Janson, Charles William. The Stranger in America: Containing Observations Made During a Long Residence in That Country, on the Genius, Manners and Customs of the People of the United States...

London: Printed for James Cundee at the Albion Press, 1807. First edition. 4to. 22, 499, (1), (6, ads) pp. Illustrated with a hand-colored engraved frontispiece with aquatint, engraved hand-colored vignette title-page with aquatint, and eight engraved and aquatint plates, one engraved plan, and one in-text engraving. Full navy blue morocoo, decorated in gilt, joints rubbed; top edge gilt, other edges trimmed; gilt dentelles; marbled endpapers; by Sangorski & Sutcliffe; scattered light spotting and soiling to text. From the library of Valentine Hollingsworth, and with his morocco book-plate on front paste-down. Abbey, Travel 648; Reese, The Federal Hundred 100; Howes J-59; Sabin 35770; Clark I:II 99

First edition of Charles William Janson's “petulant view of U.S. life.” (Howes). Janson, an Englishman by birth, resided in the United States from 1793-1805/6. “Having failed in America in both law and business and having been repelled by the rise of Jeffersonian Jacobinism, Janson draws a picture of unrelieved black, but one worthy of attention because of the length of his stay and the breadth of his interests. He covers an astonishing variety of subjects in a loose topical arrangement…” (Clark). The breadth of these topics is astoundingly diverse, and includes “Singular Manner of catching a Shark,” the dead of Bunker Hill, “Multiplication of Wild Pigeons in New England," the “Effect of Republican Principles," “Method of rearing Hogs,” “Peale's Museum,” “Wretched State of the Roads about Washington,” “Eminent Living Actors,” “Bee-Hunting,” “Treatment of Slaves,” “The Culture of Indian Corn,” “Thomas Paine,” and much more.

The book contains fine aquatint views of Philadelphia and Boston, and is noted for containing the earliest known published image of the White House, and one of the earliest published views of George Washington's home at Mount Vernon. According to Reese, the appendix “contains what appears to be the first British printing of Thomas Jefferson's December 1806 message announcing the completion of the Lewis and Clark expedition.“

Uncommon with hand-colored plates.

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

To request further details about this lot, please email [email protected]

Join us for the highlights preview in our New York City location at 32 E 67th Street, New York, NY.
Monday, Jan 20 – Friday, Jan 24: 10 AM – 4 PMSaturday, Jan 25: 11 AM – 4 PM
Please contact the Auction Specialist for details.

Darren Winston

SVP, Head of Department, Books and Manuscripts, Philadelphia

[email protected]267.414.1247

Darren Winston, Senior Vice President at Freeman’s, has served as Head of Department for Books & Manuscripts, Philadelphia, since 2018. He has been a trustee of the Rosenbach Museum and Library since 2022, is a member of The Manuscript Society, The Bibliographical Society of America, and Philadelphia’s Philobiblon Club.

Raised in northern New Jersey, Darren moved to New York City in 1988 and began his career there as a bookseller in 1995. He spent the next 18 years selling to private clients and at East Coast book fairs. In 2003 he moved with his young family to Sharon, Connecticut where, in 2009, he opened his own bookshop. Darren Winston, Bookseller offered rare and vintage books, prints, fine art, and more, and hosted over 50 book signings and art shows. He was a trustee and, later, Board President, of the Sharon Historical Society, and for six years a trustee of Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Darren has hosted the radio program "Darren Winston's Book Report" for NPR-affiliate WHDD since 2009, appeared in the 2014 book-themed documentary The Paper Trail, and in 2024 he joined Antiques Roadshow as a books and manuscripts appraiser. From 1999 to 2005, Darren was the buyer and consultant to the Fine and Rare Books Department at Asprey, the British luxury goods company, at its New York headquarters. While there he spearheaded various in-store events including readings by Salman Rushdie and Dominick Dunne.

In 1993, Darren was hired as a Creative Consultant to Columbia Records, where he assisted in the repackaging of their 12-record Aerosmith back catalogue. He later sold his extensive collection of Aerosmith memorabilia, which he began amassing at the age of 14, directly to the band.

Darren now lives on the Main Line, outside Philadelphia, with his wife, two children, and dog. The family travels frequently to his wife's native England and Scotland. When not bookselling, he plays guitar in Pumped, an Aerosmith tribute band. Darren also appears on the top-rated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow.

We are open for pick-up Monday-Friday: 10am-4pm.

For questions about shipping or packing, please contact [email protected] or see our Shipping/Packing page.

Janson, Charles William. The Stranger in America: Containing Observations Made During a Long Residence in That Country, on the Genius, Manners and Customs of the People of the United States...

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Printed and Manuscript Americana

Janson, Charles William. The Stranger in America: Containing Observations Made During a Long Residence in That Country, on the Genius, Manners and Customs of the People of the United States...

Lot Description

Condition Report

Preview

Auction Contact

Shipping | Pickup