An Historical, Geographical, Commercial and Philosophical View of the United States of America, and of the European Settlements in America and the West Indies
- Twenty-five plates (one in color). vi,[2],590; [4],493; [4],519; [4],516,[8]pp. Without the elusive "Plan of Washington" called
- New York: Tiebout and O'Brien, 1796
New York: Tiebout and O'Brien, 1796. Twenty-five plates (one in color). vi,[2],590; [4],493; [4],519; [4],516,[8]pp. Without the elusive "Plan of Washington" called for in the third volume, but not usually found with the set. Without the list of subscribers or the directions for the binder for inserting the plates in the rear of vol 4. 4 vols. 8vo. Contemporary tree calf, attributed to J. and A. McLean, flat spines in six compartments, the second and fourth with black and red morocco lettering pieces with the volume numbers on onlaid roundels, the others with an alternating repeat decoration in gilt, worn at corners and top and tail of spine, minor wear and splitting at joints. Foxing and browning. Twenty-five plates (one in color). vi,[2],590; [4],493; [4],519; [4],516,[8]pp. Without the elusive "Plan of Washington" called for in the third volume, but not usually found with the set. Without the list of subscribers or the directions for the binder for inserting the plates in the rear of vol 4. 4 vols. 8vo. Stated on the title as the First American edition, the work is a re-issue of Winterbotham's A geographical, commercial, and philosophical view ... (Evans 29912), enlarged with additions. Howes calls the present, enlarged edition the "best."
Winterbotham was prosecuted for sedition for two sermons he preached in 1792. He was found guilty and sentenced to two years' imprisonment and a fine of £100 for each sermon. He wrote the present work while serving time in Newgate Prison. It treats the discovery and early settlement of America, the American Revolution, each of the states of the Northeast and South, the Northwest Territory, Canada, and settlements in South America and the West Indies.
Most of the handsome plates, engraved by William Rollinson, John Scoles, Elkanah Tisdale and Benjamin Tanner, illustrate birds, quadrupeds, and reptiles found in the West Indies. The color plate represents the tobacco plant (third volume, opposite page 427) and is the first color plate regularly published in an American book. Also included are handsome portrait frontispieces of George Washington, William Penn, Benjamin Franklin and the author. This edition sometimes found as a text to accompany Reid's American Atlas (1796), with the plan of Washington, DC bound in the atlas which accounts for it not being within these four volumes.
The present set in a lovely binding attributed to J. and A. McLean, the booksellers and publishers of the first edition of the Federalist Papers, with examples of the deluxe, thick paper sets of the Federalist found in bindings with the same tooling on the spine (see Papantonio 16). Howes W581, "b"; Evans 31647; ESTC W12698; Sabin 104833
Winterbotham was prosecuted for sedition for two sermons he preached in 1792. He was found guilty and sentenced to two years' imprisonment and a fine of £100 for each sermon. He wrote the present work while serving time in Newgate Prison. It treats the discovery and early settlement of America, the American Revolution, each of the states of the Northeast and South, the Northwest Territory, Canada, and settlements in South America and the West Indies.
Most of the handsome plates, engraved by William Rollinson, John Scoles, Elkanah Tisdale and Benjamin Tanner, illustrate birds, quadrupeds, and reptiles found in the West Indies. The color plate represents the tobacco plant (third volume, opposite page 427) and is the first color plate regularly published in an American book. Also included are handsome portrait frontispieces of George Washington, William Penn, Benjamin Franklin and the author. This edition sometimes found as a text to accompany Reid's American Atlas (1796), with the plan of Washington, DC bound in the atlas which accounts for it not being within these four volumes.
The present set in a lovely binding attributed to J. and A. McLean, the booksellers and publishers of the first edition of the Federalist Papers, with examples of the deluxe, thick paper sets of the Federalist found in bindings with the same tooling on the spine (see Papantonio 16). Howes W581, "b"; Evans 31647; ESTC W12698; Sabin 104833