AMERICANA TITLES, INCLUDING NEW YORK
STATE HISTORY, LITERATURE AND
NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES
(updated Nov. 9,
2008)
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
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
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. $12
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. $45
[anon], WATERFORD TO WHITEHALL: A Pictorial Journey Along the Champlain Division of the New York State Barge Canal During its Construction. (Waterford, NY: Waterford Historical Museum & Cultural Center, 1968) large format oblong octavo, 28 pp., ill. in b&w with early canal construction photos, maps and very attractive drawings on the covers. A scarce and uncommonly well produced work on the history of the Champlain Canal we know today dating from the early 1900s, and containing excellent construction photos not found in other works. v.g. copy in original wraps. $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. $50
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, 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). $25
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
Richard Carter Barrett, BENNINGTON POTTERY AND PORCELAIN. (NY: Bonanza, 1958) 342 [6] pp., index, appendix, ill. with 7 color and 450 b&w photographic plates. The classic work that illustrated more Rockingham and Flint Enamel pottery made at Bennington than in any other work. v.g. copy in slightly torn d.j., nicely inscribed by the author. $15
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. $25
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
Arnold Hill Bellows, THE LEGEND OF UTSAYANTHA, AND OTHER FOLK-LORE OF THE CATSKILLS. (Margaretville, NY: Catskill Mountain Press, 1945) 118 pp., useful glossary of Native American names, ill. with charming drawings by Lamont A. Warner. attractively illustrated small volume containing a number of 30 interesting poems dealing with folklore concerning the Mohicans who has resided in this part of the Catskills. Utsayantha was a legendary Mohican princess who lived along the lake near Stamford now bearing her name. In what he calls "a judicious combination of myth and history" in his Foreword, the author presents a commendably accurate rendering of Native American folklore accomplished by few other authors. a v.g. copy in pictorial paper wraps imitating leather (worn at edges), signed by the author. $25
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
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. $35
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. $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
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
Leo Bonfanti, BIOGRAPHIES AND LEGENDS OF NEW ENGLAND INDIANS, VOLS. I & II. (Wakefield, MA: Pride Publications, 1968, 1970) 55, 78 pp., ill. with attractive drawings by Robert Neary. very well written brief historical sketches sin New England's Native Americans in Colonial times. v.g. copies in stapled wraps. $5
Harold Bloom [Editor], HERMAN MELVILLE'S MOBY-DICK. (NY & Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1986) 151 pp., index, bibliography, notes, chronology. 8 imaginative essays shed new light on Melville's monumental novel. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
Lynn A. Bonfield & Mary C. Morrison, ROXANA'S CHILDREN: The Biography of a Nineteenth-Century Vermont Family. (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 1995) 267 pp., index, bibliography, extensive notes, ill. with a few b&w historical photos. In an excellent work in a fairly recent genre of scholarly yet readable family histories, the authors present the lives of their ancestors in rural northeastern Vermont. v.g. copy in d.j. $5
Thomas Borneman, THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR: Deciding the Fate of north America. (NY: Harper Collins, 2006) 360 pp., index, bibliography, notes. Diving 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
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. $7
Baker Brownell, THE HUMAN COMMUNITY: Its Philosophy and Practice for a Time of Crisis. (NY: Harper & Brothers, 1950) 305 pp., index. A landmark work defining the importance of the community in an increasingly impersonal society. owner's name, endpapers slightly darkened, o/w a v.g. copy in black cloth binding. $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
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
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. $25
Richard Chase, HERMAN MELVILLE: A Critical Study. (NY: Macmillan Co., 1949) 305 pp., index. Still one of the better critical studies of Melville from these early years, Chase made many important observations. end-papers darkened, covers a little spotted, o/w a v.g. copy in worn, faded d.j., inscribed by the author. $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
George E. Condon, STARS IN THE WATER: The Story of the Erie Canal. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1974) 338 p., index, bibliography, ill. in b&w from period sources. One of the more readable Erie Canal histories. owner's name, o/w a v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $12
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. $100
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. $15
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
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. $10
