1900

1900 · 49488 — Paris: Société Anonyme des Imprimieres Lemercier 1900. Hardcover. Small 8vo. Full blue calf with gilt spine rules/lettering in compartments gilt board rules and inner dentelles. 560pp 31pp 23pp 56pp pictorial ads. All edges gilt. Illustrations marbled endpapers sewn-in red/green/yellow page marker. Near fine. Spine only faintly shellacked a turn-of-the-century practice with hand-lettered paper shelf label near foot. Exceptionally handsome tight first edition of this detailed guide to American participation of this world's fair to end all world's fairs held in Paris between 12 April and 12 November 1900. Like all world's fairs its intention was to celebrate mankind's accomplishments and advances in every field imaginable -- but with the debut of the new century it was felt appropriate to celebrate accomplishments of the preceding century as well. This remarkable copy bears a red-bordered 4½" X 3/4" colophon slip typed in blue tipped to an inner flyleaf noting that "Twenty-five copies of this catalogue have been bound in this form for special distribution. This copy is numbered 11." Recipients of this specially-bound edition were likely important politicos of the day. The name of this special recipient has been giltstamped on the front board: "WILLIAM B. ALLISON SENATOR." From the collection of William B. Allison 1829-1908 the powerful Iowa Republican who as U.S. senator from that state 1873-1908 was one of the "big four" who controlled the Senate; as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee for most of those years he championed tariff legislation and co-authored the Bland-Allison Act of 1878; as member of the Senate Finance Committee he was often courted by U.S. presidents to hold cabinet positions. Early 20th century bookplate on front pastedown notes "This book is part of Allison Memorial Collection Gift of Mrs. Jennie A. Brayton" and until deaccessioned was part of Allison's non-circulating collection at his hometown public library across the street from his Dubuque residence. According to Leland L. Sage in his 1956 biography "William Boyd Allison: A Study in Practical Politics" Allison owned "hundreds of books on government economics history banking finance and the tariff as well as volumes of American and English literature. An omnivorous reader Allison doubtless read most of these volumes if only for relaxation from the strain that accompanied his efforts to solve the many problems facing the Nation. Alexander Hamilton was his guidepost in finance Robert Burns his favorite poet and 'The Cotter's Saturday Night' his favorite poem." A superb copy of this rare edition with gilt as fresh and bright as the day applied. Société Anonyme des Imprimieres Lemercier hardcover