Americana
Rare Americana Books, Manuscripts & More for Sale Online
If you’re looking for first edition books celebrating the American experience, you’ve come to the right place. At Raptis Rare Books we maintain an extensive collection of rare Americana, books, manuscripts and more. Browse through our entire collection online, use our sorting tools or search to find exactly what you’re looking for then call with any questions you may have or order online today.
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perhaps the only leaf from Washington's diary in private hands: exceptional George Washington autograph diary leaf dated March 1762; the first spring Washington was full owner of Mount Vernon
WASHINGTON, George.
George Washington Autograph Diary Leaf.
[Mount Vernon]: March 1762.
Autograph manuscript, being George Washington's diary entries for a portion of March 1762, detailing the fruit grafts that he has accomplished. 2 pages (5 14/16 x 3 10/16 inches, irregular) on a leaf of laid paper, [Mount Vernon], March 1762; browned, left margin of recto waterstained and abraded causing a loss of text in most lines, small abrasion at center of recto obscuring three words. Accompanied by an autograph note signed by James Kirke Paulding: "Memorandum in the hand of Washington taken from an old almanac for 1762, in the possession of JK Paulding." A rare Washington relic: perhaps the…
Price: $250,000.00 Item Number: 142654
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First octavo edition, presentation copy of John James Audubon's The Birds of America; warmly inscribed by him in both volumes I and II to Lydia E. E. Greene
AUDUBON, John James.
The Birds of America, From Drawings Made In The United States And Their Territories.
New York: Published by J. J. Audubon. Philadelphia: J. B. Chevalier, 1840-1844.
First octavo edition of Audubon's landmark work; one of the most spectacular collections of ornithological prints ever produced. Royal octavo, 7 volumes bound in full 19th-century morocco by P. Low of Boston with their ticket, gilt titles and ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins, marbled endpapers, ribbons bound in. Illustrated with 500 hand-colored lithographed plates after Audubon by W. E. Hitchcock, R. Trembly and others, printed and colored by J. T. Bowen, wood-engraved anatomical diagrams in text. Presentation copy, inscribed by John James Audubon on…
Price: $200,000.00 Item Number: 143567
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First edition of the second book on architecture published in America: Owen Biddle's The Young Carpenter's Assistant
BIDDLE, Owen.
The Young Carpenter’s Assistant; Or, A System Of Architecture, Adapted To The Style Of Building In The United States.
Philadelphia: Benjamin Johnson, 1805.
First edition of the second book on architecture published in America, second only to Asher Benjamin's Country Builder's Assistant' published in 1797( Shaw & Shoemaker, 8018). Quarto, bound in full calf, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, gilt ruled to the front and rear panels, illustrated with 44 engraved plates, 2 folding. In very good condition. Scarce with only 2 copies having appeared at auction in the past 50 years.
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 117672
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Rare Ostrich Egg engraved with a portrait of George Washington and the Great Seal of the United States; from the library of Lloyd Millard Bentsen
[WASHINGTON, George].
George Washington and Great Seal of the United States Engraved Ostrich Egg.
Rare ostrich egg engraved with a portrait of George Washington, the Washington Coat of Arms, the Great Seal of the United States, and the Masonic compass and trowel. Mounted on a decorative brass stand. From the collection of former four-term United States Senator Lloyd Millard Bentsen who ran as the Democratic Party nominee for vice president in 1988 on the Michael Dukakis ticket and served as the the 69th United States Secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton. As a primary architect of the Clinton economic plan, Bentsen contributed to a $500 billion reduction in the deficit, launching the…
Price: $7,500.00 Item Number: 119684
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Rare Collection of the autographs of the three greatest aviators of the 20th century: Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, and Orville Wright
EARHART, Amelia; Charles A. Lindbergh; Orville Wright.
Charles A. Lindbergh, Orville Wright and Amelia Earhart Signature Collection.
Rare framed autograph collection containing the signatures of the three greatest aviators of the 20th century. The collection includes a bank check signed by Orville Wright and clipped signatures of Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh. In near fine condition. Matted with three iconic portraits of Wright Lindbergh, and Earhart. The entire piece measures 29 inches by 24.5 inches. A very attractive presentation.
Price: $7,200.00 Item Number: 141068
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Rare original typographic portrait of Abraham Lincoln composed of his Emancipation Proclamation
LINCLON, Abraham; Designed and written by W.H. Pratt. Lithograph by A. Hageboeck.
Abraham Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation Typographic Portrait.
