Paradise Lost, a Poem, in Twelve Books . . . with a Biographical and Critical Account of the Author and his Writings.
Washington [Penna.]: Printed for Matthew Carey, Market-Street, Philadelphia, 1801. First Carey edition. 12mo, original calf, red leather spine label triple-ruled in gilt, gilt lettering, 289 pages. Foot of the spine a little chipped, with some slight cracking to the rear joint near the foot; some browning; a very good copy. Item #19271
AAS suggests the book was printed by the early Washington, Penna., printer John Colerick; Colerick had earlier done the printing of Goldsmith’s Grecian History for Carey, and the AAS record for that 1800 publication notes, “In the Lea & Febiger collection of Mathew Carey’s business correspondence in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a letter from John Colerick to Carey dated Washington, Oct. 23, 1800, in which he states that he has received the copy of this book and ‘yesterday commenced on the first sheet,’ “ suggesting regular collaboration between Carey and Colerick. (Presumably, this allowed Carey to penetrate the Western Pennsylvania market as well as have copies shipped—whether in sheets or bound, one wonders—to Philadelphia.) Attractive early ink ownership inscription to the front free endpaper, “Asahel Strong’s Book Bought of Zeno Allen Price 75 cts June 1809,” with a small calligraphic device below that, this presumably Asahel Strong (1781-1863) of Durham, Conn. American Imprints 933.
Price: $250.00