Printed and Manuscript Americana

Greenfield, Massachusetts: Printed by Thomas Dickman, 1797. First edition. 8vo. Illustrated with 32 engraved plates (including two folding), each with accompanying letterpress text. Full contemporary brown calf, spine ends sometime repaired, boards and extremities scuffed, scratched, and moderately worn; all edges trimmed; contemporary ownership signature on front free endpaper; sheets toned and spotted; offsetting from plates; leaves at rear proud; some dampstaning at rear; plate 21 bound at rear and mounted with paper backing; in quarter crimson morocco slip case and chemise. Evans 31797; ESTC W11972; Hitchcock 111; Rink 2482; Romaine 245:21

First edition of the earliest book on architecture written by an American and printed in the United States: a legendary rarity and landmark work of American craftsmanship. "There is scarcely a village which in moulding profiles, cornice details, church spire, or farm-house does not reflect his influence" (DAB)

Earlier architectural works printed in the United States were simply compilations or reprintings of British material (e.g. John Norman's Town and Country Builder's Assistant of 1786). Benjamin's work is a classic and important American architectural treatise, by the man who was most responsible for disseminating late colonial details throughout New England, beautifully illustrated with engravings of colonial buildings, elevations of churches and homes, ornaments, cornices, etc., reflecting the influences of the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders.

As with the present copy, most copies of Benjamin's book were heavily used, accounting for its present rarity.