The American Preceptor: Being a New Selection of Lessons for Reading and Speaking, Designed for the Use of Schools

Boston: Manning and Loring, 1797. Fourth edition of Caleb Bingham's influential American school reader, first published in 1794. 228 pages, with the final page ending in FINIS. An early example of American educational publishing, designed to teach reading, elocution, and public speaking through selections of poetry, prose, moral instruction, patriotic writing, and historical anecdotes. The contents reflect the educational ideals of the early American republic, with selections concerning Columbus, classical history, morality, American history, and civic virtue. Of particular interest are two nineteenth-century ownership inscriptions: "Myra B. Adams, Plainfield, Conn." in ink, and a later pencil inscription, "Carrie Adams, Norwich, Conn." These provide an appealing record of the book's ownership and use in nineteenth-century Connecticut. In contemporary leather-backed wooden boards with remnants of the original paper covering. The boards are heavily worn, with extensive paper loss, exposed wood along the edges and corners, surface abrasions, cracking, and staining. The leather spine is rubbed and worn. Despite this considerable exterior wear, the binding remains tight and intact, with no loose leaves reported. The interior shows substantial old water staining extending through much of the volume, along with general age toning, spotting, and some marginal edge wear and tears. The staining is especially conspicuous in the preliminary pages, but the text remains legible. Early ownership inscriptions and a crossed-out inscription appear on the front pastedown. The original title page identifies this as the fourth edition, published in Boston in 1797. The preface retains its original date of May 1794, and the text concludes on page 228 with FINIS. Full collation has not been undertaken. Despite its considerable wear, an interesting survivor of eighteenth-century American schoolbook publishing, retaining its early binding, readable text, and Connecticut ownership history. Bookseller's Comments 1797 Boston fourth edition of Caleb Bingham's American school reader. Contemporary leather-backed wooden boards, heavily worn with exposed wood and extensive paper loss. Substantial old water staining throughout, but text remains readable and binding is tight. With nineteenth-century ownership inscriptions of Myra B. Adams, Plainfield, Connecticut, and Carrie Adams, Norwich, Connecticut. An evocative example of an early American schoolbook that has clearly seen extensive use. …