The Acquisitions Table: Atlas of Bergen County, New Jersey

Atlas of Bergen County, New Jersey.[Reading, Pa.]:  Published by C.C. Pease, successor to A.H. Walker, [1876]. According to the bookseller’s description, this Bergen County atlas is the most elaborate and attractive of all New Jersey county atlases of the 1870s.  It is also one of the most difficult to find, as many copies have fallen victim to ...

When is a Valentine a Newton?

Attribution is something libraries and museums struggle with every day.  Who is the sitter in this portrait?  Who is the author of this pamphlet?  Often the objects give us clues, but not always.  Sometimes they even lead us astray.  This is the story of a pair of daguerreotypes at the American Antiquarian Society and how ...

The Acquisitions Table: The Encyclopedia of English Grammar

Hall, William.  The Encyclopaedia of English Grammar: Designed for the Use of Schools.  Wheeling, Va.: John B. Wolff, 1849. Like newspapers, textbooks were frequently among the earliest imprints issued in regional outposts like Wheeling, Virginia (later West Virginia).  Such is the case with William Hall’s Encyclopaedia of English Grammar, which was first copyrighted in nearby Ohio.  ...

Identifying the Unidentified, Part IV

Over the past few weeks, we've been featuring posts by former AAS intern Lucia Ferguson (Smith College) about her experience identifying an unidentified diary (Part I, Part II, and Part III).  This week she shares her concluding thoughts. Researching the Martin family proved mysterious and frustrating. And still, as I researched the lives Henry’s family lived ...

Memorial Service for Mr. McCorison

A memorial service for Marcus A. McCorison will be held on Saturday, February 16 at 11 a.m. at United Congregational Church, 6 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts with reception following at the American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester. For more information go to: http://www.americanantiquarian.org/mccorison.htm.

The Acquisitions Table: Notes in College

Downer, David R., “Notes in College,” 1827-1828. David Robinson Downer (1808-1841) was born in Westfield, New Jersey.  He attended Yale College, graduating in 1828, and then entered the Auburn Seminary, eventually becoming minister of the West Presbyterian Church in New York City.  This volume consists of theological notes made by Downer during his senior year at ...

Remembering Marcus A. McCorison

As we began planning a lengthy piece on AAS president emeritus Marcus A. McCorison for the Almanac newsletter last week, we pulled photographs of him out of the archives for possible use as illustrations.  I was struck by this photograph: In it, Marcus is sitting in his office, which is now my office.  On the desk ...

Saying Goodbye to the President Emeritus

This past weekend we said goodbye to a dear friend and colleague. Marcus A. McCorison - librarian, director, president, and then president emeritus of the American Antiquarian Society - passed away on Sunday, February 3. He will be sorely missed. Although a more detailed homage to Mr. McCorison's contributions to the Society will be published ...

The Acquisitions Table: Marion’s Brigade Crossing the Pedee River

Currier & Ives after William Ranney, Marion’s Brigade Crossing the Pedee River, S.C., 1778, on Their Way to Attack the British Forces under Tarleton. New York: Currier & Ives, between 1872 and 1874. Although founded in the 1830s, the firm of Currier & Ives continually produced historical subjects, printing images of the American Revolution and scenes ...

Reflecting on a Bicentennial Year: 2012 Annual Report Online

In case you have not seen it yet in its printed form, we are very pleased to have posted our 2012 Annual Report online.  Last year was full of celebrations and events to do with our Bicentennial, but that in no way marginalized the full year we had of fellowships, conferences, public programs, book publications, ...

Identifying the Unidentified, Part III

Last week, former AAS intern Lucia Ferguson brought us through some of Henry Martin's (a previously unidentified diarist) daily routines.  Read on to learn about his experience as a soldier in the Civil War, and a miner in a goldmine. After working as a farmhand in his teenage years, Henry served in the Civil War. He ...