?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 4,000 - $ 6,000
(EARLY AMERICAN IMPRINT.) Volume of "The Independent Reflector," a controversial New York magazine. 44 (of 52) complete issues, most of them 4 pages, 12¾ x 8 inches. Folio, early plain wrappers, worn; crudely stitched and coming disbound, lacking issues I, II, VI, VIII, XXVII, LI, and LII, lacking second leaf of issue VI and first leaf of XLVI, issues III and IX supplied from another smaller volume and laid in, moderate foxing and minor dampstaining, marginal vermin wear to margins of last few issues not affecting text, variously worn; uncut; signatures of early owners Thomas S. Diamond and William Diamond. Does not include the Preface, issued shortly after the conclusion of publication. With modern ¼-cloth folder. New York: James Parker, 14 December 1752 to 8 November 1753
An early example of crusading New York journalism, touching on local subjects such as road taxes, quack physicians, dishonest lawyers, election fraud, and the controversial charter for what became Columbia University (see "Remarks on our Intended College," comprising most of numbers XVII through XXI). It was the first serial publication in New York other than newspapers. It was edited by the famed anti-clerical "Triumvirate" of William Livingston, John Morin Scott, and William Smith; Livingston and Scott went on to play important roles in the Patriot cause. 52 issues appeared before it was suppressed by the authorities.
"No essays had appeared previously in American magazines so fitting to the time, place, and idea. . . . [Livingston] stood forth valiantly against an established church; while in the field of education he proposed and fought gallantly, though quixotically, for a state college governed ultimately by the legislative body"--Richardson, History of Early American Magazines, pages 75-89. Brigham, page 653, 674; Evans 6866; Lomazow 5 ("the first magazine published in New York"); Sabin 34452.
