Jun 05, 2008 - Sale 2148

Sale 2148 - Lot 31

Price Realized: $ 1,140
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 500 - $ 750
THE FIRST WORK COPYRIGHTED IN THE UNITED STATES (AMERICAN REVOLUTION.) Ramsay, David. History of the American Revolution. 2 volumes. 8vo, contemporary calf, moderate wear; front hinges split, lacks top inch of first title page and bottom corner of rear free endpaper of Volume II; bookplates on front pastedowns, early owners' inscriptions on free endpapers and second title page. Philadelphia, 1789

Additional Details

first edition. The author had served as a South Carolina representative in the Continental Congress during the war, giving him access to the official papers. This and another work by Ramsay were the first works copyrighted by the authority of the United States government. As no copyight law was yet in place, this was done by a special act of Congress on 20 April 1789. Evans 22090, Sabin 67687.