Gregory Dowd, A SPIRITED RESISTANCE: The North American Indian Struggle for Unity, 1745-1815. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992) 261 pp., index, extensive notes,, ill. with a few portraits in b&w. an excellent study of a time period after the American Revolution where Native Americans were striving to keep these lands wherever possible in the face of manifest destiny. Many books cover the "Indian wars" of this period but this work deals with the equally important negotiations and politics of the era. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
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). $25
Shirley W. Dunn, THE MOHICAN WORLD, 1680-1750. (Fleischmanns, NY: Purple Mountain Press, 2000) 375 pp., index, appendices, notes, bibliography, ill. with b&w photos, engravings, and maps. The definitive work on the middle years 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. The author's first work, The Mohicans and Their Land, covers their earlier years, while James Oberly's more recent work, A Nation of Statesmen, covers the years 1815-1972. minor cover wear, o/w a v.g. copy of the quality softbound edition (no hard cover edition was issued). $35
Terry Elton, THE JOURNEY. (Tarentum, PA: World Association Publishers, 2002) 327 pp. A noteworthy new historical novel about a mysterious murder and suicide which occurred in New York City in 1762, that presents an interesting picture of city life at that time, and particular their interaction with some Mohican Indians. The story comes to light because of a remarkable association with two modern city residents. fine copy in pictorial wraps (no hardcover edition was issued) $5
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. minor cover soiling, impression of paper clip on top of a few leaves, o/w a v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $5
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
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
Willis Gaylord & Luther Tucker [Editors], THE CULTIVATOR, A Consolidation of Buel's Cultivator and the Genesee Farmer, Designed to Improve the Soil and the Mind, and to Elevate the Character and Standing of the Cultivators of the American Soil: Volumes VII & VIII [bound as one]. (Albany, NY: Luther Tucker, 1840‑1841) quarto, 204, 200 pp., indices, ill. with a few engravings. An important American agricultural (and to some extent horticultural) monthly periodical published under various titles between 1834 and 1865. marbleized paper boards with leather b.s. (corners a little bumped) and gilt lettering in b.s., internally lightly foxed, some pencil writing on front end‑papers, essentially a v.g., clean, tight copy. $235
William F. Gekle, THE LOWER REACHES OF THE HUDSON RIVER. (Poughkeepsie, NY: Wyvern House, 1982) quarto, 103 pp., well ill. with period b&w ills. a fascinating compilation of history, scenery, and folklore of the lower Hudson River valley. one corner bent and a little cover wear, o/w a v.g. copy of a quality softbound publication. $5
David A. Gerber, THE MAKING OF AMERICAN PLURALISM: Buffalo, New York, 1825-1860. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1989) 531 pp., index, extensive notes. Drawing often on primary sources, the author explores the many factors relating to the cultural diversity of this booming industrial city during its heyday. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
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
Richard Goldhurst, MANY ARE THE HEARTS: The Agony and Triumph of Ulysses S. Grant. (NY: Reader's Digest Press/Thomas Y. Crowell, 1975) 297 pp. index, bibliographical essay, ill. with b&w photos and engravings. A highly readable biography, not always accurate in detail, but covering his last years very admirably. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Doris Kearns Goodwin, NO ORDINARY TIME: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II. (NY: Simon & Schuster, 1994) 4th printing of first edition. 759 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with b&w photos. While President Roosevelt was managing the most extensive foreign war the nation had ever become involved in, his wife Eleanor traveled around the county promoting the administration's landmark domestic programs. This remarkable and exhaustive work won the Pulitzer Prize for History the year of publication. v.g. copy in blue cloth binding in a very slightly worn d.j., inscribed on the front free end-paper in blue pen by the author to "Vi." $35
Julia Dent Grant, THE PERSONAL MEMOIRS OF JULIA DENT GRANT [Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant]. (NY: G.P. Putnams & Cons, 1975) Edited by John Y. Simon. Introduction by Bruce Catton. 34 pp., index, notes, genealogical chart. Not intended for publication, Mrs. Grant's well written and highly revealing journals tell much about her family's public and personal lives. o/w a v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $10
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
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
Craig & Mary Hanyan, DE WITT CLINTON AND THE RISE OF THE PEOPLE'S MEN. (Montreal & Kingston, Canada: McGill-Queens University Press, 1996) 419 pp., index, extensive notes, ill. with a few charts. Not well known, this is the best recent biography of New York's remarkable governor. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
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
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 slightly worn d.j. $5
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
