Estimate: $150 - $300
A pair of books from the powerful Federalist Stephen Van Rensselaer’s library, each with an armorial bookplate— rare chance to own books from this remarkable family of early American landowners, businessmen, and politicians.
Bookplate, is unsigned but hesitantly attributed to Maverick (“probably”) by Charles Dexter Allen (American Book-Plates: A Guide…1905).
The history of the reign of Philip the Second, king of Spain.
Author: Watson, Robert, 1730?-1781.
Dublin, Price W. Watson; [etc., etc.], 1777. 2 volumes.
Period full leather bindings; bookplate of Stephen van Rensselaer in each volume, printed on a blue paper, the second found upside down on the inside back cover.
Text edges tinted blue. Some foxing along fore-edges. One or two corners turned.
Condition: while the text is VG or better, with minimal toning or foxing, the binding has not held up so well— joints are cracked, cover’s threatening to come loose; spine labels have long since dropped off; corners show board tips coming through.
Inquiries welcome.
