multifaceted study of America's first important silversmith company
925078
Since many of the photographs are in private collections, this book is the only place to see them. But beyond the generously-sized color photographs which are the first element that catches one's attention, one finds that the book is made up of different parts knowledgeably brought together and skillfully arranged. In other hands, these diverse topics might seem eclectic or like an anthology. But here the various visual matter and content flows seamlessly; so that the reader does not have to shift gears, but is drawn on to the oncoming handsome photographs and informative, expert text. "Silversmiths to the Nation" is a visual treat, incomparable historical and artistic text on the famed silversmith partnership, and invaluable reference for students, collectors, and dealers.

  The co-authors and three contributors named on the title page put the important silversmiths and their firm in the social context of their time of the early 1800s, particularly the leading role of the city of Philadelphia and the emergence of a wealthy upper middle class. The merchants, professionals, and the like of this class sought fine household objects, including ones with uniquely American symbols and design expressing the pride, confidence, and growing power of the relatively new nation. Fletcher and Gardiner's resplendent presentation pieces for heroes of the United State's victory over Great Britain in the War of 1812 brought the firm to wide notice and marked a new level of design and production for silver pieces.

  Following the six illustrated chapters of thematic material taking up almost half the book is an illustrated catalog of 88 Fletcher and Gardiner individual pieces or sets. This catalog goes with an exhibition which moves from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City), the Winterthur Museum (Delaware), and the Society of the Four Arts (Palm Beach, FL) over 2008. This connection with the exhibition is kept subtle, however, so as not to narrowly define this work or limit interest in it with its content which exceeds considerably a typical exhibition catalog. The entries for each silver piece or set in the catalog section describe its dimensions, design details, and when applicable its inscription; and this is followed by information on its origination and history. For example, short profiles of individuals such as war heroes a piece was specifically produced for are given. In other cases, the consumer interest or design idea is briefly discussed. One hot water urn, for example, was produced to meet the "growing popularity of coffee and tea". In many cases, the details of the background of silver objects include who they were first sold to.

  Then after the endnotes come four appendices; the first one being "Marks of the Firm and Its Associates" with clear, close-up photographs of the marks, the others concerning genealogy of Fletcher and Gardiner and documents of theirs. The bibliography is four and a half pages.
4771682
A terrific volume for anyone interested in silver or the traditions at Oxford.
2847090
I had the pleasure of working with AJ during his research on the first papers used for United States postal stamps, and have followed his continuing interest and research in the history of rag paper. I serve as the historian for Crane & Co., Inc., which has made rag paper since 1770, so you can understand my interest in this newest chronicle. The history of rag paper continually intersects with the history of America and especially New England. Because the archives of rag papermakers located in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts are so extensive, the author is able to make many of those connections throughout the 19th century.

Many of the stories associated with rag papermaking are rich and entertaining from our 21st-century digital perch. AJ Valente has proved himself a careful and detailed student of history and an excellent story-teller at the same time.

