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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Rare printing of the Acts Passed at the First Session of the Ninth Congress of the United States including Miami and Pottawatomie Indian Treaties
Acts Passed at the First Session of the Ninth Congress of the United States…Begun and Held at the City of Washington, in the Territory of Columbia, on Monday, the second of December, 1875.
[1875].
Rare printing of the Acts Passed at the First Session of the Ninth Congress of the United States including Indian treaties with the Creek, Cherokee, Delaware, Pottawatomie, Miami Indian tribes. Octavo, bound in contemporary wrappers. The Ninth Congress of the United States was a significant legislative Congress which passed the first laws abolishing importation of slaves in its second session. In very good condition.
Price: $450.00 Item Number: 135321
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Rare Ulysses S. Grant Autograph; Additionally Signed by Secretary of State Hamilton Fish and U.S. Generals Leonard Wood and Joseph Wheeler
GRANT, Ulysses S.; Hamilton Fish; Leonard Wood; Joseph Wheeler.
Ulysses S. Grant, Hamilton Fish, Leonard Wood and Joseph Wheeler Autographs.
N.p., [1874-1902].
Autographs of President Ulysses S. Grant, Secretary of State Hamilton Fish, and United States Army Generals Leonard Wood and Joseph Wheeler. Octavo, one page. Signed by Grant, "U. S. Grant." Additionally signed and dated by Wheeler ("Joseph Wheeler Genl. USA. Apl. 11. 1902"), Wood (Leonard Wood Army Genl USA June 30th 1902"), and Fish ("Hamilton Fish Sect of State June 5/74"). In very good condition with light toning to the edges. Rare and desirable.
Price: $3,500.00 Item Number: 146684
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Rare American Boxing Champions Signed Photograph Collection; signed by James J. Braddock, Max Baer, James 'Red' Burman, Sixto Escobar, and Bob Pastor
BRADDOCK, James J.; Max Baer; James "Red" Burman; Sixto Escobar; Bob Pastor.
American Boxing Champions Signed Photograph Collection.
c. 1937.
Collection of six original photographs signed and inscribed by five 1930s American boxing champions, including: "Cinderella Man" James J.Braddock, World Heavyweight Champion Max Baer, James 'Red' Burman, Sixto Escobar, and top-ranked heavyweight Bob Pastor. In near fine condition. An exceptional collection.
Price: $1,600.00 Item Number: 119265
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Rare Civil War Era Naval Commission Signed by Abraham Lincoln as President
LINCOLN, Abraham; Gideon Welles.
Abraham Lincoln Signed Naval Commission.
April 21, 1864.
American naval commission signed by Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States and Gideon Welles as Secretary of the Navy. Folio, partially engraved on vellum the document is dated April 21, 1864 and promotes Charles W. Tracy to the rank of Lieutenant. In near fine condition. Matted and framed with a portrait of Lincoln and engraved plate. The Commission measures 19 inches by 16 inches. The entire piece measures 34 inches by 29.5 inches.
Price: $17,000.00 Item Number: 132067
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Rare Bound Collection of over 200 orders of the War Department issued in 1863 including Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and from the library of General Alexander S. Webb
[WEBB, Alexander S.].
General Orders of the War Department, Adjutant General’s Office, Washington, January 2, 1863 to July 27, 1863. No. 1-235. [The Emancipation Proclamation].
Washington: Adjutant General's Office [Government Printing Office], January - July 1863.
First printings of over 200 orders of the War Department issued during the Civil War to Union Army commanders in the field, including an early appearance in print of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation (General order No. 1 of January 2, 1863). This copy prepared for General Alexander S. Webb, Brigadier General, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor and the focus of Pickett's charge at Gettysburg. Octavo, bound in full cloth. Association copy, specially prepared for Gen. Alexander Webb with an inscription to the third free endpaper, "Alexander S. Webb Brig. Gen. Vol. U.S.A. Fort Trumbull Ct. June 26th 1864."…
Price: $12,000.00 Item Number: 142567
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First edition of James Ward's A History of Gold
WARD, James.