Granville Hicks and Lynd Ward [illustrator], ONE OF US: THE STORY OF JOHN REED. (NY: Equinox Cooperative Press, 1935) unpaginated work of 60 pp. with 30 striking full page engravings by Lynd Ward. a stunningly attractive small press production on the life of an early American Communist intellectual who died tragically in Moscow in 1920. Hicks would later pen the definitive biorgaohy of Reed which has never been superseded. end-papers a trifle foxed, o/w a v.g. copy in red and black contrasting cloth binding in a striking pictorial d.j. featuring a Ward lithograph. The d.j. is somewhat sunned and is protected by the early, possibly original lamination often found with this work. Rarely is a better copy of this scarce work offered for sale. $100
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
Florence M. Hill, WEST OF PERIGO: POESTENKILL MEMORIES. (Poestenkill, NY: published by the author, 1979) limited edition of 1000 copies, this is # 594. 190 pp., list of sources, ill. with line drawings by John Dyer and a few old documents. a fascinating collection of historical stories and legends from a rural town in Rensselaer County, New York. a little cover soiling, o/w a v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $15
Charles Fenno Hoffman, WILD SCENES IN THE FOREST AND PRAIRIE. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Gregg Press, 1970 [1839]) 2 vols. bound as one, 284 pp. a quality and rather scarce hardbound reprint of an important collection of short stories dealing with Native Americans and frontier life. Some of the stories are set in the Adirondacks of New York State and others in the Great Plains. Hoffman (1806-1884), a New York author of fiction and poetry and avid student of history and folklore, deserves better recognition for his tales. Some are exciting adventures and others present a more accurate depiction of Native American life and folklore than Cooper and most other authors of his era. v.g. copy in blue cloth binding. $25
Penrose R. Hoopes, CONNECTICUT CLOCKMAKERS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. (Rutland, VT: Charles Tuttle, 1975 [1930]) 178 pp., indices, bibliography, well ill. with b&w photos. a quality reprint hardcover edition of a classic work on the subject. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
John Howat, THE HUDSON RIVER AND ITS PAINTERS. (NY: Viking Press, 1972) Preface by James Biddle. Foreword by Carl Carmer. first edition. index, selected bibliography, ill. with maps and 100 excellent color photographic reproductions of paintings. Still the best work on 19th- and 20th-century paintings of Hudson River. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j. $10
John Howat, THE HUDSON RIVER AND ITS PAINTERS. (NY: American Legacy Press, 1983 [1972]) Preface by James Biddle. Foreword by Carl Carmer. first edition. index, selected bibliography, ill. with maps and 100 excellent color photographic reproductions of paintings. Still the best work on 19th- and 20th-century paintings of Hudson River. v.g. copy in slightly worn 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 he 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. $10
Yngvar Isacsen and others, GEOLOGY OF NEW YORK: A SIMPLIFIED ACCOUNT. (Albany, NY: New York State Museum, 1991) Educational Leaflet No. 28. quarto, 283 pp., glossary, profusely ill. with b&w photos, drawings, maps, and charts. The best comprehensive work explaining the complex geology of New York State. v.g. copy in original wraps. $15
Richard Jackson [Editor & Compiler], POPULAR SONGS OF NINETEENTH CENTURY AMERICA. (NY: Dover Publications, 1976) quarto, 287 pp., bibliography, detailed notes on the music. a now scarce original work of significant scholarship reproducing in their entirely 64 popular songs along with excellent commentary. one corner of rear cover a little bent, o/w a v.g. copy in original wraps, nicely inscribed by the author. $10
Agnes Halsey Jones, REDISCOVERED PAINTERS OF UPSTATE NEW YORK, 1700-1875. (Utica, NY: Munson Williams Proctor Institute, 1958) oblong format octavo exhibition catalog in attractive pictorial wraps, 80 pp., index, bibliography, ill. with many b&w reproductions of amazing works of academic painting and folk art. an important work covering a number of artists which had not previously (and in some cases, have not since) been covered in works on American art. a fine copy of a quality softbound work. $20
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
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
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. $15
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 torn d.j. $10
William C. Ketchum Jr., POTTERY & PORCELAIN. (NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1983) tall octavo, 479 pp., ill. with useful b&w form sketches and excellent color photos by Schecter Lee. One of the earlier and better titles in the Knopf Collectors' Guides to American Antiques, which has now become rather scarce. v.g. copy in limp wraps (as issued) in d.j., signed by the author. $10
William C. Ketchum Jr., AMERICAN COUNTRY POTTERY: Yellowware and Spongeware. (NY: Alfred Knopf, 1987) large format octavo, 148 pp., index, bibliography, list of manufacturers, ill. with fine color photos. a scarce and very important work, one of the few to cover these types of pottery produced in America in the 19th and 20th centuries. v.g. copy of a quality softbound work, signed by the author. $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.