Peter Hopkins
1296308
High quality gloss paper and luminescent color plates of his work reveal the gem- like quality of tiffany glass. The small hand-size format make this book accessible. It's full of historical and personal tidbits and reveals 11 identifiers to assist in authenticating the real McCoy.
2351263
A detailed reference for Buffalo and Jefferson Nickles that gives a good history of the design and production of these coins. It includes a detailed description and photo of each year the coins have been produced and has information about variations found for each year.
1308234
Terlingua was a very remote town in south-western Texas in the Big Bend region--a town that only came to exist because deposits of mercury were found in the area. This book tells of the history of this remote mining town and the Chicago-bred "quicksilver" baron, Howard Perry, who founded it and ran it for years almost as a feudal lord more than a businessman. Well-researched and with an emphasis on ethnic conflict between white Americans and Mexican workers in the area that is welcome but surprising considering the book was written in the late 1970s before ethnocultural/labor studies historiography was much in style with mainstream historians in the South, this book is a very crucial volume to anyone interested in western Texas, the Big Bend, mining history, or company towns. The writing is strong, inviting, and while not of the nearly-novel-like trend some contemporary historians take on, it's a book you'll find hard to put down if you're into the topic. Dr. Ragsdale has apparently written several other books on Texan history which I now am keen to read.
3669564
The M&eacute;tis, the mixed families of Native (or First American) and Europeans, characterized the face of fur trade North America. This book explains the processes that formed the social underpinnings of the fur trade economics and its many descendant M&eacute;tis families. Van Kirk gives lie to the image of the solitary American fur trapper. Many Tender Ties is the single most critical resource on this subject for students of Americana, genealogists, historians, scholars, and more. The book was originally based on a Ph. D. dissertation, has been extensively revised since then, and is well footnoted. Men of all ranks in the fur trade formed alliances with indigenous peoples through marriage &agrave; la faon du pays (in the custom of the country). Van Kirk argues that both Native women and European men both realized multiple benefits from these kin alliances, and the economic role of Native wives was crucial to the survival of fur trade posts. Over 50 illustrations highlight topical themes raised in the book. Cultures in contact and fur trade society were shaped by such marital alliances.
1167329
Len does a terrific job weaving history, numismatics, law, and lore, backed by extensive research to spin a masterful tale. As the story goes, two poor boys find a sizable accumulation of gold coins from 1834 through 1856 (including the mega-coin, an 1856-O $20) in the basement of a slum in Baltimore in 1934. Naturally, the coins change their fortunes, along with those of their families, forever, but in ways which are not entirely expected. The book deals a lot with the legal challenges for ownership of the coin, which are indeed complex, but fascinating. There are twists and turns in the story line, and while you never know exactly what is going to happen in the end (and I am not going to tell you), a Hollywood ending never really seems in the cards.

Len has a polished, professional writing style that is very smooth and readable. The research goes deep and touches upon many aspects of the history of the City of Baltimore from the early 1800's through the Depression. Despite that the subject is relatively esoteric, anyone who enjoyed Tripp's Illegal Tender or Frankel's Double Eagle (both written about the 1933 Saint) would find this book to be equally pleasing.
4055619
"The History of the American Locomotive" is a highly detailed study of locomotives in the mid 19th Century. Its 504 pages contain hundreds of b&w photos and engineering drawings.  There are chapters on locomotive builders, construction materials, types of locomotives, performance, fuel, boilers, running gear, and other miscellaneous parts.  It also has detailed studies on twenty-four representative locomotives from 1829 to 1870 (with an average of 8 1/2pages each).

This is a very technical study intended for those who are already familiar with the subject(s), but he writes well enough that the general reader can still enjoy it.

If you are a 19th century railroad buff (and like this kind of detail) then you will love Mr. White's other books "The American Railroad Freight Car" and "The American Railroad Passenger Car".  John White was the Curator of Transportation at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

