Rare Books Blog by Calix Books

Rare Ephemera US Navy Marblehead 1795

Some of the more interesting and small one of a kind items that we often find on our hunting in New England are the rare ephemera for local New England history that we occasionally find. This little gem was purchased from the previous owners of the bookstore in Marblehead called "Much Ado" the bookstore is still there but with new owners and is named after the Shakespeare play. When we first bought this little piece of Marblehead history, we thought that perhaps it was about a boat 'race' and the owners of Much Ado, described it as such. However, after some research we found that the word 'Prize' had nothing whatsoever to do with a race but rather the capture of a foreign ship and the selling of its contents. The Prize was then divided up amongst the Captain, crew and the other commanders. Brigadier General John Glover was the commander of the entire Continental Navy and also the Army forces for Rhode Island during the Revolutionary War. He was a long time resident of Marblehead and much loved the town. He actually lived in a house in or near Vinnin Square that borders on three towns, Marblehead, Lynn and Swampscott. His house or the main 'farm' house was expanded and built upon through the years and was at one time a famous North Shore restaurant owned and operated by the now deceased, Anthony Athanas (1911-2005). It is now closed but was called the General Glover House. It had great food and the best pop-overs (a New England and English treat).

The Betsey was a fishing schooner captured under the command of at that time of Colonel (or Commander of the Continential Navy) John Glover, later to become Brigadier General (in the Army and the Navy) the Navy was based out of Marblehead, Massachusetts. The folks in Beverly argue that they are the home of the Navy but we all don't believe them. John Glover was in command of the early U.S. Navy. Colonel (or Commander) Glover, acting on behalf of General George Washington, chartered the schooner Two Brothers, renamed the Lee and placed at its command Captain David Waters who in 1777 captured the sloop on May 3 and sent her to Marblehead Massachusetts.

This item is a 'Net Prize' note to General Glover (known as the 'Greate General' in Marblehead) the amount of two pounds eight shillings dated may 7th, 1795. Prizes were often allocated to the commanding generals as part of their portion of the capture and sale of a foreign ship or its contents, which were sometimes removed and the ship set free or sunk. Although the war was over, there were during this time, much 'Prize' capturing of ships by the British, French and the Americans (this was during the great struggle between England and France following the Revolutionary War in which the United States under President George Washington tried to remain neutral). The Betsey was obviously involved in one of those seizures, brought the booty to Marblehead and the contents were auctioned off to the highest bidder and the proceeds distributed. In this case the Betsey had been so named on our note as was the Greate General. Brigadier General John Glover died in 1797.

Description: Single sheet 5-3/4 by 7 inches with tears and holes but oddly enough not affecting hand text. Author of the document is unknown and reverse has tape to hold the item together. A terrific piece of Americana Navy! Extremely rare and important item. It's up for auction now at our favorite spot, eBay! There is NO RESERVE on this important and one of a kind item. Just click on the picture or the word eBay to take you there!

1655 Rare Ephemera Kenebec Land Deed Native Americans

Rare Native American land deeds, even such as this one, copied around 1711 by the grand son, Josiah Cotton (1680-1756) of John Cotton (1585-1652) who was one of the Massachusetts Bay Colony founders. This particular deed lays out the territory that was purchased from the original founders because of constant encroachment, tribal wars and other more difficult matters to "Antipas Boies, Edward Tyng, Thomas Brattle and John Winslow of the Four of Boston in the County of Suffolk in the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts in New England in America". Truly a rare ephemera item sold only on eBay auction: Click the image or the eBay icon to bid!

The territory was about 1,500,000 acres of land and is bordered by rivers, most notably, the Kennebec River. Since the Cotton's had access to most of the records kept during the early days of the founding of our country, this particular 'copy' was made by Josiah Cotton when he was a 'registrar' for the Plymouth county and it is so noted in his history. He had taught many times amongst the Native American peoples, both religion as well as other matters of society, government and laws. During this time, the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the Massachusetts Bay Colony were based upon English law. This copied document is a very rare item, finding its way to an auction, where we purchased it. The document is laid on watermarked paper and although toned, stained and with minor creases, tears and other usual annomalies, it is undoubtedly one of the rarest of ephemera items we have had in our inventory.

“1655 Prence (Presence) God 

A Deed appointed to be recorded. 

