Franklin And his Press at Passy. An Account of the Books, Pamphlets, and Leaflets Printed there, including the Long-Lost 'Bagatelles'
New York: The Grolier Club, 1914. viii, 216p. Original full gilt-stamped black morocco, elaborately gilt-decorated spine, raised bands, watered silk endpapes, top edge gilt, uncut. Limited first edition, one of 300 copies on Van Gelder paper, with many facsimiles of works and title pages from Franklin's press at Passy, very handsomely bound. When Franklin arrived in Paris in December 1776 as part of the American delegation to France, he quickly set up a private press at his residence in Passy where he published a number of small pieces and broadsides over the following nine years. "The history of Franklin's activities as a printer is an interesting subject. It is the some of the little things only, printed mainly for love of the business, for love of his friends, or for love of his country, and not for his pecuniary profit, that the following pages are devoted. Of insignificant value in themselves, these leaflets and broadsides, because of their intimate relation to Franklin's life in Paris, become unusually attractive, while their rarity commends them to the book-seller. Minor rubbing along the lower front hinge. An important contribution to Benjamin Franklin's activities in a very attractive binding. Small stamp from the Library of Congress on the inside rear cover which may explain the elaborate binding. Marked duplicate. Item #10217
Price: $450.00