Bickerstaff's Boston
Item #84486
WEST, Benjamin. Bickerstaff's Boston Almanack, for the Year of Our Redemption, 1778. Woodcut portraits of Washington and Gates on the upper cover. 22 (of 24)pp. Lacks terminal leaf. 12mo. Danvers, MA: Printed by E. Russell, [1777]. Sewn as issued. Foxing and browning. Drake 3274; Evans 15705; Wick 1. ESTC W22546. Creswell 209. Revolutionary-era Boston almanac, featuring portraits of generals George Washington and Horatio Gates on the front page - the "first known American print of George Washington" (Wick). Wick notes that it is likely that this image was made when Washington first arrived in Boston in 1775 or early 1776 to take command of the Continental Army. Due to the scarcity of visual material, it was reused several times, resurfacing again in Bickerstaff almanacs in the 1790s. Includes a patriotic poem, "A Farewell to Boston, or a Few Scattered Thoughts by a Young Lady on her Embarking on Board the Ship Symmetry, December 8, 1775, in Order to Quit that Capital" - Cresswell 209. This almanac also has woodcuts at the top of each calendar, showing a seasonal scene with the appropriate zodiac sign at the top. Complete copies are rare in the market. The last auction appearance of this alamanc had only 4 leaves and sold for $7,000 in 2021.
Price: $5,000.00