNTY SESSIONS, 1778-1781. (Albany, NY: State Historian's Office, 1909-1910) 3 volumes, 836, 268 pp., index (the entire Volume III) ill. with a few b&w reproductions of pages from the original manuscript volumes. An in-depth Introduction precedes a meticulous transcription of this important Revolutionary Era record, documenting the efforts of New York provincial Government in dealing with Loyalists, British spies, and others opposed to the war effort. a little cover soling, spotting, and hinge weakening, but in general a v.g. clean, tight set in light brown cloth bindings. $35
Victor Hugo Paltsits [Editor], MINUTES OF THE
COMMISSIONERS FOR DETECTING AND DEFEATING CONSPIRACIES IN THE STATE OF
Joan Pappas & A. Harold Kendal, HAMPSHIRE POTTERY, Manufactured by J.S. Taft & Company, Keene, New Hampshire. (Manchester, VT: Frank Forward, 1971) spiral bound, unpaginated [ca. 45 pp.], filled with color photos of pottery and a few historic b&w photos of the pottery works. One f the few works on the pottery which began as a stoneware pottery in 1871 and later created some of the finest Majolica and art pottery of its era until it closed in 1923. small spot on bottom of front cover, o/w a v.g. copy of a very scarce work. $20
Hershel Parker [Editor], GANSEVOORT MELVILLE'S 1846 LONDON JOURNAL, and Letters from London, 1845. (NY: New York Public Library, 1966) 74 pp., index, appendix, ill. in b&w with a portrait and sample journal page. Gansevoort Melville (1816-1846) was an accomplished diplomat as well a Herman Melville's older brother. v.g. copy of a quality softbound publication. $5
Hershel Parker, HERMAN MELVILLE: A BIOGRAPHY, VOL. I, 1819-1851. (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996) 941 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with old b&w photos and other images. The most complete and definitive Melville biography issued to date; this volume, ending with the publication of Moby Dick, was issued separately from Volume II, which covers his later years. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Hershel Parker, HERMAN MELVILLE: A BIOGRAPHY, VOL. I, 1819-1851. (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996) 941 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with old b&w photos and other images. The most complete and definitive Melville biography issued to date; this volume, ending with the publication of Moby Dick, was issued separately from Volume II, which covers his later years. v.g. copy in d.j., nicely inscribed to "Helen Plunkett, intrepid garret-climber," at Pittsfield Mass., "17 April '97." The author and Ms. Plunkett had been exploring the attic of Broadhall, the former residence of Melville's Uncle, Thomas, and now the Pittsfield Country Club. $25
Anthony Peluso Jr., THE BARD BROTHERS: Painting America Under Steam and Sale. (Harry N. Abrams/The Maritime Museum, 1997) large oblong format octavo, 175 pp., index, appendices, list of known paintings, ill. with 110 color and b&w reproductions of paintings and drawings. a definite work on John and James Bard and their detailed renderings of steamboats and sailboats that plied the Hudson River in the 19th century. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Don & Mary Perkins [and others], BARBER SHOP COLLECTIBLES. (Gas City, IN: L-W Book Sales, 1996) quarto, 399 pp., price list, profusely ill. with b&w and color plates, many from trade catalogs. far less common than most works of this genre, this is an amazing compendium on the subject. b.g. copy in pictorial boards. $15
Mark Perry, GRANT AND TWAIN: The Story of a Friendship That Changed America. (NY: Random House, 2004) 294 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with b&w photos and engravings. This well written work, despite its biases and embellishments, tells the story of his Samuel Clemens (for better or worse) published Grant's famous memoirs, written while the former President was near death from throat cancer. If the less flamboyant and persuasive Robert U. Johnson of the Century Magazine had published them instead, who knows what would have resulted? near fine copy in d.j. $5
Thomas M. Pitkin, THE CAPTAIN DEPARTS: Ulysses S. Grant's Last Campaign. (Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1973) Foreword by John Y. Simon. 164 pp., index, notes, annotated bibliography, a few b&w period ills. The best work by far on the final years of Grant's life, covering his financial failure, his career as an unwilling writer, and his tragic terminal illness. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Frederick J. Pohl, THE VIKING SETTLEMENTS OF NORTH AMERICA. (NY: Clarkson N. Potter, 1972) Foreword by Alan Villiers. 339 pp., index, bibliography, appendices, ill. with 60 b&w line drawings and maps. A definitive yet highly readable and eye-opening work on all aspects of Viking exploration. v.g. copy in slightly torn d.j., with publisher's review information included. $20
William Potter, MELVILLE'S CLAREL AND THE INTERSYMPATHY OF CREEDS. (Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 2004) 230 pp., index, bibliography, notes. The first critical work to clearly relate themes in Melville's other works to this epic poem. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Arthur
Pound, JOHNSON OF THE MOHAWKS. (NY:
Macmillan, 1930) In Collaboration
with Richard E. Day. 556 pp., index,
bibliography, notes, ill. with b&w plates, maps on end-papers.
