WILLARD, S. (Solomon, 1783-1861); SMILLIE, James (1807-1885)

[American Revolution] Plans and Sections of the Obelisk on Bunker's Hill, with the Details of Experiments Made in Quarrying the Granite Stone; [offered with:] A Panoramic View from Bunker Hill Monument

Boston: [printed by Samuel N. Dickinson, Washington Street] / Published by Luther Stevens, 186 Washington Street, 1843 / [n.d., but 1848-1861]. Two works documenting the first public obelisk in the United States and the technology developed to create it. First (and only) Edition of the Willard, quite scarce. Royal 8vo (340 x 253 mm): [5],6-31,[1]pp, with 14 inserted leaves (including frontispiece) of plates (one folding). Original drab boards, brown muslin spine, upper cover with publisher's paper title label ruled and printed in black. Inscribed on front fly-leaf in pencil: "Charles W. Pearson, August 13, 185?" A handsome survival, tightly bound (hinges neatly reinforced with Japanese tissue), pages and plates generally clean and free of foxing, with occasional smudges and stains. American Imprints 43-5291; Hitchcock 1409. The second work, by Smillie: Slim demy 8vo (223 x 175mm): 16pp, with frontispiece view of the monument, engraved by E. A. Fowle from a drawing by R. P. Mallory, seven-part accordion-fold panoramic view (engraved for Drakes History of Boston) of 160 important sites and institutions (pp 2-12 provide "A key to the engraving"), and woodcut in text. Publisher's green paper-covered boards printed in black, rebacked with black cloth spine (mimicking the original). End sheets and first page of text tanned from binder's glue, else pages and plates (including folding panorama) fresh, bright, and free of foxing. Also issued, in 1848, by Redding & Co., 8 State Street, Boston, in brown cloth decorated in blind and gilt. Stokes & Haskell P.1855—G-37. Abbey (Life) 573 (for Mallory's panorama, issued by Redding). Item #BB2214

The Battle of Bunker Hill actually was fought on Breed's Hill, site of the Willard's Bunker Hill Monument, on June 17, 1775. The first monument, commemorating the major opening battle of the American Revolution, was an 18-foot wooden pillar with gilt urn, erected in 1794 by King Solomon's Lodge of Masons to honor the fallen patriot and mason, Major-General Dr. Joseph Warren, who was killed during the battle's third and final assault. From 1824 to 1842, Willard designed and built the present monument, a 221-foot tall granite obelisk, for which he also developed the granite quarry, in Quincy, Massachusetts, that provided stone. The first railroad in the country was built to transport granite from that quarry to the waterfront, where it was taken by boat to Charlestown and hauled to the building site. N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).

Price: $1,399.00