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AFTER 1820
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AMERICAN BIBLES PART
I
POST-1820 ORDERED
BY DATE
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Bible.
N.T. French. 1824. Ostervald. Le nouveau testament de notre seigneur Jésus-Christ... seconde édition Américaine. Boston: J.H.A. Frost, 1824. 12mo (18.2 cm, 7.1"). 379, [5 (1 blank)] pp.
$600.00


Early American edition of the translation by eminent Swiss Protestant Jean Frédéric Ostervald, based on a Paris edition and following 1811 and 1814 U.S. printings. Likely intended for use among French Canadians and French émigrés in the United States, this is a good
example of an early American printing of a complete Testament, either Old or New, in French.
Shoemaker 15382. Contemporary speckled sheep, worn and abraded, spine with gilt-stamped leather title label. Front pastedown with early numerical inscription. Outer margins of last few leaves waterstained; some pages with mild cockling or light spotting, others with varying degrees of age-toning.
Bible. N.T. German. 1825. Luther. Das Neue Testament unsers Herrn und Heilandes Jesu Christi, nach der deutschen Uebersetzung von Dr. Martin Luther.... Carlisle (Pa.): Gedruckt und zu haben bey Moser & Peters, 1825. 8vo. (17 cm, 6.75"). 511, [1] pp., [2] ff. (lacking pp. 101–104); 12 plts.
$200.00
Stereotyped edition with 12 woodcut plates, and the fifth printing (but second edition) of the German New Testament by Johann B. Moser and Gustav Sigmund Peters of Carlisle, Pa.
Provenance: 20th-century booklabel of Michael Zinman on front pastedown, along with pencilled ownership inscription of Margaret Lache.
Not in O’Callaghan; not in Darlow & Moule; Arndt, The First Century of German Language Printing in the United States of America, 2724; Shoemaker 19698. Contemporary calf with raised bands; remnants of clasps. Calf scratched with some rubbing; spine a little warped. Some dog-earing and shallow tattering; lightly to moderately age-spotted throughout; pp. 17–18, 257-60 detached. No loss or obscuring of text due to the above, but two pages in Mark, pp. 101–104, lacking.
Bible. O.T. Psalms. English. Paraphrases. 1827. Watts. The Psalms, hymns, & spiritual songs ... to which are added, select hymns from other authors; and directions for musical expression. Boston: Samuel T. Armstrong and Crocker & Brewster,
[1827]. 12mo (15.6 cm, 6.2"). 496, [5]–156 pp.
$225.00
“Stereotype edition, carefully revised, and improved with Copious Indexes.” The editor was Samuel Worcester, who also selected the added hymns at the back of this volume.
Binding: Contemporary red straight-grain morocco, covers framed in gilt rolls, spine gilt extra, front cover gilt-stamped “John Bradley.” All edges marbled.
Shoemaker 31685. Binding as above, sides darkened, corners and spine rubbed, joints cracked with sewing holding but quite fragile. Fly-leaves with early pencilled ownership inscriptions and annotations. Light to moderate foxing. Separate title-page for second section (only) lacking.
Bible. English. 1828. Authorized (i.e., "King James Version"). H. & E. Phinney’s stereotype edition. The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments: Together with the Apocrypha.... Cooperstown, N.Y.: H. & E. Phinney, 1828. 4to (28 cm, 11"). Frontis.; 576, 99, [1 (blank)] pp.; pp. [577–78], 579–621, 618–19 (error in printing), 625–768 (lacking pp. 765–68); 20 plts. (incl. frontis.).
$5000.00
Single-click any image where the hand appears on
mouse-over, for an enlargement.


A copy of this Cooperstown, 1828 edition provided the basis
for Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible: He claimed to have been
especially inspired by God to restore the true original text of the Scriptures,
which had been corrupted by copyists, editors, and revisors. Using a copy of
this edition, including the Apocrypha, as his basis, he proceeded—without
benefit of knowing ancient languages and entirely by revelation—to dictate
additions, deletions, and changes to the text, which were written down by elders
of the Mormon Church and incorporated into what became known as the Joseph
Smith translation. This process of revision or “translation” was
begun in 1830 and the bulk of it was completed by the end of 1833. The result
is a unique text that differs from the Authorized Version in at least 3,410
verses, as well as substantially differing from all other versions of the Bible.
Many of the changes made purport to correct verses that imply that God is the
author of evil, while some others are on unique points of Mormon doctrine.

