Carey, Mathew | A complete set of America's first literary magazine
Carey, Mathew
The American Museum or Repository of Ancient and Modern Fugutive Pieces... Philadelphia: Carey [and Carey, Stewart and Co.], January 1787-December 1792
12 volumes, comprising 72 consecutive monthly issues, 8vo (203 x 121 mm). Expertly bound to style in half period tree calf and marbled paper covered boards. Collates as follows:
Volume 1 [January - June 1787]: iv, [5]-408, [421]-492pp., with errors in pagination [i.e. pp. 409-420 not issued], sectional titles for each monthly part, volume index in the rear. Third editions of January-March (published 1790-1792), second editions April-June (published 1788-1789).
Volume 2 [July - December 1787]: 600, 22, [2, blank] pp., with dedication to Lafayette, section titles for each monthly part, list of subscribers and index, with a printing of the U.S. Constitution on pp. 276-284. First editions.
Volume 3 [January - June 1788]: xvi, [17]-208, 109-172 [i.e. 209-272], 273-496, [ii, letter from George Washington to Carey dated June 25, 1788], 497-604pp. [errors in pagination as issued], woodcut illustration of a constellation on p.214, with sectional titles for each monthly part. First editions.
Volume 4 [July - December 1788]: xvi, [17]-592pp., with errors in pagination as issued [i.e. with page 248 twice and without page 264], folding ad for printer Charles Cist preceding September issue (i.e. being an unaccomplished contract), with a general title, and the preliminary extract of a letter from George Washington leaf preceding general title. First editions.
Volume 5 [January - June 1789]: xvi, [17]-628pp., with a general title, engraved folding map of the Gulf Stream (March 1789), and engraved folding Plan of African Ship's Lower Deck (May 1789). First editions.
Volume 6 [July - December 1789]: [4], 492, 46, [6]pp., with a general title. First editions.
Volume 7 [January - June 1790]: 344, 44, 44, 44, 40, [4]pp. [errors in pagination as issued; i.e. pp. 38-41 of third appendix not issued, pp. 13-15 and 18, of the fourth appendix not issued], with a general title, a printing of the Bill of Rights on pp. 11-13 of the second appendix; printing flaw to Appendix III, p. 19. First editions.
Volume 8 [July - December 1790]: 288, 40, 80, 20, 52pp., with a general title. First editions.
Volume 9 [January - June 1791]: 344, 48, 40, 48pp., with a general title, woodcut of a river on p. 254; minor paper flaw to p. 343. First editions.
Volume 10 [July - December 1791]: 308, 36, 48, 44pp., with a general title. First editions.
Volume 11 [January - June 1792]: 40, [2, ad], 41-308, 36, 92, 48, [4]pp., with a general title, includes a printing of Hamilton's Report on Manufactures in Appendix 2, advertisement for Currie's Historical Account of the Climates and Diseases of the United States at the end of the January issue. First editions.
Volume 12 [July - December 1792]: iv, [5]-196, [189*]-352, 36, 44, 40pp, with a general title. First editions.
America's first literary magazine, including early printings of the Federalist Papers, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Hamilton's Report on Manufactures
A complete run of The American Museum, America's first literary magazine, and a pioneering effort on the part of its publisher, Mathew Carey, to bring news to a national audience, and to develop and promote an indigenous literary culture. Carey began The American Museum on the heels of a failed partnership with other printers called the Columbian Magazine. Carey's original goal in his solo venture was to cull from other sources the best essays on political, economic, and cultural subjects, as well as poetry and prose, and offer it to a national audience. Despite the note to the reader in his first issue apologizing for his journal being "destitute as it is of originality," he soon began to publish original work. A favorable opinion of the Museum from George Washington, often reprinted in advertisements, enhanced its reputation.
Carey cast a wide net in soliciting writers and topics for his periodical. Among the distinguished contributors are Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Paine, James Bowdoin, David Rittenhouse, Benjamin West, Jeremy Belknap, Ezra Stiles, Noah Webster, H.M. Brackenridge, Joel Barlow, Timothy Dwight, Benjamin Rush, Joel Dickinson, and Tench Coxe. All of the major issues of the day, as well as scientific and cultural events, found a place in its pages. The success of The American Museum helped establish Mathew Carey as the leading printer of his generation. Through the publication of the periodical he was able to develop a distribution network which greatly aided him in coming years as he became a leading book publisher. A congressional change in postal rates for magazines in 1792 forced Carey to end The American Museum in order "to have recourse to some other object that might afford a better reward to industry."
