Maritime List 186

Items 26-50

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	26. Dorr, Eben. A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE FIRST MONITOR AND ITS INVENTOR. Buffalo. 1874. 52 pp. “Origin of the first ‘Monitor’ and her subsequent career, down to the time of her being lost by foundering off Cape Hatteras.” With statistics, documents, etc. This interesting work has been inscribed by Dorr to the Rev. L. van Bokkelen, 1876. In pencil on the front blank, van Bokkelen has written a long inscription expressing appreciation of Dorr’s gift - probably notes for a letter van Bokkelen sent Dorr. This was certainly a meaningful gift, since the front pastedown bears Dorr’s bookplate. Bound in green cloth with gold lettering. Minor soiling and wear, but VG $150
	27. Elford, James M. J. M. ELFORD’S MARINE TELEGRAPH; OR, UNIVERSAL SIGNAL BOOK. Charleston, SC. 1823. Handcolored plate. color flag ills. on front and rear pastedowns. (5), x-xii, (2), vii, (1) xiii-xvi, (1), 18-75, (3) pp. “So composed as to enable vessels at sea, provided with only two sets of the six telegraphic flags, described in the plate, to make 7569 signals ... and to act as telegraphs to each other ... Being also the key to the patent telegraph, invented by the author, capable of making 9330 progressive changes, by using the figures from 1 to 6 only.” This is quite an early American signal book. Truxtun and Porter had previously developed systems for naval use, but as far as I know this is the earliest American merchant system. Winterthur has a manuscript copy of Elford’s Signal system dated 1818. It was followed in 1832 by Parker’s signal book (see below, item #82) and then, in 1847, by Rogers’ system. There were other early systems in America, but not all their inventors published books. Elford’s marine visual system depended on six uniquely patterned flags, and on a “conversation flag.” These are illustrated in this book, along with a glossary of words and sentences, and their numerical equivalents, which would be signaled by means of the flags. A sheet of testimonials has been pasted on the inside of the front board. The front blank is inscribed, “Brig Maese 45-52. Hoist your number on coming into or leaving port.” With the corresponding set of signal flags drawn below, making “45-52.” The back pastedown contains testimonials from the Boston Marine Society. It is illustrated with hand colored flags as well. A couple of leaves appear to have been torn out of the back of the book, but these must have been blanks or advertisements, since the pagination corresponds to that given in Worldcat and “American Imprints” 12436. Some staining and old damage to surface of paper on a few pages. Abrasion on vii resulting in loss of a few letters, otherwise no loss of text or damage to the flag plate. Bound in contemporary quarter leather over marbled boards. A rare find. $2500
	28. Ellms, Charles. SHIPWRECKS AND DISASTERS AT SEA... Phila. 1847. b/w plates, ills. xii-427 pp. Full-page, half-page and vignette wood engravings add drama, and, at times, unintended humor to this reissue of the 1836 first edition. Huntress notes “Ellms... put together a book on pirates... as well as this anthology.... The collections must have been quite popular.” Has a chapter on life boats, life preservers, and “expedients for the preservation of mariners.” Huntress 276 C. Original cloth binding, showing some cover wear, but with gilt spine decorations intact, backstrip layed down. A Good copy. With the bookplate of New York impresario David Belasco $150
	29. Ephemera. LIGHTHOUSE POSTCARD ALBUM. This album contains about 200 postcards, most from the early 1900s, all depicting lighthouses of the North East. Arranged by region and lighthouse, with several photographic cards and many striking night scenes. $350
	30. Ephemera. SCRAP-BOOK YACHT MINERVA. 4to, unpaginated. About 100 pp. This is a scrapbook consisting of newspaper clippings, trade cards, tickets, invitations, signals, race programs, time cards, and similar ephemera documenting the career of the yacht (or yachts) Minerva and the doings of the men who owned and sailed her. The Minerva was the crack yacht of the Quaker City Yacht Club in Philadelphia in the 1870s. She appears to have existed in several iterations. Earlier articles refer to a 35 foot sloop yacht built in Camden, NJ, owned by a joint stock company, as was a custom at the time. There is a nice broadside for the sale of a “fast sailing 24 foot yacht” Minerva pasted into this scrapbook. A later Minerva capsized and sank during a squall in the Delaware in 1887 with the loss of two lives, and the articles in this book refer to her at that time as “55 feet long and... (carrying) an immense spread of canvas.” Ironically, several of the clippings in this scrapbook pertain to yachting safety, and hold the Minerva up as a shining example of a safe yacht. After the incident a tug towed her to a shipyard, and she was apparently resurrected because the clippings about her continue until 1890. This is an unparalleled documentary history of the group of owners known as “the Minervas,” the Quaker City yacht club, and the occasionally stormy dealings between the two. Binding broken but clippings and ephemera in good condition. $750
