Seed of the Woman First Edition - American revolution - Bauman Rare Books

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Seed of the Woman

AMERICAN REVOLUTION | Elhanan WINCHESTER

Item#: 68741 We're sorry, this item has been sold

Seed of the Woman

“A PROMINENT PASTOR DURING THE YEARS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION”: WINCHESTER’S CONTROVERSIAL 1781 SERMON SEED OF THE WOMAN

(AMERICAN REVOLUTION) WINCHESTER, Elhanan. The Seed of the Woman Bruising the Serpent’s Head, A Discourse Delivered at the Baptist Meeting House, in Philadelphia, Sunday April 22, 1781. Philadelphia: [Benjamin Towne], 1781. Slim octavo, 19th-century half burgundy cloth, marbled boards; pp.58.

First edition of this controversial sermon by influential Revolutionary orator Elhanan Winchester, his first published sermon, laying out the main point of his Universalist faith.

The influence of preacher and abolitionist Elhanan Winchester is especially clear in this first edition of his “first published sermon, The Seed of the Woman Bruising the Serpent’s Head, [in which] he laid out the main points of his Universalist faith” (Unitarian Universalist Association). Controversial in its time, this work and the importance of Winchester to American thought are best “understood against the backdrop of the transatlantic spiritual awakenings occurring before, during and after the American Revolution. These years were filled with political and religious turbulence… Americans demanded an unpretentious and lively leadership adept at the art of persuasion and intent on searching for the Divine in revivals, dreams and visions, and biblical prophecy. Winchester thrived in this environment… A remarkable orator, an early antislavery advocate, and a prominent pastor during the years of the American Revolution… Winchester preached in Philadelphia from 1781 until 1787, earning great praise and the friendship of Benjamin Rush and other prominent Philadelphians. Rush, in particular, was enamored by Winchester’s mind and his oratory” (ANB). The Seed of the Woman (3-18) with one-line errata at rear, complete with Winchester’s “Attempt to collect the Scripture Passages” (19-35) and “Objections usually brought from the Scriptures” (36-58). Evans 17441. Contemporary owner correction and marginalia (26). Lightly penciled notes to front free endpaper.

Light scattered foxing and occasional mild dampstaining, tiny closed margin tear (19). Cloth spine with expert repair.

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Aquatint Copperplate process by which the plate is “bitten” by exposure to acid. By changing the areas of the plate that are exposed and the length of time the plate is submerged in the acid bath, the engraver can obtain fine and varying shades of gray that closely resemble watercolor washes. Although the name contains the word “tint”, this is a black-and-white printing process; aquatint plates can often be hand colored, however.
Armorial Used to describe a binding bearing the coat of arms of the original owner, or with bookplates incorporating the owner’s arms.
Association Copy copy that belonged to someone connected with the author or the contents of a book.
Boards Hard front and rear covers of a bound book which are covered in cloth, leather or paper. “Original boards” refers to cardboard-like front and back boards, from about 1700 to 1840, used as temporary protection for books before their purchasers would have them bound. Of particular value to collectors as evidence of a very early form of the book.
Book-Plate Label, generally affixed to the front pastedown, identifying a book’s owner.
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Calf Binding material made from cowhide—versatile, durable, usually tan or brown in color, of smooth texture with no or little apparent grain. Readily marbled (“tree calf”), mottled, diced, colored, polished, tooled in gilt or blind, even scented (known as “russia”). Reverse calf, with a distinctive suede-like texture, is occasionally used.
Chromolithograph Lithograph printed in colors, typically three or more.
Collation Process by which the contents of a book are inspected for completeness, checking against internal evidence, the table of contents and/or plate list, and reference works. Also a shorthand bibliographical description of a book’s composition by its leaves and signatures, rather than its pages. A-C, for example, would indicate a quarto volume composed of three signatures or gatherings of eight pages each for a total of 24 pages.
Colophon Printed note at the end of a text containing information about the printing of the book.
Doublure Pastedowns made not of paper but of leather, for decorative purposes.
Duodecimo (12MO) Smaller than an octavo, typically less than six inches tall; smaller formats, such as 24mo and 32mo, are uncommon.
Edition Print-run from a single setting of type without substantial change. Depending on demand, any number of printings can be made from a setting of type For example, a first printing might consist of 1000 copies, followed by a second printing of 2500 copies; in which case the book would have a first edition, first printing of 1000 copies, and a first edition, second printing of 2500 copies.
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Errata List of mistakes and corrections noted after printing, often compiled on a separate sheet or slip and inserted into the text block.
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Japanese Vellum Expensive handmade paper often used in deluxe editions.
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Marginalia Handwritten notes made in the margins by a previous owner.
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Morocco Binding material made from goatskin—versatile, durable, with a distinctive pebbled texture and visible grain. Readily stretched (“straight-grain”), crushed (flattened smooth), tooled in gilt or blind, inlaid with leathers of different colors. So-called because much of the raw material originally came from the tanneries of North Africa (other types of goatskin bindings denoting regions of origin include levant, turkey, niger).
Offset The unintended transfer of ink from one printed page to an adjacent page.
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Wood-Engraving Engraving made with the graver or burin on the cross-section of a piece of boxwood; the harder wood and finer tools allow for more delicate, finely detailed images, while the block can still be set in the page alongside text and printed on the same stock as the text. While much older, wood engravings enjoyed an important renaissance in the late eighteenth century through Thomas Bewick and continued in popularity thorugh the nineteenth century.
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