A rarely encountered complete set including the rare folding...
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Carey, Mathew
The American Museum or Repository of Ancient and Modern Fugutive Pieces... Philadelphia: Carey [and Carey, Stewart and Co.], January 1787-December 1792
12 volumes, comprising 72 consecutive monthly issues, 8vo (203 x 121 mm). Expertly bound to style in half period tree calf and marbled paper covered boards. Collates as follows:
Volume 1 [January - June 1787]: iv, [5]-408, [421]-492pp., with errors in pagination [i.e. pp. 409-420 not issued], sectional titles for each monthly part, volume index in the rear. Third editions of January-March (published 1790-1792), second editions April-June (published 1788-1789).
Volume 2 [July - December 1787]: 600, 22, [2, blank] pp., with dedication to Lafayette, section titles for each monthly part, list of subscribers and index, with a printing of the U.S. Constitution on pp. 276-284. First editions.
Volume 3 [January - June 1788]: xvi, [17]-208, 109-172 [i.e. 209-272], 273-496, [ii, letter from George Washington to Carey dated June 25, 1788], 497-604pp. [errors in pagination as issued], woodcut illustration of a constellation on p.214, with sectional titles for each monthly part. First editions.
Volume 4 [July - December 1788]: xvi, [17]-592pp., with errors in pagination as issued [i.e. with page 248 twice and without page 264], folding ad for printer Charles Cist preceding September issue (i.e. being an unaccomplished contract), with a general title, and the preliminary extract of a letter from George Washington leaf preceding general title. First editions.
Volume 5 [January - June 1789]: xvi, [17]-628pp., with a general title, engraved folding map of the Gulf Stream (March 1789), and engraved folding Plan of African Ship's Lower Deck (May 1789). First editions.
Volume 6 [July - December 1789]: [4], 492, 46, [6]pp., with a general title. First editions.
Volume 7 [January - June 1790]: 344, 44, 44, 44, 40, [4]pp. [errors in pagination as issued; i.e. pp. 38-41 of third appendix not issued, pp. 13-15 and 18, of the fourth appendix not issued], with a general title, a printing of the Bill of Rights on pp. 11-13 of the second appendix; printing flaw to Appendix III, p. 19. First editions.
Volume 8 [July - December 1790]: 288, 40, 80, 20, 52pp., with a general title. First editions.
Volume 9 [January - June 1791]: 344, 48, 40, 48pp., with a general title, woodcut of a river on p. 254; minor paper flaw to p. 343. First editions.
Volume 10 [July - December 1791]: 308, 36, 48, 44pp., with a general title. First editions.
Volume 11 [January - June 1792]: 40, [2, ad], 41-308, 36, 92, 48, [4]pp., with a general title, includes a printing of Hamilton's Report on Manufactures in Appendix 2, advertisement for Currie's Historical Account of the Climates and Diseases of the United States at the end of the January issue. First editions.
Volume 12 [July - December 1792]: iv, [5]-196, [189*]-352, 36, 44, 40pp, with a general title. First editions.
America's first literary magazine, including early printings of the Federalist Papers, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Hamilton's Report on Manufactures
A complete run of The American Museum, America's first literary magazine, and a pioneering effort on the part of its publisher, Mathew Carey, to bring news to a national audience, and to develop and promote an indigenous literary culture. Carey began The American Museum on the heels of a failed partnership with other printers called the Columbian Magazine. Carey's original goal in his solo venture was to cull from other sources the best essays on political, economic, and cultural subjects, as well as poetry and prose, and offer it to a national audience. Despite the note to the reader in his first issue apologizing for his journal being "destitute as it is of originality," he soon began to publish original work. A favorable opinion of the Museum from George Washington, often reprinted in advertisements, enhanced its reputation.
Carey cast a wide net in soliciting writers and topics for his periodical. Among the distinguished contributors are Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Paine, James Bowdoin, David Rittenhouse, Benjamin West, Jeremy Belknap, Ezra Stiles, Noah Webster, H.M. Brackenridge, Joel Barlow, Timothy Dwight, Benjamin Rush, Joel Dickinson, and Tench Coxe. All of the major issues of the day, as well as scientific and cultural events, found a place in its pages. The success of The American Museum helped establish Mathew Carey as the leading printer of his generation. Through the publication of the periodical he was able to develop a distribution network which greatly aided him in coming years as he became a leading book publisher. A congressional change in postal rates for magazines in 1792 forced Carey to end The American Museum in order "to have recourse to some other object that might afford a better reward to industry."
A rarely encountered complete set including the rare folding...
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