	31. Ephemera. STEAM YACHT LAUNCHES AND MARINE MACHINERY. NY. n.d. (ca. 1905) b/w halftone ills. 31, (1) pp. A trade catalog of yachts, launches and powerplants produced by the Gas Engine & Power Co. and Charles L. Seabury Co. Dozens of photos with specifications and descriptions. Scarce, not in Romaine. No holdings on Worldcat. A beautiful copy in decorated wrappers. Fine condition. $150
	32. Ephemera. “WILL-ED’S COTTAGE. A DISTINCTIVE PLACE FOR DISTINGUISHED PEOPLE.” PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE FOR WILL-ED’S COTTAGE, MARTHA’S VINEYARD. 1966. b/w photos. 4 pp. Will-Ed’s is most notable in that it advertises itself as an “Inter-racial” facility. The wording is very subtle, and only one other hint is given of its potentially inflammatory nature. At the bottom of the second inside page the following note appears - “This is a personal and exclusive announcement and will not appear in the press.” I do not know the history of integration in the tourist industry, but this is some fascinating documentary evidence. Small chip torn out of top margin, mailing address and phone number written in pen on front page. Old fold marks, but still VG. $125
	33. Evans, G.N.D. UNCOMMON OBDURATE: THE SEVERAL PUBLIC CAREERS OF J.F.W. DESBARRES. Salem. 1969. b/w plates. ix, 130 pp. DesBarres’ charts of the American coast, published about the time of the Revolutionary War, are highly sought-after, as is this bio-bibliography. A Fine copy in dj. $75
	34. Fanning, Capt. Edmund. VOYAGES & DISCOVERIES IN THE SOUTH SEAS. 1792-1832. Salem, MA 1924. b/w plates. xvi, 335 pp. This pioneering seal hunter from Stonington Connecticut opened the South Seas to American trade and was instrumental in getting the Wilkes expedition approved. For a man of action Captain Fanning is a careful writer, observant and respectful, and relatively free of prejudice toward the men serving under him and the indigenous peoples he encountered. VG $50
	35. Fay, Charles Edey. MARY CELESTE. Salem. 1942. 261 pp. Discovered mysteriously adrift and abandoned in 1872, the Mary Celeste is certainly the best known mystery ship, and Fay’s book made her so. This is the large, limited edition, #6 of 150 copies, containing more information than the smaller and more common trade edition. With a letter of presentation from the President of the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Co., the underwriter of the Mary Celeste and a sponsor of Fay’s investigations. Signed by Fay on title page. VG in slipcase. $125
	36. Fincham, John. AN OUTLINE OF SHIP BUILDING. IN FOUR PARTS... Lon. 1852. b/w plates. 2 vols. xii, 231, (1), 74, 64, 121, (1) pp. Folio atlas, 9 plates. An important source of mid-century theory on shipbuilding, and an extremely thorough work on all practical aspects of the art, by the master shipwright of H.M. Dockyard, Portmouth. Quite scarce. Worldcat shows only five institutions holding copies of book and atlas. McDonald 304. Scott 696 (Despite designating itself “Third edition, enlarged,” this seems to be the only edition known.) With 24 plates (Worldcat mistakenly says 23) misnumbered to 26. Bound in original cloth, backstrip lightly sunned. The folio atlas is also bound in original 19th century cloth, matching the book’s binding, with gold cover lettering. Corners and outer edge of the front board show some wear, and the outer edges of some of the plates are chipped, but none of this affects the images, which are clean and unfoxed. This set is accompanied by a portfolio of reproductions of the 9 plates, so that they can be used without damaging the originals. $1750
	37. Forbes, R. B. SHIPWRECK BY LIGHTNING. PAPERS RELATIVE TO HARRIS’S LIGHTNING CONDUCTORS. Bos. 1853. 86 pp. Robert Bennet Forbes was one of the great figures in American maritime history. He was an old China trade hand, a philanthropist and a brilliant sea captain with an active interest in marine technology. He perfected several advances in rigs that made sailing safer and faster, and he had an interest, as witnessed here, in the effects of lightning at sea. He was a friend of the man who invented the nautical lightning conductors he describes. A very nice copy in original boards with gold cover lettering. $200