A History of Gold as a Commodity and as a Measure of Value Its Fluctuations both in Ancient and Modern Times with an Estimate of the Probable Supplies from California to Australia.
London: William S. Orr & Co, c. 1850.
First edition of Ward's extensive survey of gold and gold mining, published at the height of the California Gold Rush. Octavo, original wrappers bound in full goatskin, retaining a section of the hand-colored folding map of the Gold Regions of Victoria and New South Wales. In near fine condition. Ownership inscription to the front panel of the original wrapper. Rare.
Price: $3,800.00 Item Number: 117088
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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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"In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins": Rare Henry Kirke Bush-Brown Bust of Ulysses S. Grant as the first general of the united states army
BUSH-BROWN, Henry Kirke. [Ulysses S. Grant].
Ulysses S. Grant Bronze Bust.
New York: Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co., [c. 1885].
Attractive bronze bust of of Ulysses S. Grant as General of the Army by famed American sculptor Henry Kirke Bush-Brown. The adopted nephew of sculptor Henry Kirke Brown, Henry Kirke Bush-Brown was revered for his accurate realist sculptures illustrating American history. He produced three equestrian bronze sculptures erected at the Gettysburg battlefield depicting General George Mead (the victor at Gettysburg), General John F. Reynolds (killed in action July 1, 1863), and General John Sedgwick (the senior most Union casualty of the American Civil War). In addition, Bush-Brown made a bust of Abraham Lincoln, dedicated in 1912 as part of the…
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 125381
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Rare Civil War Pocket Diary Kept by Assistant Surgeon Robert P. Davis, 84th Indiana Regiment
[DAVIS, Robert P.] .
Pocket Diary of Assistant Surgeon Robert P. Davis, 84th Indiana Regiment.
[1863].
The Civil War pocket diary of Assistant Surgeon Robert P. Davis, 84th Indiana Regiment. 16mo, original wrappers, the diary is printed with blank three days per page, entries have been recorded intermittently beginning on January 1, 1863 and include brief accounts of skirmishes at Resaca, Hooker's rescue of the Indiana Regiment and reports of duties and the diarist's own illness: May 27: “I am on duty at the Hospital handing instruments for amputation.” The next day: “At same duty as yesterday.” June 1: the sick and wounded are moved to a more permanent hospital and their field tents are moved…
Price: $2,000.00 Item Number: 132395
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Rare Signed Lyndon B. Johnson and Hubert Humphrey Signed Inaugural Ceremonies Program
JOHNSON, Lyndon B. and Hubert Humphrey.
Lyndon B. Johnson and Hubert Humphrey Signed Inaugural Ceremonies Program.
January 20, 1965.
Original Inaugural Ceremonies Program from 1965 of Lyndon B. Johnson and Hubert Humphrey, boldly signed by both on the front panel. Octavo, original wrappers, presidential seal in gilt, ribbon bound in, eight pages. In fine condition. Rare and desirable signed.
Price: $2,800.00 Item Number: 133502
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"the most widely read journal in the United States throughout the period of the Civil War": Rare continuous run of 260 issues of Harper's Weekly covering the entirety of the American Civil War; profusely illustrated with engravings depicting all of the war's major events and battles
Harper’s Weekly, A Journal of Civilization. [Harper’s Weekly’s Complete Coverage of the American Civil War: January 1, 1861-December 30, 1865].
New York: Harper & Brothers, January 1, 1861-December 30, 1865.
Rare continuous run of 260 issues of Harper's Weekly, covering the entirety of the American Civil War. Folio, five volumes, bound in full buckram with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, illustrated with hundreds of wood-engraved illustrations, many from noted American illustrators including portraits of Union and Confederate Army Generals and Officers, battlefield scenes, maps, city views, and dozens of satirical caricatures and cartoons, many from noted American illustrators. Of note are dozens of illustrations by American painter Winslow Homer early in his career, including the "Great Sumter Meeting in Union Square," "The Sharpshooter," and "The Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln." Also…
Price: $8,800.00 Item Number: 142619
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Rare collection of Rough Riders Photographs and Documents; Twice signed and inscribed by Theodore Roosevelt
ROOSEVELT, Theodore.