An older but still dependable work on the remarkable Colonial Indian
agent of
Ron Powers,
WHITE TOWN DROWSING: Journeys to Hannibal. (Boston:
Atlantic Monthly Press, 1987) first
edition. 313 pp.
The fascinating account of the current problems faced by the small river
town in Missouri made famous as the home of Mark Twain.
v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j., inscribed by the author.
$2
Beatrice Farnsworth Powers & Olive Floyd, EARLY AMERICAN DECORATED TINWARE, With Designs and Practical Directions. (NY: Hastings House, 1957) quarto, 267 pp., index, bibliography, appendices, ill. with hundreds of b&w photos. the first serious study of American decorative tinware. v.g. copy in torn d.j. $20
Richard Cullen Rath, HOW EARLY AMERICA SOUNDED. (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2003) index, Notes, appendices, ill. with period b&w plates. A truly fascinating study on sound was used by Native Americans, Caucasian and African American immigrants. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
M. Charles Rebert, AMERICAN MAJOLICA, 1850-1900. (Des Moines, IO: Wallace Homestead, 1981) quarto, 87 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with many color & b&w photos and reproductions of pottery marks. The best work on the subject, covering the remarkable and under-appreciated work of the famous Hampshire, Phoenixville, and Chesapeake potteries, among others. a tight ex-library copy with the usual markings in colorful pictorial boards. $20
W. Max Reid, OLD FORT JOHNSON. (NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1906) 240+ [[., index, t.e.g., ill. with b&w photos by John Arthur Meany. Still a fascinating compilation of history and lore associated with the Mohawk Valley during the French and Indians Wars and the American Revolution. Fort Johnson, in the Town of Amsterdam, N.Y., was built in 1749 by Sir William Johnson, and is now a public museum. front end-papers darkened, early owner's bookplate, very slight cover wear, o/w a v.g., clean, tight copy in dark red cloth binding with gilt decoration and a mounted photo on the front cover. $35
Tyler Resch [Editor and Compiler], THE SHIRES OF BENNINGTON: A Sampler of Green Mountain Heritage. (Bennington, VT: The Bennington Museum, 1973) quarto, 200 pp., index, filled with hundreds of old photos, maps, etc. A Bicentennial history of Bennington County, far better than most works of this genre, filled with interesting history from Colonial times to the early 20th century. paper a bit darkened, minor corner wear, o/w a v.g. copy of a quality softbound perfect bound work. $10
Donald C. Ringwald, HUDSON RIVER DAY LINE: The Story of a Great American steamboat company. (Berkeley, CA: Howell-North, 1965) quarto, 228 pp., indices, well ill. with 260 historic b&w photos, engravings, and maps. decorative end-papers. The original edition of the seminal work on these famous passenger steamships that traveled the Hudson River. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $25
Gwilym R. Roberts, NEW LIVES IN THE VALLEY: Slate Quarries and Quarry Villages in North Wales, New York, and Vermont, 1850-1920. (Somersworth, NH; New Hampshire Printers, 2000 [1998]) 470 pp., index, extensive bibliography and notes, ill. with historic b&w photos. The first detailed study of an important American industry centered in Washington County, New York and adjoining Rutland County, Vermont. a v.g. copy in d.j. $35
