Contemporary Copy Of A Letter By American Steamboat Inventor John Fitch About Patents: To Hear The Claims Of The Parties Disputing The Steam Boat
- Used
Seller: Stuart Lutz Historic Documents, Inc., South Orange, NJ, U.S.A.Stuart Lutz Historic Documents, Inc.
AbeBooks seller since January 25, 2018
Association member: ABAAESAPADAILAB
View this seller's itemsCondition: Used
US$ 1,500.00
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JOHN FITCH (1743-1798). Fitch was an American inventor who created the first steamboat service in the United States.Letter. 1pg. October 30, 1787. Philadelphia. A contemporary copy of a letter sent by John Fitch to the New Jersey state legislature. It concerns a dispute regarding Fitchs rights to a patent on the steamboat. Frustrated that British steam engine designs were not available in the States, Fitch had invented and successfully operated his own version two months earlier; the Constitutional Convention members took a break from the debates on August 22, 1787 to watch Fitchs invention ply the Delaware River. Fitch communicated: Sir Wednesday next having been prefixed at the last Session of the Legislature of the State of New jersey, to hear the claims of the parties disputing the steam boat. I should have attended accordingly but on waiting on Mr Levi Hollingsworth a principle & acting member of the Rumsey Company, in order to know the intentions of said companythem prosecuting their claims before your Honble House this Session, his information on that head, was, that they did not intend to attend the assembly of New Jersey the particulars of which conversation I take the liberty to inclose [sic] you at the same time praying should their company act contrary to his declarations, the hearing may be refixed to a more distant day in the Session at which time, if I know of the same, I shall attend fully prepared to defend my right derived under the laws of your Honble predecessor, & also fully evince the justice of my claims to such rights. I have the honor to be sir your very Hbl Sr John Fitch. Levi Hollingsworth was a Philadelphia merchant from a prominent family. He was working for James Rumsey (1743-1792), Fitchs main rival in the steamboat industry. Fitch would battle competing patent claims and other such legal challenges for his entire career. However, the Federal government granted both Fitch and Rumsey patents for their differing designs in 1791. The letter is in very good condition with toning and browning throughout. Anything by or related to Fitch is scarce.…
Seller Inventory # 5625
Bibliographic details
- Title
- Contemporary Copy Of A Letter By American Steamboat Inventor John Fitch About Patents: To Hear The Claims Of The Parties Disputing The Steam Boat
- Author
- (JOHN FITCH)
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 5 to 14 business days | 3 to 6 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | US$ 7.00 | US$ 10.00 |
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Store description
Stuart Lutz Historic Documents, Inc. buys and sells historic letters, documents, manuscripts and archives. My specialties include Presidents, Revolutionary War and Civil War figures, Declaration of Independence Signers, famous authors, important business leaders, notable scientists, aviators, notable women and African-Americans, and other "household famous names." I also enjoy handling the letters and archives of ordinary people whose writings have extraordinary or unusual content, such as an eyewitness description of the Pearl Harbor attack. I am a member of all major trade organizations, including the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA), the Professional Autograph Dealers Association (PADA), the Appraisers Association of America, the Manuscript Society and the Ephemera Society. I am located in South Orange, New Jersey, and I travel to many book and manuscript shows every year. I am one of the very few members of the Appraisers Association of America certified to appraise historic documents, manuscripts and letters. I am USPAP qualified to perform appraisals for estate, donation and insurance purposes; please contact me for a confidential discussion of your appraisal needs. I am an author myself, having published The Last Leaf: Voices of History's Last-Known Survivors (Prometheus Books, 2010) that contains 39 interviews with the last survivor of, or final eyewitness to, important historical events. Chapters include interviews with the last three Civil War widows, the final living pitcher to surrender a home run to Babe Ruth, Houdini's last stagehand, and the final American doughboy. Lastly, I can frequently be seen authenticating and appraising on the History Channel hit show Pawn Stars.…
Specialty
Historic documents, manuscripts and archives, lettersAssociation member
Seller's business information
Stuart Lutz Historic Documents, Inc
784 Morris Turnpike, PMB #161
Short Hills, NJ U.S.A. 07078
Terms of sale
All sales are final 30 days after the Estimated Delivery Date. All materials that I sell are guaranteed genuine forever by me. If an item is proven not to be genuine (accompanied by a written letter by a known autograph or document expert), I will refund the full purchase price to the original buyer, and this guarantee is without a time limit.
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Most shipping is by USPS First Class mail; it is both trackable and insured, and the buyer will have to sign for the package. Your item will be waterproofed with plastic wrap and sealed in a stiff cardboard container. Please contact me to inquire about other, speedier forms of domestic shipping, or for international rates.