Five Editions of the NEW-ENGLAND PRIMER
Collection of various early 19th-century printings of the influential American educational book, demonstrating its evolution over more than three decades.
Very good to fair.
Price: $400.00
Five Editions of the NEW-ENGLAND PRIMER
"Americans begin to memorialize the past at the moment when they fear its passing."– Roberts
THE NEW-ENGLAND PRIMER went through numerous editions since its first in 1727, shifting in content subtly over the decades to best fit the needs of consumers. Ira Webster intended for his 1844 reprinting of the 1777 PRIMER, included in this set, "to offer a more 'authentic' edition, stripped of the corruptions that had slipped into the text, and by implication into American society" (Roberts); he chose this edition thanks to its proximity to the Revolutionary War and its inclusion of American founders such as John Hancock. Roberts speculates that this desire for an idealized colonial past arose from "the upheavals of Jacksonian America or the looming threat of a cataclysmic civil war," and notes Webster's edition's nostalgic impact on mid-19th-century readers.
The circa 1815 and 1820 editions of the PRIMER in this set are examples of what Webster would flag as "corrupted." It is interesting to compare their alphabets side-by-side with the Webster 1844 and 1849 editions in order to note the slight content and illustration changes. Meanwhile, the content of the American Tract Society edition from 1850 reverted back to the pre-Webster form, with the addition of more sophisticated and frequent illustrations. This selection of books demonstrates that, though nostalgia can be an effective marketing tool, the 19th century American market for educational material was very different from that of the 18th century.
Read more: Charles F. Heartman, "The New-England Primer;" Kyle B. Roberts, "Rethinking the New-England Primer."
The Object
Boston / Worcester / Hartford / New York: James Loring / S. A. Howland / Ira Webster / The American Tract Society, [circa 1815-1850]. 4'' x 2.5'' (1815 ed.); 4.5'' x 3'' (1820 ed.); 4.25'' x 3.25'' (1844 ed.); 4.25'' x 3'' (1849 ed.); 4.5'' x 3'' (1850 ed.). Editions included: THE NEW-ENGLAND PRIMER, IMPROVED, Boston: James Loring, circa 1815; THE NEW ENGLAND PRIMER, Worcester: S. A. Howland, circa 1820; THE NEW-ENGLAND PRIMER, IMPROVED, Hartford: Ira Webster, 1844; THE NEW-ENGLAND PRIMER, IMPROVED, Hartford: Ira Webster, 1849; A CHILD'S PRIMER, TAKEN FROM "THE NEW ENGLAND PRIMER," New York: The American Tract Society, circa 1850. 1815, 1844, and 1849 editions in original scaleboard bindings, quarter leather with blue paper; 1820 edition in original pictorial wrapper; 1850 edition in later blank wrapper. Each edition illustrated in black-and-white. 1815 edition with [52] pages; 1820 edition, 64 pages; 1844 edition, [84] pages; 1849 edition, [84] pages; 1850 edition, 61 [1] pages. Ownership inscriptions to 1849 and 1850 editions, bookplate to front pastedown of 1844 edition. 1815 edition lacks majority of rear board and last 5 leaves, with loss to front cover; pages quite worn and used, but sound. 1820 edition with some rubbing and soiling, but remains tight. 1844 and 1849 editions with some warping and edgewear to boards, occasional soiling to leaf margins. 1850 edition with light soiling to wrapper and small chips at edges, else clean.
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