This indenture of the twenty seventh day of October Anno Donal One thousand six hundred Sixty one, made between the General Coast for the Jurisdiction of Plymouth in New England in America in the Behalf of the said Colony on the one Part and Antipas Boies, Edward Tyng, Thomas Brattle and John Winslow of the Four of Boston in the County of Suffolk in the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts in New England in America aforesaid merchants on the other Past, Wilsoforth that whereas our late loved Lord King James for the advancement of a Colony and Plantation in the Countrey called or known by the name of New England in America by his Highness Letters, Letters Patents and as the Great Seal of England bearing Date at Westminster the Kind day of November in the Eighteenth Year of his Highness Reign of England & c. does Give Grant and Confirm unto the Right Honorable…”

Rare Ephemera Picking Todd's Farm!

Finding Rare Photographs and Ephemera at your local flea market and picker's market is not as hard as it seems if you know what you are looking for and if the price is right, a rare combination but with the Walker photographs, we got lucky. We have found lots of rare ephemera, rare books and rare photographs on our forays to Todd's Farm in Rowley, Massachusetts, but our recent acquisition of the works of Paul H. Walker, a sometimes photographer and a sometimes lawyer that lived and worked and photographed, large format Black and White nature photos as well as some indoor light study photos are being offered at our auction on eBayfor the next seven days.

What we found delightful is the large format pictures that Walker had snapped. He composed many of these photos after the classic style, sometimes looking to the nature photographs of Ansel Adams for inspiration, the effects of studying how Adams formated his pictures are definitive in Walker's works. As with all rare photographs and ephemera, we sell our products only online!

More Finds at Todd's Farm!

What other goodies rare ephemera and rare antiques did we find at Todd's Farm? How about a matching pair of Abercrombie & Fitch Flasks that will hold 128 ounces, manufactured in England in English Pewter (one of the finest and safest pewter's in the world), hallmarked and now available at auction on eBay!

In 1892 Abercrombie & Fitch began under the name David T. Abercrombie Co., a small waterfront shop and factory in downtown New York City owned by David Abercrombie.

David Abercrombie, born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, was a former trapper, prospector, topographer and railroad surveyor. He was also an inventor, an ingenious designer of tents, rucksacks and other camping equipment. It was his love of the great outdoors that inspired him to begin Abercrombie & Co., a shop dedicated to selling only the highest-quality camping, fishing and hunting gear. His clientele consisted mostly of professional hunters, explorers and trappers. And a man named Ezra Fitch.

Ezra Fitch was a successful lawyer in Kingston, New York. Restless and thoroughly bored with his life of law, Fitch spent all of his free time trekking the slopes of the Adirondacks and casting flies into the streams of the Catskill. In his search for exceptional outdoor gear, he had come to rely upon David Abercrombie's shop, becoming one of its most devoted customers.

He was so devoted, in fact, that in 1900 he had convinced David Abercrombie to let him buy into the business and become a partner. By 1904, the shop (which by now had moved to 314 Broadway) was incorporated and the name was officially changed to Abercrombie & Fitch. Both David Abercrombie and Ezra Fitch were stubborn, hot-tempered men, and they had vastly different views about the future of their business. Abercrombie was more conservative, content to continue the store as it was, selling professional gear to professional outdoorsmen. Fitch, on the other hand, was more of a visionary. He was positive that the future of the business lay in expansion, selling the outdoors and its delights to more of the general public. Long arguments between the two men ensued. Inevitably, the partnership came to an end, and David Abercrombie resigned in 1907.

In the meantime, the store continued to expand. Ezra Fitch was a determined innovator. As a result of his imagination, hard work and sheer force of will, what he created was no ordinary sporting goods shop. Fitch was determined that the store have an outdoor feeling. Stock was not hidden behind glass cabinets. Instead, it was displayed as if in use. He set up a tent and equipped it as if it were out in the middle of the wilds of the Adirondacks. A campfire blazed in one corner, where an experienced guide was always in attendance, imparting valuable information to interested customers. The clerks hired at A&F were not professional salesmen, but true rugged outdoorsmen. Talking was their pleasure and selling was performed only at the customers' insistence. By 1913, the store moved to a more fashionable and easily accessible midtown address just off Fifth Avenue, expanding its inventory to include sport clothing. A&F became the first store in New York to supply such clothing to women as well as men.

By 1917, Abercrombie & Fitch moved to Madison Avenue and 45th Street, where it occupied an entire twelve story building. Outside a sign proclaimed "Where the Blazed Trail Crosses the Boulevard." Abercrombie & Fitch had become the largest sporting goods store in the world, as well as the most impressive. A log cabin was built on the roof, which Fitch used as a townhouse. Next to it he had a casting pool installed, where serious fishermen could sample the store's impressive collection of rods and flies. In the basement, an armored rifle range was set up. There was also a golf school, a floor dedicated solely to completely set-up camps, and a dog and cat kennel. In addition to the more standard types of outdoor goods, A&F had a selection of exotic sporting equipment that would make the imagination reel: hot air balloons, yachting pennants, portable trampolines, treadmills for exercising dogs, throwing knives, shirts of chainmail, leopard collars, and everything a person could possibly need for falconry.