v.g. copy in slightly torn d.j. $80
William C. Ketchum Jr., A TREASURY OF AMERICAN BOTTLES. (Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill 1975) large format octavo, 224 pp., index, glossary, well ill. with color and b&w photos. an excellent overview of the subject covering glass bottles from Colonial days to the 1940s. v.g. copy in slightly worn d.j., signed by the author. $10
Hervey Keyes, THE FOREST KING; OR, THE WILD HUNTER OF THE ADACA. A TALE OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. (NY: Wheat & Cornett, 1878) 63 pp., pictorial red wraps with a scene of travellers riding through the wilderness on the front cover. Wright III: 3082a. Resembling a Dime Novel in appearance, this work was issued independently and not part of any series. The Forest King is one of the more atypical novels of this period and is considerable literary merit. The principal White characters are a White hunter name Mayall, his wife Nelly, and son Esock, who settle in the Otego Creek valley in 1774. In spite of skirmishes with ignoble savages aligned with the English and Tories, Mayall remains on friendly terms with Oneida Indians who live in the area. On one occasion, the Oneidas honor him for helping them kill a pack of killer wolves. Mayall is a Quaker, and even shows sympathy for the families of three Iroquois captors he was forced to kill in order to escape. Like Leatherstocking, Mayall flees civilization after the war and resettles his family in the wilderness along the West Canada Creek in the present Town of Russia. He again strikes up a friendship with local Indians, and his son marries a young White woman who had been living with the Indians ever since her early captivity. In The Forest King the Mayalls and their Native Americans neighbors spend the remainder of their lives in happiness in the foothills of the Adirondacks. Unlike many other works, this short novel does not dwell on the inevitable "doom" of the Indians, and in fact demonstrates that White and Native Americans can live as neighbors during peacetime. Despite its considerable merit, no other works by this author have been identified. Hervey Keyes (1803-1887) lived in Laurens, Otsego County, N.Y. a v.g. copy in stapled wraps. $20
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
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
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
Anne Kelly Lane & David McMahon, PERIL IN THE POWDER MILLS: Gunpowder and Its Men. (West Conshohocken, PA: Infinity Publishing, 2004) quarto, 111 pp., index, bibliography, glossary, ill. with b&w reproductions of old photos, engravings, and advertisements. One of the very few studies of the black powder industry in America, including famous companies such as DuPont and Hazard, and lesser known by equally important works such as in Schaghticoke, New York. v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $15
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. $15
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
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
Bruce Lessels & Norman Sims, THE DEERFIELD RIVER GUIDEBOOK. (North Amherst, MA: New England Cartographies, 1993) Includes fishing guide by Jim Dowd. 156 pp., appendices, ill. with b&w photos and excellent maps. an excellent and scarce book on one of the Northeast's premier whitewater and fishing rivers. a little edge wear, o/w a v.g. copy of a quality softbound work. $10
Philip Lord, MILLS ON THE TSATSAWASSA: A Guide for Local Historians. (Albany, NY: New York State Museum, 1983) 89 pp., ill. with many copies of early documents, old photos, and fine drawings and maps by Martha Costello. a thorough and detailed study of a 19th Century mill complex that serves as a fine example of a study of the history of industry in rural America. v.g. copy in original stapled wraps. $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
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
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
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
Sally McMurry, TRANSFORMING RURAL LIFE: Dairying families and Agricultural Change, 1820-1885. (Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press, 1995) 291+ pp., index, extensive notes, a few period b&w ills. A fascinating and very significant study conducted in Oneida County, New York. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
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. $8
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 v.g. d.j. $10
