[Rarebooks] FS: Two Harvard Items in Early American Magazines

[Bickerstaff's Books, Maps &c.]

We are pleased to offer:

Earliest Obtainable View of Harvard College -- 1788

1. [View of Harvard College.] THE COLUMBIAN MAGAZINE FOR DECEMBER, 1788. 
Printed for the Proprietors by W. Spotswood. Philadelphia. 669-718 pp. 
Disbound; scattered light foxing. Lacks 1 of 2 views. Lacks half of 
meteorological observations page.

The Magazine features a full-page engraving entitled “View of the 
ancient Buildings belonging to Harvard College, Cambridge, New-England.” 
Bail notes that the view is based on the Burgis-Price print of 1743. Of 
the Columbian Magazine view, Bail states: “In spite of the fact that the 
print is solely an adaptation, it is important because of its early 
appearance and relative scarcity. This is the earliest engraving of the 
College which one may reasonably hope to obtain.” The engraving, now 
removed from the Magazine and archivally matted, has a faint waterstain 
in the upper left quadrant, but is still an exceptional 18th century 
image of Harvard. (Image available on request.) Five pages of the 
Magazine are devoted to “An Account of the ancient Colleges of Cambridge 
in New-England.” Most of this is apparently a republication of material 
from “a very scarce and valuable pamphlet” printed in London in 1642. In 
addition to a description of the College (“The edifice is very fair and 
comely within and without…”), the rules and curriculum of the College 
are given. For the engraving: Bail, Views of Harvard: 13; Plate XVII 
(illustrated). Fielding, American Engravers upon Copper and Steel: 1819. 
[Item no. 2420.] $2,000.00.


The Founding of Harvard Medical School

2. [Harvard Medical School.] THE BOSTON MAGAZINE FOR SEPTEMBER, 1785. 
Printed and published by Edmund Freeman. Boston. pp.321-360. Signatures 
loose. Front and back blue wrappers present but frayed and detached; top 
1/2" or so of front wrapper lacking. Interior pages very good.

The Boston Magazine was published from October, 1783 to December, 1786 
and was the first magazine to be published in Boston in the aftermath of 
the American Revolution. A major attraction of this issue is the 
presence of the front and rear printed wrappers, although they are 
frayed and detached. The front wrapper features a large woodcut of the 
State House and surrounding buildings in Boston. The first 3 1/2 pages 
of this issue publish Harvard's announcement (from September, 1783) of 
the creation of "the Medical Institution," now known as Harvard Medical 
School. This is followed by about two pages of an address "to the 
students in physic," i.e., the medical students, reflecting upon the 
first two years of the medical school and outlining the requirements for 
a medical degree. Also in the Magazine are nearly two pages devoted to 
the sailing directions into and out of Plymouth Harbour. A brief news 
item in the "Monthly Chronology" reports a meeting to be held in October 
in Falmouth (in the District of Maine) on creating a "separate 
government" for the eastern counties. Mott, A History of American 
Magazines 1741-1850: Vol. I, p. 28. Richardson, A History of Early 
American Magazines, 1741-1789: pp. 212-227. Lomazow, American 
Periodicals: 15. [Item no. 2933.] $1,500.00.

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B I C K E R S T A F F’s Books, Maps &c.
Stephen P. Hanly, Proprietor
Three Ellery Road ~ Waltham, MA 02453 USA

P: 781-899-5504 F: 781-894-2734
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Books & maps of 18th and 19th century America,
specializing in early New England imprints & maps.
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