Abercrombie & Fitch outfitted many great hunting and exploration expeditions, like Theodore Roosevelt's trips to Africa and the Amazon and Robert Peary's expedition to the North Pole. Ernest Hemingway bought his guns there. Presidents Hoover and Einsenhower relied on A&F for the best fishing equipment. Other famous clients included Amelia Earhart, Presidents Taft, Harding and Kennedy, the Duke of Windsor, Bing Crosby, Howard Hughes, Katharine Hepburn, Greta Garbo and Clark Gable. And there was more: Cole Porter ordered his evening clothes from Abercrombie & Fitch. During Prohibition, A&F was the place to buy hip flasks.

Todd's Farm Rowley for Rare Ephemera

Every Sunday from early spring until late fall, Todd's Farm in Rowley, Massachusetts is a collection point for some of New England's vagabond pickers and dealers. If you are visiting Boston, then take a drive up Old Route 1A which by the way used to be the road that John Adams used to ride when making his circuit as a Lawyer from Massachusetts. But the trick is to get there early, have cash in hand and be ready to buy what you see.

It is also wize to leave early in the morning and if the road doesn't look like this as you get closer to Rowley...it's already too late.

I had not been to Todd's Farm in a while but used to go there every weekend when I was buying and selling antique furniture and other items. Every now and then I would run across some interesting rare books and rare ephemera but Todd's was all about antiques and still mostly is but here are two interesting items I found...but I didn't buy.

This piece of rare ephemera was priced at $150 but with a little haggling and combination buying (always a good way to bring down the average price of rare ephemera). I could have gotten it for less than $100.

The second item was also $150, considerably smaller but printed in 1801. Very nice Washington memorabilia and you didn't even have to go to an auction!

Proving that once again, if you want to find it, just get off the keester, get up early and get to Todd's on Sunday BEFORE the sun comes up and bring a flashlight!

 

Rare Ephemera Nicholas Biddle Autograph

Rare ephemera manuscript writings by Nicholas Biddle 1832. Found at Todd's Farm! All you have to do is look! Rare ephemera online by Calix Books.

The four Stanza hand written poem is found in 'The Pearl; or Affection's Gift. Christmas and New Year's Present.' Philadelphia: Thomas T. Ash-Chestnut Street. 1832. The four stanza work can be found in this edition but it is not ascribed to anyone. In our hand written manuscript copy it is ascribed to 'Chapman' by Biddle in 1832. This is Nicholas Biddle manuscript copies of perhaps an additional work he was creating for publication. Two sheets written on Water Marked Paper 'Amies Philad a' with a dove and a branch in its beak on the second page. Signed N. Biddle and then Biddle 1832.

Also copied is 'The Young Novice' by Miss Mitford and a poem written and incorporated into the work entitled "Ode to Bogle" by Nicholas Biddle, first published by Biddle in 1820. Extremely rare and important manuscript material from a Pennsylvania man who had a large influence on the finances of the United States...

On August 26, 1831, Biddle's brother, Thomas, a War of 1812 hero, was killed in a duel on Bloody Island (Mississippi River) at St. Louis, Missouri with Congressman Spencer Pettis. Thomas had taken offense to Pettis' criticizing Nicholas at the bank. After an exchange of letters to the editor Biddle accosted an ill Pettis in his hotel room. After Pettis recovered he challenged Thomas to a duel and both were killed when they exchanged shots from just five feet apart. The "Bank War" of 1832–36 was initiated by Biddle when he decided to apply for the Bank's re-charter four years before the charter was scheduled to expire. Until 1832, Jackson, for three years, had ignored the Bank and Biddle. But, once challenged, he decided to veto the bill to re-charter the bank, which was being pushed by Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky in preparation for another Presidential run later that year. Jackson, well-known as a man whom one did not want to anger, still harbored ill will towards Clay from the 1824 Presidential election. Clay's strategy failed, and Jackson gained great support from the public for his veto. Clay lost to Jackson again in November despite massive funding of over $3 million in bankers' support.

In early 1833, Jackson decided to pull the government's funds out of the Bank. The Secretary of the Treasury, Louis McLane, was favorable to the Bank. He refused to withdraw the funds and would not resign, so Jackson removed him as Secretary of the Treasury by appointing him to Secretary of State. His replacement, William Duane, deliberately delayed. After waiting four months, Jackson replaced him as well. The third man, his former Attorney General, Roger B. Taney, complied. The funds were transferred to seven state-chartered banks in late September. This put the Second Bank on the defensive. It had lost its biggest depositor, by far.

