Washington's Diaries and other histories, biographies

It's almost the Fourth of July, and we are offering a selection of books relating to early American history. Featured above in the picture is a set of The Diaries of George Washington 1748-1799, edited by John C. Fitzpatrick. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company for the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union, 1925. Second printing. var pp. 8vo., blue cloth stamped in gilt. Minor shelfwear to heels of spines, faint white stain to Vol. III's spine, interiors excellent with no markings. B/w gravure frontispiece plates. A lovely set. Offered at $375.00 plus shipping.

In addition to our shop section on U.S. Presidents, we have a large selection of Americana; go to our search page and type in AMERICANA as the keyword and you can browse away. We carry a selection of the Lakeside Press Americana series, and books about New England, Western, and Native American history. Contact us if you can't find what you're looking for - we'll be happy to help.

Seeking photographica

Visitors to the store may have noticed our interest in things relating to photography. In the front room of the shop, we have an 1878 albumen print panoramic triptych of the town of Enfield, Massachusetts, which was razed and flooded (circa 1940) to create the Quabbin Reservoir. In our back room, we have a hulking Kodak Century Master Studio camera (currently without a lens) on an original stand. With our northern window light, perhaps we should make some adaptations to the camera and start making portraits ...

We are always looking for early (19th century) vernacular photograph albums, early photo-illustrated books, and historically interesting photographs (including daguerreotypes, calotypes, Woodburytypes, albumen prints and gelatin silver prints). If you have any of the above to sell, or have questions about appraisals, please contact us at photo@rarebook.com. We'd be glad to look at what you have. If you are outside of the area, you can send some digital photos of the material to the same email address. And, please let us know if you are looking for collectible photographs or photographic literature.

Ideas for Father's Day

Father's Day is fast approaching and we have some ideas for gifts for your pop here in the shop.

Pictured above is a limited edition Nonesuch Press leather set of Montaigne's Essays, originally translated into English by John Florio in 1632 (the third edition). This is a handsome set and would be a fine addition to any father's bookshelf; it is beautifully printed, and has a nice heft to it. The essays include "On the Affection of Fathers to their Children," "Of Bookes," "Of Glory," "Of the Worthiest and Most Excellent Men," "Of Friendship," "By Divers Meanes Men Come to a Like End," "Of Solitarinesse," and a multitude of others, rendered in Florio's elegant English.

We also have several nice gift editions of Henry David Thoreau's Walden; an oversize Limited Editions Club issue of Walton's The Compleat Angler with engravings by Douglas W. Gorsline; sets of Shakespeare, Byron, Pepys, The Spectator, and the Legal papers of John Adams; nineteenth century Japanese wood block print books; contact us and we'll help you choose. And don't forget to visit the Boston Book Annex for more. Please note - only the Annex on Beacon Street is open on Sunday (from noon to 8 pm). We will reopen in Jamaica Plain on Monday at 9. Happy Father's Day!