Laurie Robertson-Lorant, MELVILLE: A BIOGRAPHY. (NY: Clarkson Potter Publishers, 1996) 710 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with old b&w photos and other images and a genealogy chart. One of the best comprehensive and most accurate Melville biographies to be issued in some time. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Douglas Robillard, MELVILLE AND THE VISUAL ARTS: Ionian Form, Venetian Art. (Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1995) 205 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with a few b&w plates. an excellent readable and scholarly study of fine arts and sculpture as they appear in Melville's works. v.g. copy in d.j. $3
Carl Rollyson & Lisa Paddock, HERMAN MELVILLE: A TO Z: The Essential Reference to His Life and Work. (NY: Checkmark Books, 2001) quarto, 261 p., index, extensive bibliography, categorical index, genealogy chart, ill. with some b&w photos and engravings. An excellent up-to-date and accurate reference guide with over 800 cross-indexed references; the best Melville dictionary issued to date. v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $5
Edward H. Rosenberry, MELVILLE AND THE COMIC SPIRIT. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1955) 211 pp., index, bibliography, notes. Still the best work to study Melville's use of humor and depiction of the comic in his works. owner's name, o/w a v.g. copy in plum cloth binding. $5
Rev. James H. Ross, A MARTYR OF TO-DAY: THE LIFE OF ROBERT ROSS, Sacrificed to Municipal Misrule, A Story of Patriotism, Calling for Municipal Reform. (Boston: James H. Earle, 1894) 180 pp., ill. with a few b&w photos. The amazing story of political corruption, election fraud, religious hatred, and a brutal murder in late the 19th industrial century city of Troy, New York. The bigotry expressed in the book amazes the civilized reader. period owner's name, o/w a v.g., clean, tight copy in pictorial brown cloth binding with gilt decoration. $50
Martin Roth, COMEDY AND AMERICA: The Lost World of Washington Irving. (Port Washington, NY: Kennikat Press, 1976) 205 pp., index, notes. An interesting study of Irving's limited success at establishing a tradition of comic literature in America where none existed. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
David Russo, AMERICAN TOWNS: AN INTERPRETIVE HISTORY. (Chicago: Ivan Dee, 2001) 350 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with a few maps and b&w copies of historic photos. a remarkably lucid and highly readable study of the development of towns in different parts of rural America from the 17th through the 19th centuries. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $4
Paul Sarnoff, RUSSELL SAGE: THE MONEY KING. The Man Who Banked the Tycoons. (NY: Ivan Obolensky, Inc., 1965) 397 pp., index, bibliography, some b&w ills. The truly fascinating story of the life of one of the wealthiest and most powerful figures of the late 19th century; the extent of Sage's shrewd financial dealings and his calculated "penny pinching" were truly beyond belief. v.g. copy in torn d.j. $10
Marvin D. Schwartz & Robert E. DiBartolomeo [Editors], AMERICAN GLASS: From the Pages of Antiques [Magazine]. (NY: Weathervane Books, 1974) quarto, 221, 216 pp., ill. with many b&w photographic plates. A two-part work covering blown and molded, then pressed and cut glass. The facsimiles of articles from Antiques date from 1922 to 1972, and were written by a number of experts in the field. Back in these years the magazine was not a "coffee-table" publication for the prominent and affluent, but rather a showcased important art and antiques and purchased ground-breaking research. v.g. copy in torn d.j. $15
Marvin
D. Schwartz & Richard Wolfe, A HISTORY OF AMERICAN ART PORCELAIN.
(NY: Renaissance Editions, 1967) quarto,
93 pp., bibliography, ill. with 74 color and b&w plates.
an excellent overview of the subject which has become fairly scarce.
