[Rarebooks] fs: Unique manuscript study of Travel

[Joslin Hall Rare Books, ABAA]

Reid, James.  EARLY ROADS AND TRANSPORT, ANCIENT AND MODERN.

Aberdeen; self-published: 1930s.

An apparently unique leatherbound carbon-copy typed manuscript by a noted 
Aberdeen carriage-body builder. The story of roads and the ability (or 
inability) to travel safely and transport goods is, in essence, the history 
of the development of mankind, and his societies have risen and fallen with 
their roads and transport. Reid's text roams from ancient times through the 
Middle Ages and 19th century and into the first decades of the 20th 
century, and includes road, sea, rail and air travel.

Far from being a dry recitation of the dates electric trams were introduced 
to Galway or the mean yearly statistics of pounds of mail carried by coach 
in the 1750s, Reid spices his narrative of with anecdotes and side trips, 
of Eskimos and pickpockets, bad carriage trips and pamphleteers stuck in 
gaol, and quotes pithy descriptions of life and travel from period writers.

Reid also includes separately paginated sections on "Mail Transport", "A 
Review of Life in England from 1600 to 1850", and "Transport by Waterways". 
For illustrations, Reid cut pictures from other books and magazines and 
pasted them into their own section at the rear. Although (evidently) never 
published, the manuscript has scholarly and entertainment value.

The author's other book, "The Evolution of Horse-Drawn Vehicles", was 
published by the Institute of British Carriage and Automobile Manufacturers 
and got good notices in the Times Literary Supplement (tipped in at the 
back).

Hardcover.  8"x10.5", 182 + 17 + 11 pages of single-sided carbon-copied 
typescript, with some pen and typed corrections; plus 17 card pages with 
pasted-on illustrations; pasted-in photograph of the author; bound in full 
pebbled leather with gilt titles; light wear, some soil.  $350.00

No other copies of this title are available on Bookfinder (obviously); 
Bookfinder also fails to find a single copy of his privately-published work 
on horse-drawn vehicles.

Picture of the covers-
<http://www.joslinhall.com/images/th-03062.jpg>



JOSLIN HALL RARE BOOKS, ABAA
Fine books of the 16th-20th centuries
on the decorative and fine arts & design

Post Office Box 239
Northampton, Massachusetts 01060 USA
telephone (413) 247-5080

--> Subscribe to our free email News List and get special
      discounts and offers on selected books!
<http://joslinhall.com/mailman/listinfo/jhrbnews_joslinhall.com>

--> See our new "Just Catalogued" pages for December-
<http://www.joslinhall.com/justcat.htm>

--> Our full-service website features 86 separate subject
      categories, and has full search capabilities.
<http://www.joslinhall.com>

  ~~

TERMS:
All payments must be in U.S. funds and negotiable through a U.S. bank; We 
accept checks, money orders, American Express, Visa and Mastercard. Books 
may be reserved pending payment; Institutions may be billed; Standard 
courtesies to institutions and the trade; Postage charges are $5.00 for the 
first book, and $1.50 for each additional book. Shipments outside the U.S. 
will be billed at cost. We accept returns if we are notified within ten 
days of your receipt of the books-please ask for full instructions and 
terms. Massachusetts residents must add 5% state sales tax.

As members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America we are 
committed to upholding high professional standards and making sure your 
bookbuying experience is enjoyable.