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AMES Almanack for 1757 with Eclipse Woodcut

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Colonial America

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Ames Almanack for 1757 with Eclipse Woodcut

"An Astronomical Diary; Or, Almanack For the Year of Our Lord CHRIST 1757," By Nathaniel Ames, Printed by J. Draper, Choice Very Fine or Better.
This stitch-bound 6" x 3.75", 16-page almanack includes a woodcut print of an eclipse on the inside of the cover--printed by John Draper, publisher of the Boston News-Letter. Draper, his wife and sons were noted Boston printers who were contemporaries of Paul Revere and others. The Almanack states that "There will be Four Eclipses this Year, 1757, in the following order, viz. 1. The first is of the Moon, February 4th, calculated as follows..." The woodcut is a rather crude but detailed rendering, helping make the text more understandable to readers--another example of how woodcut images helped define colonial and postcolonial life in the Americas. Opposite the eclipse woodcut is a Table of the Weight and Value of Coins! Toned pages, worn edges, but very crisp printing overall.

On January 4, 1733, John Draper took over as publisher of the Boston News-Letter from Bartholomew Green. He transferred the paper to his son Richard Draper in 1762. Richard renamed it the Massachusetts Gazette. On his death in 1774, his widow, Margaret Draper, assumed control and, in partnership with John Boyle and then John Howe, continued publication until 1776, when, with the evacuation of British troops from Boston, the newspaper finally ceased.

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