THE ECHO, WITH OTHER POEMS. 1807

[New York]: Printed at the Porcupine Press by Pasquin Petronius, [1807]. Collected edition. Full leather; gilt stamped black morocco spine label; gilt decorations on spine. 22 cm. xv, [1], 331, [11] pp., [8] leaves of plates [printed in black], including the frontis. and title page. Copyrighted by Noah Bailey on Jan. 17, 1807. Half title; engraved title page. Ex-library, stamp of the American Antiquarian Society at head of title page. Previous ownership signature of F.M. Peck, April 1845. A pencil note on the verso of the engraved title indicates that no record was found in contemporary accounts of a "Noah Bailey." Front joint cracked and separating, rear joint starting, spine mottled and scuffed, upper outer corner of p. 94 torn away, taking a few words in the first two lines of text, some foxing to plates. The plates by Elkanah Tisdale and engraved by Wm. S. Leney include one showing a group of African Americans in ballroom attire dancing to fiddle music, and illustrating a poem (originally printed in the American Mercury in 1793) describing the "Equality Ball given to the Negroes of Boston by Governor Hancock...." American Imprints 11971 [giving the author as Richard Alsop]. Wegelin 1266 [by Richard Alsop, Lemuel Hopkins, T. Dwight, & others]. BAL 1315. Item #69807

The American Antiquarian Society describes this publication as a collection of works, some of which were first published in the 1790s: "Originally issued in twenty numbers. Publication commenced in the American mercury, Hartford, Conn., Aug. 8, 1791, but when the pieces became 'politically embarrassing to the Democratic Mercury,' the series was continued, beginning in Aug. 1795, in the Federalist Connecticut courant where the final number appeared on Mar. 4, 1805. The first number of the Echo was written by Richard Alsop and Theodore Dwight. Later numbers also included contributions by Mason F. Cogswell, Elihu H. Smith and Lemuel Hopkins. This collected edition, published in 1807, includes other satirical works (including poems originally written as carriers' addresses) by members of the Connecticut Wits."

Price: $125.00