[Rarebooks] FA: 1832 Boston, American traveler's Italian phrase guide

Joslin Hall Rare Books, ABAA office at joslinhall.com
Mon Jun 19 10:23:24 EDT 2006


Recently listed on Ebay-

<http://tinyurl.com/nlnlx>

   An uncommon early American traveler's phrase book for a
   popular 1830s destination of American writers and artists-

"De Porquet's Italian Phrases; or, Il Fraseggiatore Toscano. A Copious 
Choice of Italian Sentences to facilitate a complete knowledge of the 
formation of the verbs and syntax of that elegant tongue"

By Carlo Alfieri, "Professor of the Italian language, London". Published in 
Boston by S. Burdett & Co., in 1832. Third Edition, revised and corrected. 
"Revised and Improved by the American Editor".

"With familiar and easy dialogues in Italian and English, and rules on the 
different forms of addressing persons, used by the Italians".

An interesting and early American edition of a traveler's guidebook to that 
favorite destination of American artists, writers and art lovers of the 
day- Italy. Entire books have been written on the exodus of Americans to 
the Continent in general, and Italy in particular, in the 1830s and 40s. 
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and sculptors Hiram Powers and 
Horatio Greenough all sojourned there. American artist Rembrandt Peale 
wrote his own guide to traveling in Italy, and sculptor Thomas Crawford 
settled down in Rome and became a leading figure in the American expatriate 
community there for several years.

Charleston, South Carolina artist James DeVeaux loved Italy so much that he 
lived there for several years before his tragic early death in 1844. In 
fact, although he loved Rome and Venice and Florence, DeVeaux did not enjoy 
the excess of visiting Americans very much. While staying in Florence he 
wrote- "There are American painters and sculptors here of all sorts. I find 
nothing in their society to please me, and so keep to myself. Strange that 
so much venom should exist among professors of a liberal art -but the truth 
is, that envy and jealousy are our (painters) besetting sins, and the first 
thing I heard of here was a flare up at Rome 'mongst the American artists, 
and now they are all in Florence for the summer, so I keep housed."

And yet, the warm Italian sun and pretty signoras and centuries of art and 
monuments would draw the visitor out again. DeVeaux continued a few months 
later-

"Whilst looking down from the steeple of the Campodoglio upon Rome, my 
companion warmed into a classic fit, and bringing up from the bottom of his 
pockets notes and memoranda of history gathered from Goldsmith and others, 
he would glance from one scene to another, till I was deluged in 
declamation, -flinging his arms into the air and stretching himself so far 
over the railing, as to induce me to wrap the skirt of his coat around my 
hands to ensure his safety, -he pointed to the spot where "Ceasar's body 
lay", -passed to Lucrezia the chaste, and Virginia the innocent, -Camillus 
pausing to look back upon the city, from whence he was issuing a banished 
man; and had got as far into his story as to be busily engaged with the 
Goths and Vandals in sacking Rome over again, when the old attendant cut 
short the oration by declaring that the "Signore" had detained him too 
long, as his wife waited his presence for dinner."

But we have strayed far from our charming little phrase book. Or perhaps 
not, because this is just the sort of book any of these American travelers 
would have picked up when preparing to take the "The Tour", or join the 
expatriate community there. An interesting little piece of Americana and 
not all that common- a search of internet sources failed to turn up another 
copy, and the OCLC database of institutional library holdings (which is an 
imperfect tool, but still gives some indication of scarcity) locates only 3 
copies.

Low opening bid. No reserve.

<http://tinyurl.com/nlnlx>
Ebay user id: joslinhall

- - - - - - - - - -

Our current Ebay auctions->

-1805 Fables for the Ladies by Edward Moore -Poetry [end tonight]

-Dale Chihuly - Tutti Putti 1991 exhibition catalog

-Benjamin Franklin 1785 Letter Attacking Publishers

-Benjamin Franklin - Parable Against Persecution (1927)

-1834 Mound Builders & ancient travel in North America 	

-1925 American Game Hunting Classic by Malcolm S. Mackay

-1846- Amerigo Vespucci controversy by C. Edwards Lester

-Blockade Running from Charleston by Captain Roberts

-1st Texas Indian Captivity, 1838 - facsimile ed. 1/400

-Women on the Cattle Trail -1983 - limited to 550 copies 	

-1857 - Famous Pre-Darwin Study of Devonian Fossil Fish

-1832 Boston, American traveler's Italian phrase guide 	

-1826 American Militia Manual by Paraclete Pott

-Krakatoa- 1883 Report on the Volcanic Ash, Abbe Renard

-1874 Panama Canal Survey with large maps & lithographs

-70 Years of Radio Tubes & Valves -reference book

-"Wing Shots", A.D. Simmons: Derrydale Press 7/950

<http://tinyurl.com/nlnlx>
EBay User ID: joslinhall

- - - - - - - - - -

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 "Spring" catalog-
<http://joslinhall.com/catalog_273.htm>

--> Stay up to date daily with our Bookselling blog
<http://foggygates.blogspot.com/>

--> 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 $2.00 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.







More information about the Rarebooks mailing list