19th Century Rare Book from Katz Fine Manuscripts Inc.

Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Fair with no dust jacket. Hardcover. On offer is a beautiful mid-19th century autograph book belonging to a young Rhode Island woman named Nancy Witherell. This small autograph book, so popular in pre-Civil War America, measures 7.75 inches by 6.0 inches and contains 96 pages. It is 26% complete. The book includes… Read more about this item

United States Legislature. Fair with no dust jacket. Hardcover. On offer is an autograph album circa 1830-1861, coinciding with the 29th through 34th United States Congresses, which ran from 1845 to 1857. The autographs contained within include 262 United States Senators and Congressmen. The majority of the autographs do not have accompanying dates, however one signer… Read more about this item

New York City, United States. Poor with no dust jacket. 1854. None. On offer is an interesting diary/notebook dating from mid 19th century New York City. Nearly one half of the book is devoted to what the diarist refers to as “Maxims” - a collection of sayings and reflections that he feels are important enough to write… Read more about this item

Charlotte Hall Military Academy, Maryland. Good with no dust jacket. 1865. Hardcover. On offer is an interesting journal of an American student of Marylands Charlotte Hall Military Academy immediately following the Civil War. The author of this journal is Ethan Allen Jones II. He was born in Maryland in 1851 and passed away in 1932 at the… Read more about this item

Iowa. Fair with no dust jacket. 1854. Hardcover. On offer is a fascinating composition book dating to the mid-19th century in pioneer America. This composition book was written by T. D. Nowlin. Nowlin was born in 1838, likely in Iowa as his family was closely involved in the creation of the State of Iowa. He was 16… Read more about this item

Very Good with no dust jacket. 1814. Softcover. On offer is a centuries-old superb example of a mathematics cipher (or cypher) book. The author's name is inscribed on the inside front cover but would require an expert in copperplate printing to decipher it. However, the date is quite clear – 1814. This handwritten journal of mathematical … Read more about this item

New Jersey. Fair with no dust jacket. 1860. Softcover. On offer is a remarkable artifact from the great days of sail and maritime enterprise in 19th century America. The first page of the manuscript bears the name "OHIO" and "American Line". The author notes that this manuscript includes “Foreign List of Corespondents [sic]…and List of Vessels Arriving… Read more about this item

On offer is an account of water rights and management dating from the late 19th century in upstate New York. This hardcover book measures 9 inches by 8 inches, contains 286 pages, and is 100 percent complete. The front cover is detached and the spine is worn, but the pages are in very good condition and… Read more about this item

On offer is a group of three diaries containing a treasure trove of local residents and organizations written by George W. Howe, a veteran of the American Civil War and prominent member of his local community. The diaries are dated 1894, 1895, and 1897, and measure 5.75 inches by 3.5 inches, 7 inches by 3.25 inches,… Read more about this item

United States: Transcription of 19th Century Detective Play. Fair with no dust jacket. 1894. Hardcover. On offer is an outstanding example of the type of melodramatic stage productions that were popular in 19th century America. The script is of a transcribed, handwritten copy of a manuscript entitled "Plot and Passions", originally authored by the English dramatist, critic… Read more about this item

UNITED STATES, 1864. On offer is a most unusual, original notebook dating from the middle of the 19th Century. The notebook measures 8 inches by 6 inches. It contains 44 pages and is 90% complete. The hardboard cover has separated from the spine and at some point in the past, an attempt was made to secure it with tape. All… Read more about this item

New York NY. Good. 1861. On offer is a handwritten notebook of formulations written by one of America's foremost chemists of the 19th century. The hardbound book measures 7.5 inches by 4.5 inches and contains 112 pages. The book is about 67% complete. The cover has some wear marks and is stamped with the name of… Read more about this item

NEW YORK, NY. Good+. 1889. On offer is a most unique, original medical student's notebook. Its importance goes far beyond the simple notetaking involved. Dating from 1899, this book measures 7 3/4 inches by 5 inches and has 148 pages. The cover is a hardboard cover with a taped binding. All of the pages are intact.… Read more about this item

DÉPARTEMENT INDRE-ET-LOIRE, FRANCE, FR. Good+. 1893. On offer is a unique relic from fin de siècle France, an 1893 original manuscript book of Regiment Bugle Songs, from the 66th Infantry. The inside of the front cover gives the specific information: “Durand, Albert. Caporal Clairon 66ème Régiment d’Infanterie à Tours Indre et Loire”. Durand was ‘Caporal Clairon’… Read more about this item

Very Good. 1800. On offer is an exceptional relic of turn of the 19th Century scientific knowledge. The book in question is a large 260 page handwritten tome, touching on a tremendous array of subjects and topics, such as astronomy, cosmology, natural history, advanced mathematics, physics, and more. The book dates from somewhere between 1790 and… Read more about this item

ROSE ISLAND, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, RI. Good. 1885. On offer is a unique and interesting document from the history of war, weaponry, and the United States Navy. It is the “Report upon the Manufacture of Gun Cotton” produced by a seaman, B. C. Nielsen. The 16-page handwritten report, goes over a wide range of the creation, … Read more about this item

England. Good. 1890. On offer is a fascinating and unique book of 19th century engineering science. The book combines both printed and handwritten tables, charts and lists of formulas of standardized reference material mostly relating to Mechanical Engineering, that the author would’ve needed in their day to day job. These reference charts and lists include: “Horse-Powers… Read more about this item

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, FAUQUIER COUNTY, VA. Good. 1868. On offer is a notebook of fascinating ‘Greek Lectures’ taken at the University of Virginia in the mid-19th century. The student, and author of the book, is H. R. Green, M.D. and his teacher is Professor Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, one of the greatest classical scholars the United States has… Read more about this item

AUSTRIA, BAVARIA. Good. 1867. On offer is a German recipe book, filled with dozens of recipes geared toward baked goods, confections and sweet beverages such as liqueurs and after dinner drinks. Based on the handwriting, spelling, and recipes within, this “Rezepten Buch” most likely originated in Austria and Bavaria. The book is lacking cover. The front… Read more about this item

SILVER INLET MINE, SIBLEY PENINSULA ONTARIO CANADA. Good. 1876. On offer is an 1876 Metallurgical assay and analysis book of silver mining, only a few years after silver had been discovered at Silver Islet in Northwest, Ontario. The diary’s first page has a title: “Analyses & Assays made for the Silver Islet Mining Co. at Silver Islet,… Read more about this item