Another week, another 19th century school speller, because I can simply not resist a good one, and especially not one with a watercolor bird on an end page! This one, Byerly's New American Spelling Book, was published by M. Polock, Philadelphia, in 1853. I purchased it from a wonderful dealer in PA, who shares my love of naive fraktur style watercolors, and indeed this tri-color bird looks very Pennsylvania to me. With wonderful engravings too, including a number of birds and other animals, and a fabulous picture alphabet near the front. Looks like it was originally owned by a Nathanial Minnoch (I believe); I take Obey as a command rather than a last name but am not certain!
6 3/4" x 4 3/16", 167 pages. Much handled and well worn throughout, as pictured, with general wear, some flagging/tearing to corners of pages, scattered stains, etc. Stable and not very fragile, binding holding, no loose pages, and color on that bird is strong!
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