Mar 10, 2020 - Sale 2533

Sale 2533 - Lot 257

Price Realized: $ 15,000
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 4,000 - $ 6,000
THE DAY WHICH LAUNCHED THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY WASHINGTON, GEORGE. His first inaugural address and an account of his inauguration, in an issue of the New-York Packet. 4 pages, 19 1/4 x 12 inches, on one folding sheet; foxing, moderate loss along folds, not affecting text of Washington's address. New York, 1 May 1789
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Additional Details

Much of this newspaper is devoted to the inauguration of George Washington in New York, published the day after the event. The ceremony is described in 5 inches of column space on page 2: "Yesterday at two o'clock was solemnly inaugurated into office, our Illustrious President." It shows the order of march from the Federal State House to the president's residence, and then back to the State House, followed by a description of the oath of office, taken "amidst the repeated huzzas and acclamations of a numerous and crouded audience."
This is followed by a full transcript of the president's address delivered in the Senate chamber, filling almost 3 columns: "I was summoned by my country, whose voice I can never hear but with veneration and love, from a retreat which I had chosen with the fondest predilection." This is followed by the order of march from the State House to the services at St. Paul's Church, followed by an evening of fireworks and other festivities.
The New York Morning Post and Daily Advertiser's coverage on the morning of 1 May was likely the first to press with inauguration coverage. We trace only one other daily newspaper active in New York in May 1789, the New York Daily Gazette (its inauguration issue turned up at another auction house in 2016), and one of the other biweekly newspapers may have also published on 1 May. However, this newspaper is certainly one of the very first appearances of Washington's address in print. No others known at auction.