Lucy Boston; or, Woman's Rights and Spiritualism: illustrating The Follies and Delusions of the Nineteenth Century.
Auburn & Buffalo: John E. Beardsley, ND [ 1855 ]. Second issue of NY Edition? Hardcover. Octavo. 406p. + 10pp publisher's catalogue. Original green cloth with elaborate blind-stamped decorations on boards, gilt-lettering on spine. The spine title reads: "Fun and Follies," presumably a reference to "The Follies and Delusions of the Nineteenth Century" of the sub-title. Additional engraved title-page & four black and white plates. A novel satirizing both the movement for women's rights and spiritualism. Amongst other fancies the author imagines that chaos that would ensue were the New York state government to be taken over by a group of angry suffragists, acting on instructions received by mediums from an odd collection of spirits "from the other side" including those of John Calvin and Tom Paine. The author dedicates the work to "T. P. Munrab" - obviously an acronym of P. T. Barnum, the famous showman and hoaxer - apparently out of respect for his famous "Fiji Mermaid" hoax, and with the suggestion that he was king of the fraudsters, presumably paving the way for all others such as spiritualists. This appears to be a reissue of the New York Alden and Beardsley issue of 1855 - it retains the 1855 copyright date, but has no date on the title page. It is also somewhat more cheaply produced, having only four plates rather than the seven plates and frontispiece of the earlier issue. Spine a little faded, rubbed & slightly frayed at ends, cloth well-rubbed and a bit darkened with some chafing to corners of boards. Page-edges browned, endpapers discolored, occasional minor marks to pages throughout, otherwise a solid Good + copy. Item #44214
Price: $75.00