Jay T. Snider Collection. Featuring the History of Philadelphia and Important Americana. [ Bloomsbury Auctions, auction catalogue, sale date: 19 November, 2008 ]

Bloomsbury Auctions, New York, auction catalogue for the sale held on 19th November, 2008. Illustrated laminated boards, folio,. pp, plates, profusely illustrated in colour. 375 lots. From the introduction: "Presented here in chronological order, the collection reveals grand themes in both Philadelphia and our national history. From Pennsylvania's founding as a place where the Society of Friends could practice without persecution, religious freedom has been a core belief. The struggle to preserve such fundamental fioerties is evident throughout the first half of the sale: William Keith's letter to King George requesting that the Pennsylvania Quakers be allowed to forego the Christian qualification oath (lot 44]; the original manuscript of the Paxton Boy's Remonstrance to Governor John Penn calling for equal apportionment in the Assembly (102); the natural rights declared by Thomas Jefferson and John Dickinson in their Declaration on the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms (lot 328). Within the chronological order of this sale, the rise and fall of the Quakers can be clearly seen; from the city's wealthy aristocrats in the early 18th century to being jailed and exiled on suspicion of treason during the American Revolution. A larger theme and force is present here: class conflict. Although the history of Philadelphia is largely intertwined with the history of the Quakers in America, it is often forgotten how many others immigrated to the region. From the Proprietor's conflicts with the Lower Counties (lot 37), to the fears of lending the city's artisans paper currency (lot 51) to the Paxton Boys and Whiskey rebellions, tension between classes informs the pre 18QQ history of Philadelphia. The sale is particularly rich in the history of colonial printing within the Middle Colonies, with particular emphasis on that region's most famous printers; William Bradford and Benjamin Franklin. The safe includes what very well may be the earliest obtainable William Bradford Philadelphia imprint (lot 15), the earliest documented book sold and probably bound by Bradford Oct 15) arid Bradford's very first book printed in New York (lot 17). No sale about Philadelphia could possibly be complete without a significant selection of Benjamin Franklin material. Besides an impressive array of imprints, including a lovely copy of Cato Major (lot 63) and several in their original wrappers, the Snider collection includes what is easily the most significant Franklin item to appear at auction in decades: a recently-discovered bound volume containing 264 forms, each printed by Franklin in his first year of business (lot 51). " Author/Artist Index and Reference Index.