NEW YORK - As rare book and manuscript collectors and connoisseurs turn their attention to New York for the upcoming succession of antiquarian book shows and sales, The Curator’s Eye is pleased to present, for private sale, an offering of rare books and manuscripts including notable items from the United States. As part of its continuous online exhibition of the finest art and antiques from distinguished dealers across the globe, The Curator’s Eye (http://www.CuratorsEye.com) offers a distinctive range of objects, from a rare July 1776 Declaration of Independence to books describing Lewis and Clark’s landmark expedition in 1804.

Declaration of Independence

The offering includes a July, 1776 broadside of the Declaration of Independence, which is the earliest known publication in Massachusetts. It was published by Boston-born printer Ezekiel Russell (1744-1796), who is best known for his printings of the Declaration of Independence and his print on the Battles of Lexington and Concord, “A Bloody Butchery, by the British Troops.” The Declaration’s broadside’s original, four-column format makes it one of the rarest and most interesting of the printings. Including the example on The Curator’s Eye, only six copies are known, four of which are already in institutional collections. This is a rare opportunity for a private collector to own a foundational copy of the country’s government.

American Indian History

Another select American document available dates to the continued exploration of the American continent. Thomas L. McKenney and James Hall filled their History of the Indian Tribes of North America with beautiful biographical sketches and anecdotes of the principal chiefs in the 19th century. Published in Philadelphia between 1836 and 1844 in three volumes by Edward C. Biddle, Frederick W. Greenhough, and Daniel Rice and James G. Clark, respectively, this is one of the most important series dedicated to the American Indians. It is embellished with one hundred and twenty portraits from the Indian gallery in the Department of War, in Washington. The books include 120 hand-colored lithographed plates and an uncolored lithographed map.

Important Colonial American Atlas

Additionally, a rare American Atlas by Thomas Jefferys from 1776 is on offer. This superlative atlas is filled with 22 engraved maps, on 29 sheets, all with original outline color, and expertly bound to style in 18th-century diced Russia gilt leath. The compilation provides a “geographical description of the whole continent of America” and delineates “at large its several regions, countries, states, and islands; and chiefly the British colonies.” Notably, Jefferys’ American Atlas provided a comprehensive vision of the American colonies at the time of the War of Independence.

Lewis and Clark Expedition History

Two beautifully bound, gold-tooled first editions of History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, 1814 join the above pieces. Volume I is a large folding engraved "Map of Lewis and Clark's Track Across the Western Portion of North America" engraved by Samuel Harrison after Clark, plus two maps, while Volume II contains three maps. These books were published in Philadelphia by Bradford and Inskeep in 1814, with the landmark map, and are in a fine contemporary American binding.

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