Theodore Roosevelt Rough Riders Era Document Collection.
c. 1898.
Rare collection of original signed documents and photographs taken during President Theodore Roosevelt's days as Colonel of the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, or Rough Riders. The collection includes an original mounted photograph of Roosevelt in full uniform with his campaign hat; two cabinet card photographs of Albert S. Johnson, a member of the Cavalry; an endorsement dated September 7, 1998 which reads in part, "This officer did not serve in Cuba but remained in Florida with the squadron left behind" signed, "T. Roosevelt" which is affixed to the verso of of Albert S. Johnson's 5 September 1898 application for 60-days leave;…
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 95371
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Rare Treasury Department Circular signed by Alexander Hamilton as the first Secretary of the United States Treasury
HAMILTON, Alexander.
Alexander Hamilton Treasury Department Circular Signed.
March 30, 1793.
Partially printed United States Treasury Department circular signed by Alexander Hamilton as the first secretary of the treasury. Folio, partially printed, the document is dated March 30th 1793 addressed to Henry Marchant, Judge of the Rhode Island District Court. The document reads in full: Sir, I take the liberty to inform you, that the President, Directors and Company of the Bank of the United States have consented to accept Powers of Attorney from such persons as may have demands upon the Treasury, and to hold the monies which they may be authorised to receive, subject to drafts to be made…
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 135218
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First edition of Joseph Hall's An Oration Pronounced July 4, 1800, at the Request of the Inhabitants of the Town of Boston, in Commemoration of the Anniversary of American Independence; inscribed by him
HALL, Joseph.
An Oration Pronounced July 4, 1800, at the Request of the Inhabitants of the Town of Boston, in Commemoration of the Anniversary of American Independence.
Boston: From the Printing-Office of Manning & Loring, [1800].
First edition of Hall's famed speech tracing the history of the American Revolution. Octavo, bound in paper-covered boards, original wrapper bound in at rear. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, "Ephraim Williams Esq. from his friend J. Hall." In very good condition. Housed in a custom cloth chemise and half morocco slipcase. Exceedingly rare.
Price: $8,800.00 Item Number: 125043
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Rare Confederate States presidential election sample ballot heralding Jefferson Davis as President
[DAVIS, Jefferson].
Jefferson Davis Confederate States Electoral Ticket.
[1861].
Rare electoral ticket from the 1861 Confederate States presidential election. 16mo, one page, printed. The sample ballot heralds Jefferson Davis for President, Alexander Stephens for Vice President, a representative for the state at large and some local districts. In near fine condition. Ownership inscription to the verso.
Price: $1,250.00 Item Number: 132575
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"First in War, first in Peace, and first in the Hearts of His Countrymen": Exceedingly Rare First Appearance in Print of Washington's Funeral Oration
[WASHINGTON, George].
A Funeral Oration in Honor of the Memory of George Washington. Late General of the Armies of the United States.
Philadelphia: Hall & Sellers, January 15, 1800.
Exceedingly rare first appearance in print of Washington's Funeral Oration, featured on the front page of the Wednesday, January 15 1800 issue of the Pennsylvania Gazette. Folio, four pages, the headline reads, "A Funeral Oration in Honor of the Memory of George Washington. Late General of the Armies of the United States. Prepared and Delivered at the Request of Congress, at the German Lutheran Church, on Thursday, the 26th of December, By Major-General Henry Lee, One of the Representatives from the State of Virginia." Washington's eulogy was delivered by Major-General Henry Lee to both Houses of Congress and a crowd…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 126803
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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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Frederick Douglass Autograph Letter Signed to M. M. Rodgers
DOUGLASS, Frederick.
Frederick Douglass Autograph Letter Signed.
