The Freemason's Annual; a Gift for All Seasons with New and Elegant Illustrations
New York, nd (ca,1864): Leavitt & Allen. Octavo. Item #018555
263p. 6 engravings of the virtues; beauty, justice, faith, hope, charity, and presentation to Harry Drake. Such exquisite books were intended as gift books, hence, the page for an inscription. Although gift books began in England in 1822, those printed in America were initially too expensive to produce but by the 1850's, they became a small niche market though they averaged $3.50 which was a week's wages in the mid-nineteenth century. (Some sold for as much as $20). Since this book was presented to a California well-to-do miner, it would have cost in the higher range. A beautiful copy in the original blue ribbed-morocco-grain cloth. Gold, orange, green, tan, and brown stamping on spine. Blind, gold, red, orange, yellow, green and brown stamping on back. Endpapers colored yellow. Copies are very scarce and none have appeared at auction in the last forty years. See Columbia Universities exhibit: "Judging a Book by its Cover; Gold-Stamped Publisher's Bindings of the Nineteenth Century". A very handsome copy with some wear on spine-ends else a near fine copy.
Price: $325.00