To fight back, Biddle decided to shrink the money supply and cause a recession in 1834 in order to force Jackson to accept a re-charter bill. The Bank demanded that old loans be repaid. It made no new loans. There was a brief recession in the first half of 1834, but another bill to re-charter failed in the House on April 4. That was the last time the issue ever came before Congress. And so, the Bank was doomed. Its charter expired in April, 1836. Biddle's friends assert that his non-partisanship provoked Jackson's hostility, a claim denied by Jackson's admirers. After the Bank lost its national charter in April, 1836, it continued to operate erratically as a state-chartered bank, partially causing the Panic of 1837.

In 1839, Biddle resigned from his post of Bank President, and in 1841, the Bank finally failed. Biddle was arrested and charged with fraud; he was later acquitted. He died soon after while still involved in civil suits. He was important in the establishment of Girard College under the provisions of the founder's will. Girard had been the original promoter of the Second Bank and its largest investor. Girard died in 1831.

Heritage Auctions Rare Americana

We will keep this short and to the point. We are listing a number of very rare americana items, ephemera and rare books at the Heritage Auction site.You can view and bid on my entire consignment in auction #6043 at thefollowing link: http://historical.HA.com/common/search_items.php?Sale_No=6043&Consignor_No=59&type=friend-consignorlive-notice&FC=0 You can cut and paste this link and it will take you directly to the items but hurry, auction ends today!

All the best,

Richard Gabriel
Owner
Calix Books
#281
505 Paradise Rd.
Swampscott, MA 01907
781 477 9485 Phone
781 477 9484 FAX
http://www.calixbooks.com

Rare Ephemera: Civil War and Britain

Britain and the American Civil War Rare Ephemera. SOLD AT THE AUCTION 6-15-2010!!!

The rare first edition rare ephemera document, written by George Bemis a preeminent Boston lawyer who was involved in many unique clashes, including the most notorious murder at Harvard Medical School and the prosecution of Harvard Professor John White Webster for the brutal murder of John Parkman (one of the first cases to use forensic evidence in a trial to convict in the U.S.). He was also involved in the pending dispute between the United States and Great Britain over Great Britain's role in supplying men-of-war ships to the confederacy during the conflict, while claiming neutrality in public. The honorable Judge A. H Bullock was a professor at Amherst College and a three time president of the college, first in 1851, then 1862 and finally 1871. Bullock and Bemis obviously knew each other or of each other as they were both very active in public issues and affairs. This piece is a rare item as it has Bemis's signature and a 'with regards' comment to Hon. A. H. Bullock by Bemis.

The focus of this document was on the CSS Alabama, a fast, sail and steam powered ship that confiscated and burned 65 vessels that belonged to Northern supporters or were supplying goods and materials to the North.

The attorney General of Great Britain took the untenable position that Great Britain was in fact ‘neutral’ in accordance with what the United States had done in earlier times, focusing on maritime actions during Washington’s presidency while he attempted to balance the interests of the newly formed United States and the conflict that was fully raging between Great Britain and France. Washington and his administration held a tight fist policy over neutrality and turned and confiscated ships that were either purchased by the French and outfitted for war in a U.S. port or were confiscated by the French and brought to an American port.

Bemis argues that Great Britain’s claim that the U.S. had also behaved badly was in fact a lie made up by the government of Great Britain to save face in the participation of Great Britain and practice of allowing ships like the Alabama not only be built but falsely protected and deliberately changed over to the confederacy in international waters

The Alabama was finally cornered by a U.S. Ship in Cherbourg, France by the USS Kearsarge and the USS St. Louis also proceeded to help blocking the CSS Alabama and its crew from escaping. Captain Raphael Semmes, deciding he would rather fight than watch his ship rot at the dock, sent a message to Captain John Ancrum Winslow the following: ‘My intention is to fight the Kearsarge as soon as I can make the necessary arrangements. I hope these will not detain me more than until to-morrow or the morrow morning at farthest. I beg she will not depart until I am ready to go out. I have the honor to by Your obedient servant, R. Semmes.” The battle was recorded and the Alabama fired nearly 370 rounds at her adversary, about one round per minute while the Kearsarge fired about half that number, instead focusing on accuracy. As it turns out, the Alabama was out gunned and out maneuvered by the Kearsarge and its crew, sinking the Alabama in the harbor. Nearly all the crew, including the Captain of the Alabama escaped to England on a private yacht called the Deerhound, denying Captain Winslow his opportunity to capture Captain Semmes and his crew. The Alabama’s chief medical officer, who remained behind on the ship while the wounded were being offloaded won the Confederate equivalent of the Medal of Honor for his selfless sacrifice in the sure face of death, as he could not swim, rather giving his berth on the rescue boats to the wounded.

