A Letter from Mr. George Robertson

Today a letter from 1820 actually came across my desk as an acquisition. The author, George Robertson, was a distinguished Kentucky jurist, law professor (Translyvania University), and politician. He served terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, Kentucky House of Representatives, and also served as chief justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals. In this letter he is complaining to a bookseller that he has not received a consignment of books.

Lancaster 6^th July 1820

Gentlemen, 

            You have written to me 

twice that you had rec’d two boxes of

books for me and sent them to Jas Anderson 

and Co. in Lexington. Since the reception of

this information I have sent three times to 

Mr. Anderson but can’t find the boxes. They 

say they never rec’d them.

            I’m very anxious to get them – and fear that 

you did not send them. It is the third attempt 

I have made to get books here and have never 

succeeded yet. There is something very strange 

in the fatality that befalls my books.

            Be so good as to examine and if you have

them, send them on as soon as possible – or let me 

know what has become of them.

Respectfully &c

G. Robertson

Working in acquisitions, I can DEFINITELY relate. Sometimes you order these really magnificent items and they don't come in when you want/need them, and like good old George, you get worried they may never arrive! This penmanship is gorgeous, and the parchment is so nice! I love looking at it, it transports me back to 1820, and I, for a moment, forget text messages and Netflix, I just think about how these books were transported, How this letter was written, over candlelight perhaps? Where are his books now? It's remarkable how one artifact can impact your imagination so!

Sketch of Horace Binney

First things first - who is Horace Binney?

       Horace Binney is a Philadelphia-born lawyer who served as an Anti-Jacksonian (Republican) in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1833- March 3, 1835. Binney graduated from Harvard in 1797, and went on to study law in the office of Jared Ingersoll - a member of the constitutional convention of 1787 and Pennsylvania attorney-general from 1791-1800 and 1811-1816. Binney was also the founder of Harvard's Hasty Pudding Club - a social club for Harvard students. Prominent members of the Hasty Pudding Club include: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy.


About the Item

This well-worn item that I had the pleasure of acquiring is  a 1907 presentation copy of "A Sketch of Horace Binney" by Hampton Carson. Presentation copies are rare, since they have been signed by the author without request as a gift. Inscribed copies are those which have been signed by the author at the book owner's request. This item, as previously stated, is well-worn, so it will be kept in a plastic sheet within an acid free envelope to prevent further damage. 

"WW Smithers Esquire with the compliments of Hampton Carson Oct 17/07"