A generally well preserved example of what has come to be known as, The George Washington Bible. Now increasingly scarce on the market.
Barely two years into George Washington's first term as President, Washington was pleased to join the firm of Hodge & Campbell of New York in producing and printing the first American edition of John Brown's influential family Bible. The plan was ambitious. It would be produced in a significant folio binding, measuring nearly 18 inches in height. It would be freshly typeset, handsomely bound, and illustrated throughout with freshly commissioned full page engravings engraved by William Rollinson [1762-1842].
To secure its financial viability, George Washington agreed to be advertised as its first subscriber, as indeed he appears in large type at the head of the subscriber's list. His name is accompanied by more than one thousand others, including Supreme Court Justice John Jay, etc.
It was a uniquely American production, including a freshly created frontispiece depicting Lady America donning an Indian headdress, holding the Constitution. Beside her on a pillar are the names of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, etc., and other important American Founders. The personification of Liberty stands beside her, while another figure, probably the personification of peace, hands America the Holy Scriptures.
The present example is a subscriber's copy, having belonged to William Post of New York [1738-1804]. He is listed in the subscriber's list and the genealogical section contains his family information, etc.
Brown, John. The Self-Interpreting Bible: Containing the Sacred Text of the Old and New Testaments. Translated from the Original Tongues, and with the former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised. To which are Annexed, Marginal References and Illustrations, an Exact Summary of the Several Books, a Paraphrase of the Most Obscure or Important Parts, an Analysis of the Contents of Each Chapter, Explanatory Notes, and Evangelical Reflections. By the Late Reverend John Brown, Minister of the Gospel at Haddington. New-York. Printed by Hodge and Campbell and Sold at their Respective Book Stores. 1792. First Edition.
Wonderful to find this with all points in order. The binding is original and very attractive, though both boards are detached. The frontis full-page engraving described above is present. Many copies come to market with this specific engraving excised, having been excised to sell separately. And the Subscriber's list, including George Washington as the first and most prominent subscriber, is present. Again, this is absent from some examples. All of the called for plates are present as well. In terms of completeness, this is a better example than that held in The Bible Museum collection.
As indicated in photographs, unevenly dampstained throughout. Illustrations show the effect range, from clean and crisp, to some pages with significant tide marks as shown. A few paper repairs sprinkled throughout.