a v.g. copy in slightly torn d.j. $15
Seymour I. Schwartz, THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 1754-1763: The Imperial Struggle for North America. (Edison, NJ: Castle Books, 1994) oblong large format octavo, 177 pp., index, well ill. with period maps and engravings and very well produced modern location maps. an interesting study of the French and Indian War based to a great extent on maps and other original source materials. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Seymour I. Schwartz, THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 1754-1763: The Imperial Struggle for North America. (Edison, NJ: Castle Books, 1994) oblong large format octavo, 177 pp., index, well ill. with period maps and engravings and very well produced modern location maps. an interesting study of the French and Indian War based to a great extent on maps and other original source materials. v.g. copy in slightly worn, slightly torn d.j. $10
Eric B. Schultz & Michael J. Tougias, KING PHILIP'S WAR: The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict. (Woodstock, VT: Countryman Press, 2000 [1999]) 416 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with b&w contemporary photos and reproductions of a selection of old engravings. The Wampanoag chief, Metacom (usually known as Metacomet or King Philip) was the first Native American leader to organize tribes against the abuses of English settlers, and led a brilliant campaign from 1675 until his death two years later. Philip, respected by his adversaries for his cunning and bravery, has become the subject of many popular literary works ever since. This is by far the best account if his life and career to date. v.g. copy of the quality softbound edition, signed by the author, Tougias. $10
Merton M. Sealts Jr., THE EARLY LIVES OF MELVILLE: Nineteenth-Century Biographical Sketches and their Authors. (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1974) 280 pp., index, appendices, chronology. This very useful reference work covers all sketches of Melville's life and literary career published between 1852 and 1890 and reproduces their text in their entirety. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
James Everett Seaver, A NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF MARY JEMISON, WHITE WOMAN OF THE GENESEE. (NY: American Scenic & Historic Preservation Society, 1942 [1932]) Revised by Charles Delamater Vail and with contributions by Ebenezer Mix, Lewis Henry Morgan, William Clement Bryant and William Pryor Letchworth. 459 pp., t.e.g., index, useful appendices, ill. with b&w photos and drawings. Mary Jemison (1743-1833) was the subject of what would become one of the most famous captivity narratives. Kidnapped in 1758 in central Pennsylvania, Mary was adopted by the Senecas and lived much of her later life in the Genesee Valley of New York State. She firs married a Delaware warrior named Sheninjee, and then the famous Seneca war chief, Hiokatoo. She became quickly accustomed to the Seneca culture and lived with the Senecas willingly for the remainder of her life. The non-fictional captivity narrative was first issued in 1824 by James Seaver, a western New York doctor and editor. The narrative was greatly embellished, and scholars have been intrigued with how much of the narrative represents fact and how much was Seaver's creation, and has appeared in more than twenty editions, and was immensely popular since its first issuance. Her story differed from most other captivity narratives because of her kind treatment by the Indians and willing acceptance of their culture. It also provides a sympathetic view of Native American women and chronicled alcoholism, loss of self-esteem and other problems faced by the Senecas following the American Revolution. owner's name, o/w a v.g. copy in blue cloth binding with gilt decoration in worn but uncommon d.j. $25
James Everett Seaver, A NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF MARY JEMISON, WHITE WOMAN OF THE GENESEE. (NY: American Scenic & Historic Preservation Society, 1942 [1932]) Revised by Charles Delamater Vail and with contributions by Ebenezer Mix, Lewis Henry Morgan, William Clement Bryant and William Pryor Letchworth. 459 pp., t.e.g., index, useful appendices, ill. with b&w photos and drawings. Mary Jemison (1743-1833) was the subject of what would become one of the most famous captivity narratives. Kidnapped in 1758 in central Pennsylvania, Mary was adopted by the Senecas and lived much of her later life in the Genesee Valley of New York State. She firs married a Delaware warrior named Sheninjee, and then the famous Seneca war chief, Hiokatoo. She became quickly accustomed to the Seneca culture and lived with the Senecas willingly for the remainder of her life. The non-fictional captivity narrative was first issued in 1824 by James Seaver, a western New York doctor and editor. The narrative was greatly embellished, and scholars have been intrigued with how much of the narrative represents fact and how much was Seaver's creation, and has appeared in more than twenty editions, and was immensely popular since its first issuance. Her story differed from most other captivity narratives because of her kind treatment by the Indians and willing acceptance of their culture. It also provides a sympathetic view of Native American women and chronicled alcoholism, loss of self-esteem and other problems faced by the Senecas following the American Revolution. a v.g. copy in blue cloth binding with gilt decoration. $25
Paul Semonin, AMERICAN MONSTER: How the Nation's First Prehistoric Creature Became a Symbol of National Identity. (NY: New York University Press, 2000) 486 pp., index, bibliography, notes, afterword, ill. with interesting period b&w images. The fascinating story of the discovery of mastodon and dinosaur remains in the east in the 18th Century, the excitement and speculation these discoveries created, and how these unknown creatures rose to mythical proportions. Two of the most important of these finds were in the Hudson River valley. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Timothy J. Shannon, INDIANS AND COLONISTS AT THE CROSSROADS OF EMPIRE: THE ALBANY CONGRESS OF 1754. (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2000) 268 pp., index, bibliography, appendix, ill. with a few maps and period engravings. On the eve of the French and Indian "Seven Years" War, the British Colonial government convened the Iroquois to ensure their alliances and present them with the so-called "Albany Plan;" a forgotten but important event in American Colonial history. v.g. copy in d.j. $25
