(NEW YORK LONG ISLAND) Moore Mulford Pair of Riverhead blac

Sale 2505 - Lot 156

Unsold

Estimate: $ 600 - $ 900

(NEW YORK--LONG ISLAND.) Moore, Mulford. Pair of Riverhead blacksmith's daybooks. [144], [211] manuscript pages. Tall thin folios, 16 x 6 1/2 inches, original 1/4 calf, moderate wear; at least 3 leaves excised but otherwise minimal wear to contents. Riverhead, NY, 1840-83

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Mulford Moore (1812-1893) was a New Jersey native who practiced his blacksmithing trade in the village of Riverhead on eastern Long Island. He had some local renown as an amateur artist, astronomer and philosopher, as featured in the Brooklyn Eagle of 18 August 1889. One of Moore's regular customers was the county jail in Riverhead--he frequently made and attached shackles. For example, a 30 April 1841 entry reads "County dr. by Daniel Edwards, to 1 pr shackles, 3.00," and on 8 April 1848 he charged "County dr to pin in lock, to ironing prisoner." An 1873 map shows his shop on Main Street near Griffing Avenue, a short walk (then and now) from the courthouse and jail. He also did some maritime work, such as a 10 May 1844 charge for "Sloop Suffolk dr to fixing anchor and chain," and for the Long Island Railroad which came to Riverhead in 1844. He billed on 1 April 1848 for "Rail road by Bolan to laying steel in 2 bars, to welding broken bar, to fixing shackle bar." Wagons, spades, hoops, and cranks were among his other projects. On the front pastedown of the second volume, Moore has recorded the birthdates of his parents and siblings, as well as a recipe for wine.