Davenport, Iowa: 1865.
Original typographic portrait of Abraham Lincoln composed of his Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1, 1863. In near fine condition. Double matted and framed, the entire piece measures 26.5 inches by 19 inches. An exceptional piece, a rare and desirable piece of Americana.
Price: $6,000.00 Item Number: 95831
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Rare sammelband collection of four works related to the American Revolution; including Thomas Paine's Letter Addressed to the Abbe Raynal on the Affairs of North-America
RAYNAL, Guillaume Thomas François; Thomas Paine; Daniel Leonard.
The Revolution in America. By the Abbe Raynal; A Letter Addressed to the Abbe Raynal on the Affairs of North-America. In Which the Mistakes in the Abbe’s Account of the Revolution of America are Corrected and Cleared Up ; Massachusettensis: or a Series of Letters, Containing a Faithful State of Many Important and Striking Facts, which Laid the Foundation of the Present Troubles in the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
London: Various Publishers, 1781-1786.
Rare sammelband collection of first and early English printings of treatises related to the American Revolutionary War, reflecting both Republican and Tory opinions. The collection includes a first English edition of The Revolution in America. By the Abbe Raynal [London: Printed for Lockyer Davis, Holborn, 1781]; a second English edition of Thomas Paine's A Letter Addressed to the Abbe Raynal on the Affairs of North-America. In Which the Mistakes in the Abbe's Account of the Revolution of America are Corrected and Cleared Up [London: For C. Dilly, 1782]; a first edition in book form of Daniel Leonard's The North Briton,…
Price: $5,000.00 Item Number: 133410
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"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind": Rare Original July 21st 1969 Delaware Evening Journal Front Page; Signed by legendary astronaut Neil Armstrong
ARMSTRONG, Neil.
Neil Armstrong Signed Delaware Evening Journal.
Wilmington: Delaware Evening Journal, July 21, 1969.
Rare original Delaware Evening Journal featuring the headline "Eagle Jets Safely Off Moon; In Orbit for Rendezvous", a front page article on the Apollo 11 moon landing, and large photograph of Neil Armstrong collecting dirt on the lunar surface. Boldly signed by Neil Armstrong on his photograph. Below the headline is Armstrong's famous quote, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Articles featured on the front page include, "Neil, Buzz Leave Prints on Moon", "Kennedy Charged in Crash", and "Luna 15 Lands On Moon, 500 Miles from LM." In very good condition. Double matted and framed.…
Price: $4,000.00 Item Number: 100158
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RARE NINETEENTH CENTURY PORTRAIT OF PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN
GARDNER, Alexander. [Abraham Lincoln].
Abraham Lincoln Portrait.
c. 1860.
Rare original painting of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. After a photograph by Civil War photographer Alexander Gardner. Scottish photographer Alexander Gardner immigrated to the United States in 1856 where he became best known for his photographs of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, and the execution of the conspirators to Lincoln's assassination. In near fine condition. In a period frame. The entire piece measures 20.75 by 16.75 inches. Rare and desirable.
Price: $3,500.00 Item Number: 95830
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Rare original program from the Christmas Party of the Oldsmobile Girls held on December 19th 1928; signed by legendary aviator Amelia Earhart
[EARHART, Amelia].
Amelia Earhart Signed Oldsmobile Girls Club Christmas Party Program.
[Lansing, Michigan]: [1928].
Rare original program from the holiday luncheon held for female employees of Olds Motor Works held on December 19th 1928, signed by legendary aviator Amelia Earhart. Octavo, bound in handmade tissue paper with a red ribbon, illustrated with a tipped in portrait of Amelia Earhart. Signed by Earhart in pencil beneath her portrait. In very good condition.
Price: $3,500.00 Item Number: 142535
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fine military commission signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, promoting Lieutenant Commander Francis M. Bunce to Commander in the United States Navy
[GRANT, Ulysses S.].
Ulysses S. Grant Signed Naval Commission.
March 5, 1872.
Partially-printed military commission signed by Ulysses S. Grant as President of the United States. One page, partially printed on vellum and retaining the original blue seal, the commission is dated March 5, 1872 and appoints Francis M. Bunce a "Commander in the Navy from the 2d day of November 1871 in the service of the United States." Signed by Ulysses S. Grant as President of the United States and countersigned by Secretary of the Navy, George M. Robeson. Following his distinguished service in the Civil War, in 1865 Francis M. Bunce took command of the monitor USS Monadnock, and led her on…
Price: $2,800.00 Item Number: 143612
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First separate edition of Joseph Meredith Toner's George Washington as an Inventor and Promoter of the Useful Arts; exquisitely bound by Stikeman
TONER, Joseph Meredith [George Washington].