19th Century railroad history buffs will also enjoy George Hilton's "American Narrow Gauge Railroads"
1964212
Larry Lankton has achieved a great deal in bringing us closer to the early history of Michigan's Copper Country, to help us experience this rugged region in a rugged time as though we had lived there and in those days ourselves.  This book, his latest, concerns private life during the first decades of the great Copper Rush on the shores of Lake Superior, which began some five years before the California Gold Rush and which was one of the most productive mining eras in human history (did you realize that?).  Like many similar books on old times, Lankton's chapters are topical.  Some are more interesting than others, and my favorites are the chapter concerning the early frontiersmen, young and scraggly bucks, who first came to the wilds of the Keweenaw Peninsula; another about labor at the early Copper Mines; and finally the one on crime in the early mining communities out in a region that was once at the edge of civilization.  Lankton writes in an easy, congenial manner and bounces from topic to topic within the chapters without any organizational principle other than what he thinks we readers might find interesting about life in the woods and at the copper mines.  Though this is not a book to start with when studying the Copper Country and its deep history, it is nonetheless a first-rate addition to the literature of the Keweenaw.  (By the way, I live summers in Copper Harbor and my great-grandparents were all Finnish immigrants to the Keweenaw.)  Thanks for a job well done, Larry.
4689702
This book is an insightful and important contribution for those interested in exploring the knowledge of metal forming. Longhi and Eid bring a new level of accessibility by communicating these processes so well through imagery and their descriptions. Drawing on their combined decades of experience they have succeeded in creating a new milestone for the metal arts field. Congratulations!
2582540
This book has so many wonderful pictures to help identify American Silver thimbles. Where they were made and the time frame that they were manufactured. It's a great reference book and I do not believe it is still published.
2497991
A very complete and interesting history of one of Americas first electronic companies.  Written by Dr. John Sprague, Son of Founder who has a close understanding of both the marketing and technical aspects of the business.  Several of the Sprague divisions still successfully operating under new names 86 years after the founding.
1686042
Excellent resource.  Author even has suggestions about how to "get started" collecting Morgan Silver Dollars.  Clearly explained "grading methods."  I bring this book with me everywhere.  It is so interestingly organized.  It is more than a research book, it is an accurate historical, yet practical resource of these coins.
762336
This is the most recent, and most thorough book on the subject of the Harker Pottery, which began its life in East Liverpool Ohio, and finished in Chester, West Virginia, just across the Ohio River.  The company played its part in helping this tri-state area become the nation's Pottery Capital from the 1880s to the present.  The book will be of interest to collectors of Harker and other American pottery, descendants of the family, and history buffs in general.  The authors have compiled the most exhaustive collection of Harker backstamps in existence as well - over two hundred of them, compared with dozens found in earlier books.  For anyone interested in the rise and fall of one American company from the early years in the mid 19th century through the latter half of the 20th, this is a wonderful book.  It will also be a great book for all interested in the changing tastes of the American consumer during the same time period. The color photographs are clear, the text interesting...I have nothing but praise for this book.
220449
"History of Leadville and Lake County, Colorado," mainly by Don L. Griswold, is unique to my experience.  This massive book is much more nearly like a website of local history news postings.  Since a great many people were in and out of the Leadville area in the city's formative years, this book could easily be of interest to readers and researchers with anything from passing to intense interest in Leadville history,  Personally, I used it to research a New Hampshire, Maine, and Minnesota family.  A great deal of information coming out of this book would have been difficult and most often impossible to come by without it.  The Griswolds pulled together a local history book on a vast scale.  Because of its size and equivalent cost, it is not for everyone.  But "History of Leadville and Lake County" is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the people, situations, and events in the early history of this city in the clouds.  Specialists may find material here that the authors/compilers were not fully aware of.  Patience is likely to be rewarded.
1206437
As a watch collector and enthusiast, I was excited to read this book and learn more about the legendary collections of Henry Graves, Jr. and James Ward Packard. Interestingly enough, in spite of the fact that Henry Graves, Jr. was arguably the most important collector of Patek Philippe timepieces during the 20th Century, hardly anything was ever publicly written or known about him. Author Stacy Perman takes us behind the scenes at Sotheby's and the ultra-secretive Patek Philippe, where she shows us multi-million dollar deals taking place, and delves into the high-stakes world of watch collecting at its highest level. Consider that a mere 15 years ago, less than half a dozen timepieces had ever sold for more than $1 million, whereas in 2013, it is not at all uncommon for a rare collectible watch to sell for over $1M at public auction...and you can imagine some of the drama that takes place among the top collectors and dealers. But what makes this book a particularly compelling read is how Stacy Perman has brought Henry Graves, Jr. and the Graves family to life. No one on Earth is more of an expert on Graves and the Graves family than author Stacy Perman, and thanks to her book, we now know how and when Henry acquired many of his most famous timepieces (many of which occupy a place of honor in the Patek Philippe Museum). And yet, Henry still has his secrets. For example, the author talks about how Graves commissioned a SECOND Patek Supercomplication during the 1920s....a watch that has been missing for nearly 80 years. If it were to be found and offered for sale at public auction, it would be the horological equivalent of finding another Mona Lisa. What's also so unique about the book is how author Stacy Perman places the competition between Packard and Graves within a historical/socio-economic context. It came at a time when the American economy was changing, and although both men represented very different types of wealth (banking versus manufacturing, self-made millions versus inherited millions), the real story is how consumerism became such an integral part of American life. So, in a sense, the book is not simply about watches and watch collecting, nor is it simply a book about American consumerism during the early 20th Century. It is, in fact, a character study of two driven men who -- for approximately 10 years -- pushed each other to acquire the world's most intricate, complicated timepiece....representing the efforts of dedicated Swiss watchmakers and businessmen. But it is also the story of 2 families and the horological legacy left behind by their patriarchs. It's truly a great read and I can't recommend it highly enough....you will love this book whether you are a watch collector or not.