Stewart Mitchell, HORATIO SEYMOUR OF NEW YORK. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1938) 623 pp., t.e.g., index, bibliography, numerous b&w ills. including fold-out maps and a genealogy chart. Still the definitive and rather scarce biography of a 19th century Governor of New York State and an important national political figure. 2 neat ink library stamps and faint remains of a bookplate, o/w a v.g., clean, tight copy in blue cloth binding. $25
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
Jim Mullen, IT TAKES A VILLAGE IDIOT: Complicating the Simple Life. (NY: Simon & Schuster, 2001) 213+ pp. an amusing but highly revealing account of a New Yorker's very different way of life after moving to the rural Village of Delhi, New York, in the northern Catskills. v.g. copy in d.j. $1
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
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. gilt lettering worn on b.s., very minor wear at bottom of b.s., o/w a v.g. clean, tight copy in cranberry cloth with gilt lettering. $65
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. $35
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. $100
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. $6
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. II, 1851-1891. (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002) 997 pp., index, bibliography, notes, genealogy charts, appendices with extensive documentation, ill. with old b&w photos and other images. The most complete and definitive Melville biography issued to date; this scarcer volume, beginning with the publication of Moby Dick, was issued separately from Volume I, which covers his earlier years. v.g. copy in d.j. $20
Elmer R. Pearson & Julia Neal, THE SHAKER IMAGE. (Boston: NY Graphic Society, 1974) Foreword by Walter Muir Whitehall. quarto, 190 pp., bibliography, ill. with excellent reproductions of 200 historic b&w photos of Shakers and Shaker communities and their residents across America. Issued in conjunction with the Hancock, Massachusetts restored Shaker village, this is one of the best published photographic record of the Shakers to date. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Clay Perry, UNDERGROUND EMPIRE: Wonders and Tales of New York Caves. (NY: Stephen Daye Press, 1948) 221 pp., index, appendix, end-papers showing a diagram of a typical New York State cave, ill. with b&w photos. Not merely a geological correct handbook, Perry captured all the fascinating history and folklore associated with these caves, ranging from counterfeiters to the notorious murderer Oscar Beckwith, the "Cannibal of Columbia." a v.g. copy in tan cloth binding. $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. $10
James S. Pike, FIRST BLOWS OF THE CIVIL WAR: The Years of Preliminary Contact in the United States, from 1850 to 1860 . . . (NY: American News Co., n.d. [1879]) original edition. 536 pp. An important and rather scarce work on the formative years leading to the Civil War, penned by Lincoln's ambassador to the Netherlands. rear free end-paper missing, light foxing towards extremities, a little wear at top and bottom of b.s. and some cover spotting, one hinge weakening, o/w a v.g. copy in plum cloth binding with gilt and black b.s. decoration. $50
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
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
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. $25
John Ramsay, AMERICAN POTTERS AND POTTERY. (NY: Tudor Publishing Co., 1947 [1939]) 304 pp., index, extensive list of potters, ill. with 91 quality b&w photos and line drawings of pottery forms. A standard reference work that still is useful for the valuable historical information it contains. a v.g. copy in worn d.j. $10
John Resch, SUFFERING SOLDIERS: Revolutionary War Veterans, Moral Sentiment, and Political Culture in the Early Republic. (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 1999) 319 pp., index, bibliography, notes, a few b&w ills. The fascinating study of the treatment of Revolutionary War veterans by the governments and the American populace. v.g. copy in d.j. $10
Heinrich Ries, THE CLAYS OF NEW YORK: Their Properties and Uses. (Albany: University of the State of New York, 1902) a reissue of Museum Bulletin Vol. 7, no. 35. pp. [493]-944 (complete). (Bound in is the 16th Report of the State Entomologist [1900], being Museum Bulletin No. 36, bringing the total number of pages in this volume to 1063) index, ill. with 140 plates (some fold-out), map in pocket. The definitive work on clay industries including valuable information on brick works not found in any other works. a little wear to an edge of the first few leaves, but otherwise (including the plates and map) an unusually v.g., clean, tight copy in dark green cloth of a scarce work rarely found in good condition. $45
