The American Bee - photo 1

The American Bee

Lot 200
16.06.2023 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 1 134
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
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The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 967396
Lot 200 | The American Bee
Estimate value
$ 1 000 – 2 000
The American Bee; a Collection of Entertaining Histories, selected from Different Authors, and Calculated for Amusement and Instruction. Leominster, MA: Charles Prentiss, 1797.

A rare anthology of tales of the Federal Gothic, possibly the first collection of American short stories. Although published without authorial attribution, at least several of these tales are likely by the printer, Charles Prentiss, a recent graduate of Harvard and scion of an important New England family. Many were previously published in magazines on both sides of the Atlantic. They tell a variety of gothic, orientalist, and classicizing stories that together reflect essential American interests and values of the period. The last copy recorded at auction by RBH was in 1904. Evans 32707; Sabin 1064.

12mo (172 x 102mm). 249 pp. (some stains and spots). Contemporary tree calf, morocco title label on spine (portion of label lacking, rubbed). Provenance: "Mr Ben."
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
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16.06.2023
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