The Picture of Philadelphia, Giving an Account of its Origin, Increase and Improvements in Arts, Sciences, Manufactures, Commerce and Revenue

Philadelphia: B. & T. Kite, 1811. Hardcover. Very Good. "With a compendious view of its societies, literary, benevolent, patriotic, & religious, its police--the public buildings--the prison and penetentiary system--institutions, monied and civil--museum." For Sale by B. & T. Kite and Joseph Delaplaine; printed by Jane Aitken. xii, 376 pages, [1] folded leaf of a plate (frontispiece): tables; 18 cm. Late 20th-century? calf with five spine compartments between gilt rules; red leather label in second compartment with gilt-tooled title. The frontispiece is a view of Philadelphia from Kensington, engraved by J. Seymour. Includes errata, and list of subscribers. Bookplate on front fixed endpaper of the Connecticut Historical Society indicating that it was "Presented by Subscribers for the Patterson Library. 1893." Inscribed at head of title page: "D. Williams Patterson M.D. with the regards of Jno. A. McAllister." John A. McAllister (1822-1896) was an antiquarian collector in Philadelphia. David Williams Patterson (1824-1892) spent two decades working as a dentist before retiring from that occupation and devoting himself to genealogy and history. His extensive collection of manuscripts and books was acquired by the Connecticut Historical Society in 1894. A more recent owner had the book rebound, retaining the original endpapers and repairing the frontispiece, which is lacking the lower left-hand corner but retains most of the image, which is a striking early 19th-century view of the city of Philadelphia. In Very Good Condition: ink on lower page edges; frontispiece repaired, as noted; minimal soiling and foxing internally; otherwise solid and attractive.