	38. Furneaux, Rupert. TOBIAS FURNEAUX: CIRCUMNAVIGATOR. Lon. (1960). b/w plates. ix, 186 pp. Furneaux was, as well as being one of the greatest early explorers of the South Seas, the first to go around the world twice. First ed. VG in lightly chipped dj. $50
	39. Gallaudet, Rev. T.H. THE HISTORY OF JONAH, FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH. NY. (1833) b/w plates. 12mo. 156 pp. Several small but quaint wood engravings illustrate the highpoints of the story, which is related in considerable detail, with both Biblical and non-Biblical interpolation. Bound in 1/4 cloth over marbled boards with trace of old spine label. Endpapers water stained, faint tide marks on some interior pages. Overall, a Good copy of a scarce book. $75
	40. General Court, Province of Massachusetts Bay... AN ACT FOR BUILDING AND MAINTAINING A LIGHTHOUSE UPON THE GREAT BREWSTER (CALLED BEACON ISLAND) AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE HARBOUR OF BOSTON... Folio sheet, printed both sides. “Passed by the Great and General Court or Assembly of His Majesties Province of the Massachusetts-Bay in New-England... the Twenty-fifth of May, 1715...” The act calls for a lighthouse on the southern tip of Great Brewster, to be lit from sundown to sunup. Great Brewster was selected because, unlike the other low-lying islands in the area, it is a drumlin, rising about 100 feet above sea level, and thus insuring a good view of the light. The project was to be financed by a duty of one penny per ton upon vessels using the harbor. The act primarily concerns itself with defining who is subject to the duty, but the final paragraph spells out the duties of the lighthouse keeper, and the penalties for neglect of his job. Removed from larger volume, but complete. Pinhole in right margin, else excellent condition. A foundation document in the history of American light houses. $850
	41. Gilman, William H. LETTERS. Exeter, NH. 1911. b/w plates. 96 pp. The letters were written while Gilman was aboard the U.S. Frigate Merrimac, on a voyage to South America and the South Pacific in 1857-1858. They detail shipboard life and scenes from their ports of call. Inscribed in shaky hand by Gilman’s aged brother. Judd 74a. Not in Smith. Bound in blue cloth with gold cover lettering. VG. $100
	42. Goldsborough, Charles W. UNITED STATES NAVAL CHRONICLE. Wash. 1824. 395, xii index plus errata leaf. Goldsborough’s “Chronicle” is a close and early history of events of the Revolution, the Barbary Wars, and the War of 1812. According to the title page this is “Vol. I” but in fact it was the only volume ever printed. Sabin says there is “much of interest on the Revolution.” With a useful index. Quite a scarce work - not in Smith, Neeser or Howes. Sabin 27715. Harbeck p. 5. This is an untrimmed copy in original blue boards, rebacked in cream cloth with new spine label. Some tanning and foxing, but a VG copy overall. $350
	43. Goode, George Brown. THE FISHERIES AND FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. SECTION I. TEXT AND ATLAS. Wash. 1884. b/w plates. 4to. xxxiv, 895; xx, 277 plates. This is the natural history section of Goode’s magesterial five volume work, and it stands alone. It describes the biology, life cycle and cultural and commercial importance of hundreds of species, which are illustrated in the atlas volume of full-page, clearly delineated b/w line illustrations, along with some maps and folding plates. These two volumes have been rebound in brown buckram with gold spine lettering. The pages show occasional waterstaining, soiling, creasing and other minor defects - it is a serviceable, if not beautiful, set of Section I. $200
	44. Goodwin, William B. THE TRUTH ABOUT LEIF ERICSSON AND THE GREENLAND VOYAGES. Bos. 1941. b/w plates, maps. 4to. 445 pp. A credible effort to place Leif’s landings in New Hampshire. Well researched with much incidental information about historical sources and ancient technologies. First edition. VG in chipped dj. $50
