Saturday I found a copy of Samuel Goodrich's *A Pictorial
History of America Embracing Both the Northern and Southern
Portions* (1847, Hartford: House and Brown). From limited
research, this seems to have been the first printing of the
book, which was reprinted a number of times in the following
decade. This particular copy was wrapped in nondescript
soft leather in the manner that a dust jacket might cover a
book. Unfortunately, it was glued to the endpapers and
removal required time and gentle attention. But once
removed, the book itself shined. The front and back covers
are of a bright glazed leather and the spine is as perfect
as I have seen in a book of that age, with the gilt very
nearly as bright as it must have been when published. I
infer that the soft leather cover preserved the beauty of
this volume for most of its life.

--
Francis A. Miniter

Oscuramente
libros, laminas, llaves
siguen mi suerte.

Jorge Luis Borges, La Cifra Haiku, 6