National Portrait Gallery of Eminent Americans: Including Orators, Statesmen, Naval and Military Heroes, Jurists, and Authors

"DUYCKINCK, E.A. National Portrait Gallery of Eminent Americans: Including Orators, Statesmen, Naval and Military Heroes, Jurists, Authors, ETC., ETC., from Original Full-Length Paintings by Alonzo Chappel. With Biographical and Historical Narratives. IN TWO VOLUMES." Frontis., title page vignette, (57 engraved portraits in vol. 1 and 62 engravings in vol. 2 for a total of 119 engravings COMPLETE and EXTREMELY CLEAN, thick 4to, 3/4 brown morocco, pps. 488 and 470 respectively, gilt-lettered raised bands; (prev. owner's paper label inside both volumes on front free-endpapers), N.Y.: Johnson, Fry and Co., (1864). I counted every plate/engraving to make sure all were present. Although the dates on the copyright pages are 1862, it is apparent that the work was executed at that time but took a few years to complete as the steel engravings have dates that vary from 1861-1864, so 1864 is probably the actual completion/printing date. there is a 1" strip missing across the top spine of volume one (IT IS STILL WITH THE VOLUME JUST NOT REATTACHED). I acquired this set along with about 1,000 books from an estate that went back about 3 generations. The house had been a general store at the turn of the 19th century and a bit before. Former owner also was the owner of the General Store. Regardless, these two volumes stayed in the same family for all these years until my purchase around 1998. Internally they are in spectacular condition. Marbled end-papers. Note: The George Washington and Washington Irving Engravings serve as the frontispiece in their respective volumes which is why they do not appear along with their biographies as do all the other engravings. These two volumes weigh almost 10 pounds.…