Timothy
J. Shannon, IROQUOIS DIPLOMACY ON THE EARLY AMERICAN FRONTIER.
(NY: Viking, 2008) 260 pp.,
index, glossary, notes. an excellent recent overview of the sophisticated
political activities of the Iroquois in Colonial New York.
v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Robert B. Shaw, HISTORY OF THE COMSTOCK PATENT MEDICINE BUSINESS, and Dr. Morse's Indian Root Pills. (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1972) Studies in History & Technology No. 22. quarto, 49 pp., ill. in b&w with historic photos and copies of documents. a scarce and fascinating publication on one of America's most famous patent medicine companies, located n the small town of Morristown, New York, along the St. Lawrence River. v.g. copy in stapled wraps of the quality original edition. We do not sell photocopies, scanned reproductions, or on-demand reprints. $20
Carol Sheriff, THE ARTIFICIAL RIVER: The Erie Canal and the Paradox of Progress, 1817-1862. (NY: Hill & Wang, 1996) 250 pp., index, bibliography, notes, a few b&w ills. in the text. An excellent study of the most important artificial waterway of early American, that dramatically changed the nation's economy. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
DeCost Smith,
MARTYRS OF THE OBLONG AND LITTLE NINE. (Caldwell,
ID: Caxton Printers, 1948) limited
edition of 1000 numbered copies. 310
pp., index, notes, ill. with b&w photos.
The truly fascinating and tragic story of Mohican Indians from Dutchess
County, New York, who removed to Pennsylvania with Moravian missionaries, and
along with Delaware and Lenape Indians suffered continuing persecution up to the
War of 1812. fine copy (showing no
use) in original burgundy cloth in slightly worn d.j.
$15
H.P. Smith [Editor], HISTORY OF
Joseph Smith, REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. Or Twelve Seasons at the "States." (NY: The Knickerbocker Press, 1897) 326 pp., index, t.e.g., ill. mostly with b&w portraits. A fascinating account if all the famous and infamous people who summered at Saratoga Springs in the Victorian era. v.g., clean, tight copy in burgundy cloth binding with gilt decoration. $25
William V. Spanos, THE ERRANT ART OF MOBY DICK: The Canon, the Cold War, and the Struggle for American Studies. (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1995) 394+ pp., index, bibliography, notes. An interesting collection of essays on various aspects of Melville's great novel and the study of the novel by scholars. The author, largely unsuccessfully, even attempts to relate the "lessons" of the classic epic directly to the Vietnam War and problems faced by 20th century America. v.g. copy in blue cloth binding. $15
John Spargo, THE STORY OF DAVID REDDING, Queen;s Ranger, Who Was Hanged in Bennington, Vermont, June 11, 1778, A Historical Reconstruction. (Bennington, VT: The Bennington Museum, 1945) first edition. 68 pp., notes, a few b&w ills. The fascinating account of a Loyalist who was hung for treason, and whose bones were stored in the museum as if they were artifacts, rather than human remains, for years. v.g. copy in perfect bound wraps. $10
Elizabeth [George] Speare, THE PROSPERING. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1969) 2nd printing. 368 pp. a wonderfully sensitive and historical accurate novel set in Stockbridge, Massachusetts in the 1740s and 1750s. The heroine, young Elizabeth Williams, is befriended by the missionary, Rev. David Brainard, and by her neighbors, the Stockbridge Mohican Indians. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $10
Ian K. Steele, WARPATHS: Invasions of North America. (NY: Oxford University Press, 1994) 282 pp., index, notes, a few b&w ills. a very useful study of various European incursions against North American native peoples from 1513 through the 1760s. v.g. copy in d.j. $5
Geoffrey Stone, MELVILLE. (NY: Sheed & Ward, 1949) 336 pp., index, bibliography. A volume in the "Great Writers of Our World" series, this interpretive biography is very well composed given the lack of information on Melville available at that date. v.g. copy on slightly worn d.j. $8