George Washington as an Inventor and Promoter of the Useful Arts. An Address Delivered at Mount Vernon, April 10, 1891, by J.M. Toner, M.D.
Washington, D.C.: Press of Gedney & Roberts Co, 1891.
First separate edition of Turner's address delivered at Mount Vernon on the occasion of the visit of the officers and members of the Patent Centennial Celebration. Octavo, bound in three quarter morocco over marbled boards by Stikeman & Co. with elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, morocco spine label lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. In near fine condition. Remnant of the original front wrapper bound in. Stamps of the Freedom Foundation Library. Bookplate to the pastedown. An exquisitely bound example of this rare work.
Price: $2,500.00 Item Number: 133402
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Rare 19th century example of Johnson's Map of Florida
WARD, Benjamin P. and Alvin Jewett Johnson.
Johnson’s Map of Florida.
New York: Johnson and Ward, c. 1866.
Rare 19th century example of Johnson's famed post-Civil War era map of the state of Florida. One page, the hand-colored lithographic map depicts the state in full with color coding according to county shortly following the close of the American Civil War with references to towns, railroads, villages, depots, swamps, the territories of Native American tribes, forts and battle sites related to the Seminole Wars, Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades, Indian Hunting Grounds between Fort Poinsett and Key Biscayne Bay, Tampa Bay and the Okefenokee Swamp. Additionally notes the course of a proposed canal route leading from Tampa to the Atlantic…
Price: $1,800.00 Item Number: 138512
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“A house divided against itself cannot stand": Rare Relief Bust Portrait of President Abraham Lincoln
LINCOLN, Abraham.
Abraham Lincoln Relief Bust.
Rare cast metal relief portrait of President Abraham Lincoln in profile. Housed in a custom circular frame with gilt decorative floral reliefs. The entire piece measures 16 inches by 16 inches. A handsome example.
Price: $1,800.00 Item Number: 95124
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Rare example of Johnson's Civil War era Map of the state of Florida
JOHNSON, Alvin Jewett and Ross C. Browning.
Johnson’s Map of Florida.
New York: A.J. Johnson, c. 1861.
Rare 19th century example of Johnson's famed Civil War era map of the state of Florida. One page, the hand-colored lithographic map depicts the state in full with color coding according to county in the midst of the American Civil War with references to towns, railroads, villages, depots, swamps, the territories of Native American tribes, forts and battle sites related to the Seminole Wars, Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades, Indian Hunting Grounds between Fort Poinsett and Key Biscayne Bay, Tampa Bay and the Okefenokee Swamp. Additionally notes the course of a proposed canal route leading from Tampa to the Atlantic and…
Price: $1,750.00 Item Number: 138533
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Fine collection of Inaugural Gifts from the Inauguration of Ronald Reagan as President and George H. W. Bush as Vice President of the United States
REAGAN, Ronald and George H. W. Bush.
Ronald Reagan and George Bush Inaugural Gift Collection.
1981.
Fine collection of official gifts from the inauguration of Ronald Reagan as President and George H. W. Bush as Vice President of the United States. The collection includes a sterling silver money clip and pill box embossed with the Reagan Bush inaugural logo and a fountain pen from the inaugural reception of George H. W. Bush bearing Bush’s signature in facsimile and housed in the original box bearing the seal of the Vice President of the United States. In near fine condition.
Price: $1,450.00 Item Number: 117304
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"It will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom": MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S STRIDE TOWARD FREEDOM: THE MONTGOMERY STORY; BOUND IN FULL MOROCCO BY THE HARCOURT BINDERY
KING, Jr..
Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story.
New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1958.
First edition, early printing of Dr. Martin Luther King’s first book. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. In fine condition.
Price: $1,400.00 Item Number: 142687
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Rare Collection of Ronald Reagan Presidential Gift Accessories
REAGAN, Ronald.
Ronald Reagan Presidential Seal Gift Accessory Collection.
Fine collection of Ronald Reagan Presidential gift accessories including a pair of cuff links and a lapel pin bearing the Presidential Eagle and Crest seal and a fountain pen bearing Reagan's signature in facsimile. Each piece is housed in the original gift box with Reagan's signature stamped in gilt to the box cover. In fine condition with the pen requiring a nib insert. A handsome collection.
Price: $1,250.00 Item Number: 114264