During her two year career as a pirate raider for the Confederacy, the CSS Alabama racked up over $6.0 million in damages and the United States Government pursued restitution from Great Britain and won a settlement from Great Britain in 1871 only after the death of Lord Palmerston did Prime Minister Gladstone apologize to the United States while admitting no guilt in the matter and paid $15.5 million in compensation.

Bemis, in his argument with the attorney General of Great Britain, Sir Roundell Palmer, must have been gratified at the award as his circular helped contribute to the eventual settlement by setting the records straight that had been twisted by the British to avoid facing the fact that the Alabama had been built in Britain, armed in Britain and received coal and provision support in British ports across the world. A rare ephemera first edition item with some historical significance combined with a rare autograph of George Bemis.

Rare Ephemera Presidential and Congressional Printings

Collections of rare ephemera can be built for relatively modest sums of money. The key is to focus on a genre or period of history that interests you and if you are collecting Americana, then Andrew Jackson as a President and the response by the Congress to Andrew Jackson's actions as President are one of the most fluid and interesting areas for collecting.

Jackson is one of those Presidents that if he didn't like you, he would just as soon shoot you and has dueled several times and some say even committed murder. We have a series of Jacksonian writings available on our Ebay page that are rare. OCLC, the library listing services for world wide library collections, sometimes only shows one or two copies of these U.S. Government printed rare ephemera. These printed items were often handed out, free, and often used to light the family fire. They were always printed in short runs of several thousand and for the most popular, additional quantities were printed as may be noted on the front description of the item.

 Jackson was by far one of our great leaders, he was incredibly loyal to his friends and family, to the point of self ruination and he survived as a boy and later as a military man and General, numerous situations that no ordinary man could have survived. He was self educated, ruthless, tall and could be courtly and very charming. He and his Vice President, Martin Van Buren, developed the 'Kitchen Cabinet', started the 'Grass Roots' politics and founded the Democratic Party. Jackson truly believed that Government came from the bottom up and not from the top down. He was the common man and woman's first real President and if he felt so inclined he would go to no ends to protect what he believed to be the will of the people. He abolished the Bank of the United States, created the land rush and much to all of our chagrin, started the re-settlement and dismantling of Native Americans from their homes, villages and deeded lands. A incredible 'Black Mark' on Jackson's career as a President. He served two terms in office and would have served three if his health had permitted. An astonishing man.

Selling at Auction Rare Books and Ephemera online

Selling Rare Books and Ephemera can be a tricky business. It is one of the oldest businesses in the world, probably outdated only by one or two other primary businesses. Even in Greek times, manuscripts and 'writings' were sold and traded! So with the internet, auction houses across the globe, why is it so hard to sell rare books and ephemera online? Well its the economy. Books and ephemera, like all items that are categorized in the disposable income category, fall off when the economy turns south, although this downturn has been exceptionally hard on just about everything that is tangible and for sale.

So recently, we cleared out a bunch of early Americana and sent it off to Heritage Auction for the up and coming June auction of books and ephemera.The collecton of rare books and ephemera that we had listed in our bookstore and in our ebay store will fair better in a one time auction. Generally, when looking at an auction, you estimate the retail value, discount that value by 50% to 60% and that will be the 'suggested price'.

Heritage does a pretty good job of bringing in the buyers but they too have had their spate of problems in the auction market. The auction market today is in essence a bidders market. Book dealers go to these auctions looking for inventory and rare items that may be underbid or under sold. Scooping these items will help their buyer portfolios but a good friend of mine that deals in rare and antique books also told me that the buyers on the institutional level, the rare book libraries, have had all their budgets slashed or completely shut off. Libraries and library buyers often work through intermediaries to try and acquire an item so as to not let the other bidders know that for example, that the library is bidding on the item. He has not had a 'intermediary' contract with a library for over 18 months when he would usually get one or two a month. The stand in bidder gets a piece of the action or an add on fee and buys the item for the library. Rare books and ephemera are generally somewhat recession proof because eventually, demand will come back and the pricing will rebound to where it should be. But if you have a collection of items you want to get rid of at the auction, you have to be careful of psychologically convincing yourself that the item will sell for more than the retail. In this market, the answer is probably not. Wait another year, and the rebound will show up in prices that are higher than the street value of an item.