William Leete Stone, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SA-GO-YE-WAT-HA, OR RED JACKET, With a Memoir of the Author by His Son. (Albany, NY: J. Munsell, 1866) revised edition, including valuable appendices. 509 pp., index, ill. with 2 steel engraved portraits. The important revised edition produced by his son of the same name. William Leete Stone Sr. (1792-1844) was an important author and historian, the first to author significant biographies of the two great Iroquois leaders, Joseph Brant and Red Jacket. This copy is inscribed by his brother, author Edwin M. Stone (1805-1883), to Arthur G. Whittemore (a civic leader in Dover, N.H.) in 1882. large octavo format in green cloth with golt lettering, a little wear at edges and corners, foxing towards extremities, a little damp-stain on top of a few leaves, but in general a v.g., clean, tight copy of a scarce and desirable work. $150
Diana & J. Garrison Stradling [Editors], THE ART OF THE POTTER: REDWARE AND STONEWARE. (NY: Main Street/Universe Books, 1977) quarto, 160 pp., index, b&w plates as in the original articles. a valuable compilation of articles on American ceramics from the Magazine Antiques published between 1922 and 1974. v.g. copy of a quality softbound publication, nicely inscribed by the authors. $20
Erika S. Svendsen & Lindsay G. Campbell, LAND‑MARKINGS: 12 JOURNEYS THROUGH 9/11 LIVING MEMORIALS. (Newton Square, PA: U.S. Forest Service, 2006) large format oblong octavo, 48 pp., ill. with color photos and maps. A very rare account of a journey to more than 700 living memorials to the September 11, 2001 tragedy. v.g. copy in perfect bound wraps. $25
Brian Swann [Editor], ON THE TRANSLATION OF NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURES. (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992) large format octavo, 478 pp., index, notes, appendices. 23 scholars present significant contributions on the subject. fine copy in d.j. $15
Brian Swann [Editor], ON THE TRANSLATION OF NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURES. (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992) large format octavo, 478 pp., index, notes, appendices. 23 scholars present significant contributions on the subject. v.g. copy of the quality softbound edition $7
Grace Maguire Swanner, SARATOGA, QUEEN OF SPAS. (Utica, NY: North Country Books, 1988) large format octavo, 304 pp., index, appendix, ill. with b&w copies of old photos and engravings. The most complete study of the springs, spas, and baths that first made Saratoga Springs, New York, a renowned tourist mecca. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $15
Elisabeth Tooker [Editor and compiler], LEWIS H. MORGAN ON IROQUOIS MATERIAL CULTURE. (Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press, 1994) 325 pp., index, bibliography, notes, appendices as in the original works. ill. with finely reproduced color plates and b&w plates from Morgan's original reports submitted by Morgan to the State of New York along with a fabulous collection of Indian artifacts donated to the State Museum. A detailed account of the wonderful story of Morgan's work on preserving Iroquois culture and folkways. v.g. copy in d.j. $25
Alan Trachtenberg, SHADES OF HIAWATHA: Staging Indians, Making Americans, 1880-1930. (NY: Hill & Wang, 2004) 369 pp., index, bibliography, notes, a few b&w ills. The author traces the changing image of the American Indian in popular culture, through the past century when mimicking Native ways achieved a strange popularity. v.g. copy in d.j. $5
Berry B. Tracy [with Mary Black], FEDERAL FURNITURE AND DECORATIVE ARTS AT BOSCOBEL. (NY: Harry N. Abrams, 2001) small square folio, 165 pp., index, notes, ill. with beautiful color photos of the collection of the Federal period mansion overlooking the Hudson River in Garrison, NY. very good copy in stiff decorative wraps. $10
Salvatore Michael Trento, THE SEARCH FOR LOST AMERICA: The Mysteries of the Stone Ruins. (Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1978) 284 pp., index, bibliography, notes, appendices, well ill. with many b&w plates. One of the first serious modern studies of stone structures and carvings in the eastern United States. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Roland Van Zandt, THE CATSKILL MOUNTAIN HOUSE: The Birth, Glory,a nd Death of the Great Hudson Valley Hotel Which Symbolized the American Romantic Era. (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1966) 2nd printing of 1st edition, 416 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with period and modern b&w plates, reproduction of paintings in color, and map. Dating from 1823, this world-famous hotel was destroyed by the State of New York in 1963 after it had fallen into ruin. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j., nicely inscribed by the author to a descendent of an owner. $25