Pocket
New Testament — New
Hampshire, 1831
Bible. N.T. English. 1831. Authorized (i.e., “King James Version”). The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.... Exeter, N.H.: James Derby, 1831. 32mo (11.1 cm, 4.375"). 259, [1 (blank)] pp.
$150.00

“Stereotyped by the publisher,” this 32mo pocket New Testament is printed in two columns in small type set 16 lines to the inch.
O’Callaghan 213; Hills 765; not in Herbert. Straight-grained roan, covers gilt-ruled and spine gilt extra; rubbed, especially on spine, and corners bumped. Pp. 5–6 and 229–30 chipped on lower outer corner, with loss of part of page number from the former. Free endpapers chipped with loss; title-page partially detached in the gutter. Some old dog-ears, light foxing and occasional brown spots, and occasional light waterstaining.
An attractive, solid little American Testament.
Ojibwa / Chippewa
Bible. N.T. Ojibwa. 1833. James. Kekitchemanitomenahn gahbemahjeinnunk Jesus Christ, otoashke wawweendummahgawin. Albany: Packard & Van Benthuysen, 1833. 12mo (19.1 cm, 7.5"). 484 pp. (pagination skips 478 & 479, repeats 480 & 481).
$2000.00
Click the interior images for enlargements.
First edition of the earliest complete New Testament in Ojibwa (i.e., Chippewa), translated by Edwin James with the assistance of U.S. Army interpreter John Tanner. James (1797–1861), a Vermont-born scientist and physician, accompanied Major Stephen H. Long on his expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains in 1819–20; he later dedicated himself to the study of Native American languages.
Darlow & Moule 3025; Pilling, Algonquian, 257. On James, see: Dictionary of American Biography, IX, 576. Period-style quarter tan cloth with light blue paper–covered sides, spine with printed paper label. Pages foxed. One leaf with
tear from upper margin extending into top five lines of text, without loss; two leaves with inner margins repaired some time ago. (21002)
Bible. O.T. Psalms. English. Selections. 1835. Psalms, in metre, selected from the Psalms of David. [New York: Swords, Stanford & Co., 1835?]. 12mo (19 cm, 7.5"). 130, [2 (blank)] pp. (lacking pp. 1/2). [with]
Hymns of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the United States of America. New York: Swords, Stanford & Co., 1837. 12mo. 132 pp.
$200.00
Psalms and hymns in two stereotype editions from a New York publisher who specialized in Protestant works. The texts are given here without music; each portion has a table of first lines, with the Psalms providing an index of appropriate selections for particular subjects and occasions.
Binding: Contemporary red straight-grain morocco, covers framed in gilt roll, spine with gilt-stamped title and compartment decorations.
Provenance: Ownership initials of William R. Whittingham (G.R.W., the "William" being rendered as "Guillelmus" for his love of Latin), fourth Episcopal Bishop of Baltimore; stamp of an Episcopal Diocesan lending library.
Front joint almost entirely broken, back joint starting from top, head of spine chipped, with binding showing minor darkening and scuffing overall. Free endpapers excised. Front pastedown with rubber-stamp as above (no other institutional markings); first text page with inked ownership inscription as above dated [18]64. Title-page of first work lacking. Pages slightly age-toned, some creased; one leaf with lower outer corner torn away. Small emphasis marks to index of Hymns, with an additional manuscript entry in the table of first lines.
Bible.
English. 1835. Authorized (i.e., King James Version). The cottage
Bible.... Hartford: D.F. Robinson & H.F. Sumner, 1835. 4to (27.1 cm, 10.75").
2 vols. I: Frontis, 736 pp.; 8 plts. (incl. frontis.). II: Frontis., [1] f., pp.
737–1440 (pp. 1049–56 lacking & pp. 1057–64 repeated); 7
plts. (incl. frontis.)
$450.00
Reprint from stereotype plates of the 1833/34 edition. The Cottage Bible was prepared by Thomas Williams with extensive notes and re-editing by William Patton, and was probably so called as intended for use by families or other circles in the home setting—the term "Cottage Bible Study" being still used today in reference to small-group Bible discussion in private houses. The text is supplemented by “the references and marginal readings of the Polyglott Bible, together with original notes, and selections from Bagster’s Comprehensive Bible” and “a valuable chronological index” in addition to being “embellished with maps and engravings.” The
latter consist of a total of 15 steel-engraved plates (including five of maps) signed by J. Mitan, W. Allston, M. Osborne, James Smillie, J.B. Longacre, F. Kearney, J.A. Adams, and W. Keenan.


Provenance: Late-20th-century booklabel of Michael Zinman on front pastedown.
Not in Herbert, Hills, or O’Callaghan, but see Herbert 1802, Hills 818, and O’Callaghan 221–22. Contemporary sheep, spines with black and tan labels; leather scratched and abraded. Pp. 1049–56 lacking and pp. 1057–64 repeated. Pages generally clean and even bright; endpapers and many plate leaves however with foxing and age-toning, mostly light but sometimes darker (and off-setting from the plate leaves to adjoining pages).
Overall sound and serviceable.
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