Washington, D.C: November 30, 1888.
Autograph letter signed by Frederick Douglass to M. M. Rodgers. Octavo, one page on Lyons Parchment, the handwritten letter reads in part, "Since you have so much to desire a letter by my own hand, though I have more of that kind of work to do than ought to be required of me, I take pleasure in obliging you. I am glad to know that you are devoting your time, thought and talents to the education of the colored people of the South." In very good condition with toning, mail folds, and slight loss to the edges.
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 145323
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Rare collection of printed and manuscript documents signed by the first 28 Governors of Pennsylvania
MIFFLIN, Thomas; Thomas McKean; William Findley; Joseph Hiester; et al.
Collection of 28 Autographs of the First Governors of Pennsylvania.
c. 1798-1908.
Rare collection of printed and manuscript documents, signed by the first 28 (of 29) Governors of Pennsylvania, being a near continuous representation of the office from its establishment in 1790 with the first Governorship of Thomas Mifflin, up until the 1930s with the 29th Governorship of Gifford Pinchot. Quarto, each document is tipped in to a paper folder with calligraphic title (many with engraved portraits), and housed in a quarter blue gilt morocco presentation box with a gilt gift inscription to the 30th Governor of Pennsylvania, George Howard Earle III (1890-1974), from the "Wizard of Washington" and Democratic Party politico, Emil Hurja…
Price: $6,000.00 Item Number: 142634
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Rare Civil War Era Carte-de-visite of Robert E. Lee; Signed by Him
LEE, Robert E.
Robert E. Lee Signed Carte-de-Visite.
Rare Civil War era carte-de-visite portrait of General Robert E. Lee in uniform, boldly signed "RE Lee". In fine condition. Quadruple matted and framed. The entire piece measures 19 inches by 17 inches.
Price: $8,800.00 Item Number: 103675
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Rare Reconstruction Era Carte-de-visite of Confederate Commander Robert E. Lee; Signed by Him
LEE, Robert E.
Robert E. Lee Signed Carte-de-Visite.
Lexington, Va: Boude & Miley, [1869].
Rare Reconstruction era carte-de-visite portrait of former Confederate commander General Robert E. Lee in civilian attire, boldly signed "RE Lee." The carte-de-visite measures 2.5 inches by 4 inches with Boude & Miley's imprint on the verso. This striking postwar portrait of Lee was captured by photographer Michael Miley of Lexington, Virginia in 1869, perhaps less than a year prior to Lee's death on October 12, 1870. Following the conclusion of the American Civil War in 1865, Lee became president of Washington College (later Washington and Lee University) in Lexington, Virginia; in that position, he supported reconciliation between North and South.The…
Price: $7,200.00 Item Number: 140513
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"The foundations of American History": Rare early folio edition of the first official publication of the acts of the first Congress, including the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and bound with official publications of the Acts of the second and third sessions of Congress
Acts Passed at a Congress of the United States of America, Begun and Held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the Fourth of March, in the Year M,DDC,LXXXIX; and of the Independence of the United States, the Thirteenth. [With: Acts Passed at the Second Session of the Congress of the United States of America, Begun and Held at the City of New-York, on Monday the Fourth of January, in the Year M,DCC,XC: and of the Independence of the United States, the Fourteenth. [and] Acts Passed at the Third Session of the Congress of the United States of America, Begun and Held at the City of Philadelphia on Monday the Sixth of December, In The Year M,DCC,XC: and of the Independence of the United States, the Fourteenth].
Philadelphia: Printed by Francis Childs and Joseph Swaine, Printers to the United States, [1791].
Rare early folio edition of the first official publication of the acts of the first Congress, including the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; bound with the first official printing of the acts of the second session of Congress and an early printing of the acts of the third session of Congress (issued the same year as the first official printing). Folio, three volumes bound into one in full contemporary blind-tooled calf with raised bands to the spine, burgundy morocco spine label lettered in gilt. A reprint of Childs and Swaine’s first official printing, which was issued in New York…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 125641