Virginia Vidler, AMERICAN INDIAN ANTIQUES: Art and Artifacts of the Northeast, 1760-1920 (S. Brunswick, NJ: Barnes, 1976) quarto, 156 pp., index, ill. with excellent b&w photos. While intended for the collector, this book is very useful Native artifacts of various eras, mostly Iroquois. The author was Town Historian in East Aurora, New York. v.g. copy in colorful torn d.j. $10
Anthony F.C. Wallace, THE DEATH AND REBIRTH OF THE SENECA. (NY: Knopf, 1973) With the Assistance of Sheila C. Steen. 384, xi pp., index, bibliography, ill. with period b&w plates, mainly portraits. The definitive history of the Seneca Nation, with particularly useful coverage of the years after the American Revolution. Much space is devoted to their cultural revival fostered by the visionary Handsome Lake. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Anthony F.C. Wallace, THE DEATH AND
REBIRTH OF THE SENECA. (NY: Knopf,
1973) With the Assistance of Sheila
C. Steen. 384, xi pp., index,
bibliography, ill. with period b&w plates, mainly portraits.
The definitive history of the Seneca Nation, with particularly useful
coverage of the years after the American Revolution.
Much space is devoted to their cultural revival fostered by the visionary
Donald Blake Webster, DECORATED STONEWARE POTTERY OF NORTH AMERICA. (Rutland, VT: Tuttle Publishers, 1980 [1971]) quarto, 232 pp., index, bibliography, appendix, ill. with excellent b&w photos. An important work that helped popularize blue decorated stoneware during the era when the famous stoneware actions began in the northeastern United States. v.g. copy in d.j. $50
Donald Blake Webster, DECORATED STONEWARE POTTERY OF NORTH AMERICA. (Rutland, VT: Tuttle Publishers, 1971) quarto, 232 pp., index, bibliography, appendix, ill. with excellent b&w photos. An important work that helped popularize blue decorated stoneware during the era when the famous stoneware actions began in the northeastern United States. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $40
Ruth Irwin Weidner, AMERICAN CERAMICS BEFORE 1930: A BIBLIOGRAPHY. (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1982) 279 pp., author and subject indices. a very valuable work that has not been duplicated, comprising Art Reference Collection, No. 2. fine copy in plum cloth binding (no d.j. was issued) $20
Arthur James Weise, HISTORY OF THE SEVENTEEN TOWNS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY, from the Colonization of the Manor of Rensselaerwyck to the Present Time. (Troy, NY: Rensselaer Country Bicentennial Commission, 1975 [1880]) quarto, 158 pp., index. A scarce and informative comprehensive county history, the original edition of which is very scarce. inside of rear covered darkened, minor cover soiling, o/w a v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $25
Barry Werth, THE SCARLET PROFESSOR. Newton Arvin: A Literary Life Shattered By Scandal. (NY: Nan A. Talese, 2001) 325 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with a few b&w photos and a frontis portrait. An excellent study of the life and career of a important early literary critic whose world was destroyed first by his Communist sympathies and then by the revelation of homosexuality. v.g. copy in d.j. $4
Glenn
F. Williams, THE YEAR OF THE HANGMAN: George Washington's Campaign Against The
Iroquois. (
Kenneth M. Wilson, NEW ENGLAND GLASS AND GLASSMAKING. (NY: Thomas Crowell, 1972) large format octavo, 401 pp., index, list of makers, ill. with many b&w plates. An excellent reference work sponsored by Old Sturbridge Village. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $10
Anthony
Wonderley, AT THE FONT OF THE MARVELOUS: Exploring Oral Narrative and Mythic
Imagery of the Iroquois and Their Neighbors.
(Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2009)
188 pp., index, extensive bibliography, a few b&w ills. of vessels
and pipes. a very important new work
on Iroquois folklore and mythology and their sources.
v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Irwin Yellowitz, LABOR AND THE
PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT IN
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