	45. Guéroult (du Pas, Pierre Jacques). PETITS BATIMENS DE L'OCEAN FAITS PAR GUEROULT. Paris. 1709. b/w copper engravings. Oblong 12 mo. This is the second in a series of three such works entitled “Les differens batimens de la mer oceanne, Petits batimens de l'ocean, and Les differens batimens de la mer Mediterranée.” Each volume stood on its own. This second volume contains sixteen fine copper engravings of working small craft (including various fishing craft and a whaleboat) with captions also engraved. Rare. Worldcat shows only two institutions holding copies. They also call for 15 plates, whereas this copy has 16 numbered plates. Plate size is about 4 1/4 x 3 inches. Excellent condition, bound in later full vellum. $1500
	46. Hakluyt, Richard. DIVERS VOYAGES TOUCHING THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA AND THE ISLANDS ADJACENT. Lon. 1850. b/w facsimiles, folding maps. cxi, 171, 6 pp. Hakluyt First Series Publication. Edited, with notes and intro by John Winter Jones. It is fitting that this early Hakluyt Society publication should reprint some of the works of the man after whom it was named. Bound in half blue calf over boards with raised bands and gold spine lettering and decorations. Light wear to binding, but still VG, a pretty copy. $250
	47. Herreshoff, L. Francis. THE COMMON SENSE OF YACHT DESIGN. Jamaica, NY. 1966. b/w plates, ills. 4to. vii, 157; vii, 176 pp. Reprint edition of this classic text, the original two volumes in one. One of the more important and difficult to find works on yacht design, by one of the great writers in this field. Toy 4752. VG, dj. $150
	48. Holmes, Rev. Lewis. THE ARCTIC WHALEMAN, OR, WINTER IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN: BEING A NARRATIVE OF THE WHALE SHIP CITIZEN, OF NEW BEDFORD... Bos. 1857. b/w engravings. 296 pp. “An account of whaling in the Bering and Chukchi Seas; the wreck of the Citizen in Sept. 1852; and customs and behavior of the natives of the Chukotsk Peninsula... as experienced by the ship’s survivors during a nine-month sojourn there. Part Two gives history (in general) and details of whaling, the various whales and outfitting.” — Arctic Bib. 7321. Huntress 406C. Jenkins p. 110. First edition in original decorated binding, some cover wear, spine laid down. Text and ills foxed, a Good copy of a scarce book. $150
	49. Hoste, Paul. L'ART DES ARMÉES NAVALES, OU, TRAITÉ DES EVOLUTIONS NAVALES... (BOUND WITH) THEORIE DE LA CONSTRUCTION DES VAISSEAUX... Lyons. 1697. b/w engraved plates. Folio. (xiv), 424; (12) 172, (4) pp. First edition of a famous and important book, the first modern study of naval tactics. There was no complete English translation of this work until 1834. Hoste was a mathematically inclined Jesuit who served as chaplain on several French naval expeditions. As well as being a seminal treatise on naval tactics, “L’Art des Armees Navales” is also a history of the French navy up to the 17th century. The six parts provide illustrated instructions for sailing the fleet in an orderly manner, deploying for battle in lines or columns, giving chase, and various combat maneuvers. This work contains engraved vignettes at chapter heads and 134 full page plates illustrating naval tactics (including one plate of signals). In the second book - “Theorie” - Hoste, according to Scott, is “one of the first to apply mechanical and hydrodynamical principles to naval architecture.” It includes 11 folding plates. With the engraved bookplate, dated 1701, of Algernon Capell, 2nd Earl of Essex, on the blank verso of the title page. See Scott 165, 166. Polak 4512. A beautiful copy in contemporary full mottled calf with raised bands and highly gilt spine decorations. Backstrip laid down, corners repaired. $10000
	50. Jacobs, Thomas Jefferson. SCENES, INCIDENTS AND ADVENTURES IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN... DURING THE CRUISE OF THE CLIPPER MARGARET OAKLEY, UNDER CAPT. BENJAMIN MORRELL NY. 1844. b/w plates and ills. xi-372 pp. “Clearing up the mystery which has heretofore surrounded this famous expedition, and containing a full account of the exploration of the Bidera, Papua, Banda, Mindoro, Sooloo, and China Seas, the manners and customs of the inhabitants...” Jacobs left the ship in Singapore and returned home to write this book which is, according to Hill, “apart from the vivid accounts of the islands and ports visited, an early and clear declaration of what was soon to become the U.S. policy of Manifest Destiny”—Hill 876. And Morrell, of course was a character in his own right. Ferguson 3844. Howes J-38. Smith J.6. This copy lacks the large folding view of Canton, but contains a letter from bookseller John Howell describing the book and the defect. Interestingly, he calls it a “near Fine” copy, where I’d say it’s more like “Good.” Priced according to my description, not his. $200

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