George WASHINGTON. ƒ?? Charles Henry WHARTON (1748-1833). A Poetical Epistle to George Washington

George WASHINGTON. – Charles Henry WHARTON (1748-1833).

A Poetical Epistle to George Washington … by Wharton … From the original manuscript belonging to David Pulsifer. Boston: printed for .. Pulsifer. For sale by A. Williams & Co., 1881. Small 8vo (7 ¼ x 4 7/8ins; 183 x 124mm). Pp.[i-ii; 1-] 106. (Some toning, small hole and clean tears to front blank, see images). Original blue cloth, upper cover blocked in gilt, floral endpapers (cloth bumped and slightly scuffed, see images). Provenance: Harriet P. Poore (inscription on front blank from David Pulsifer, dated 1889); Mellinger & Florence Henry (bookplate, ‘collectors’ of folksongs).

Author's presentation copy. David Pulsifer ’studied in the district schools, and then went to Salem to learn bookbinding, where, in handling old records, his taste for antiquarian research was first developed. Subsequently, he served as clerk in county courts and transcribed several ancient books of records. In 1853 the governor of Massachusetts called the attention of the executive council to the perishing condition of the early records and recommended that the two oldest volumes of the general court records should be printed at the expense of the state. Ephraim M. Wright and Nathaniel B. Shurtleff were appointed to take charge of the printing, and Pulsifer, who was acknowledged to be especially skilful in deciphering the chirography of the 17th century, was charged with the copying.

Pulsifer had previously copied the first volume for the American Antiquarian Society. Of his work, Samuel F. Haven, in his introduction to the printed records in the Archaeologia, wrote that Pulsifer "unites the qualities of an expert in chirography with a genuine antiquarian taste and much familiarity with ancient records.”’ (Wikipedia).