Donald C. Ringwald, HUDSON RIVER DAY LINE: The Story of a Great American steamboat company. (Bronx, NY: Fordham University Press, 1990 [1965]) quarto, 238+ pp., indices, well ill. with 260 historic b&w photos, engravings, and maps. decorative end-papers. The desirable revised edition of the seminal work on these famous passenger steamships that traveled the Hudson River. v.g. copy in d.j. $35
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. $15
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
Frank S. Robinson, MACHINE POLITICS: A Study of Albany's O'Connells. (NY: Transaction Press, 1977 [1973]) 262 pp., index, ill. with b&w photos. The definitive work on the Democratic machine that dominated the politics of Albany, N.Y. for so many years, as powerful as the party in Chicago. v.g. copy in d.j. $8
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. $7
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
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. $12
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
R.A. Scotti, SUDDEN SEA: The Great Hurricane of 1938. (Boston: Little, Brown, 2003) 239 pp., index, sources and chapter notes, ill. with maps and shocking b&w photos. Lost in the memory of most Americans was the most powerful, fasting moving, and most destructive hurricane of all that devastated New England and New York in 1938. v.g. copy in d.j. $7
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
John Seelye, MELVILLE: THE IRONIC DIAGRAM. (Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, 1970) 177 pp., index. A valuable study of the entire body of Melville's works. v.g. copy in dark gray and blue cloth binding. $5
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
Peter D. Shaver, THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC SITES IN NEW YORK STATE. (NY: Rizzoli, 1993) first edition. quarto, 248 pp., indices, appendices, ill. with b&w photos and county location maps. The scarce hardcover edition of excellent and attractively produce reference work covering all 2,926 National Register sites at the date of publication. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
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
Nate Simms, FOCUS ON THE LAND. (Troy, NY: published by the author, 2004) Foreword by James Howard Kunstler. small squarish quarto, 56 pp., ill. with wonderful color photos by the author. An excellent photographic essay on the scenic wonders of rural Rensselaer County, with timely commentary on both the landscape and threats from unwise development. fine copy of a quality softbound publication. $10
David
Charles Sloane, THE LAST GREAT NECESSITY: Cemeteries in American History.
(Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991)
large format octavo, 293 pp., index, bibliography, notes, ill. with
b&w period photos and engravings. The
best of few works on the subject and rather scarce, covering all periods of our
history to the present time. v.g.
copy in d.j. $35
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
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. v.g. copy (showing no use) in original burgundy cloth in slightly worn/torn d.j. $5
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. $20
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. $15
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
Marc Jeffrey Stern, THE POTTERY INDUSTRY OF TRENTON: A Skilled Trade in Transition, 1850‑1929. (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1994) 306 pp., indices, extensive notes. An important study of the commercial potteries of Trenton, particularly significant in its coverage of 20th century potteries, and of workers unions. v.g. copy in d.j. $15
James H. Stoller, GEOLOGICAL EXCURSIONS: A Guide to Localities in the Region of Schenectady and the Mohawk Valley and the Vicinity of Saratoga Springs. (Schenectady, NY: Union Book Co., 1932) 102 pp., bibliography, ill. with a few line drawings. An interesting account of geological "wonders" int ye Capital District Region of New York State. neat owner's name stamp and bookplate, o/w a v.g. copy in blue cloth binding with gilt lettering. $10
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
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
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
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
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