Albany Law Journal

Trumbull, J. Hammond, Editor. The True-Blue Laws of Connecticut and New Haven and the False Blue... 1876

Trumbull, J. Hammond, Editor. The True-Blue Laws of Connecticut and New Haven and the False Blue Laws Forged by Peters. Hartford: [American Publishing Company], 1876. vi, [9]-360 pp. Original blue textured cloth, gilt seal of Connecticut to front board, gilt title to spine. Some rubbing to extremities, corners bumped, front endleaf detached, a few cracks to text block, internally clean. A solid copy of an uncommon title. * Only edition. "[T]he public owes a debt of gratitude to Mr. Trumbull for having laid forever this phantom of the early days of the Colonial history of our country, which has been called up so often by men who supplied want of brains and wit, by the empty shadow of what never had an existence. (...) Nobody could have done it better than Mr. Trumbull out of his rich store of archaic learning, and his familiarity with the rise and condition of the social and political institutions of New England.": Albany Law Journal 15 (1877) 140.

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Delevan, Edward C., Defendant: A Report of the Trial of John Taylor vs. Edward C. Delevan... 1840. 1840

[Trial]. Delevan, Edward C., Defendant. A Report of the Trial of the Cause of John Taylor vs. Edward C. Delavan, Prosecuted for an Alleged Libel; Tried at the Albany Circuit, April, 1840. And Mr. Delavan's Correspondence with the ex. Committee of the Albany City Temperance Society, &c. Albany: Printed by Hoffman, White & Visscher, 1840. 48 pp. Octavo (5" x 8"). Illustrated. Recent period-style quarter calf over marbled boards, endpapers renewed. Occasional light foxing, interior otherwise clean. An attractive copy of a work uncommon in the trade. * First edition. "Taylor, a brewer, charged Delavan with libel for having stated in the Evening Journal that Taylor's brewery used "impure, dirty and filthy water" in brewing its beer. A jury acquitted Delavan apparently on the ground that the statement was true." An interesting record of a newspaper libel trial in which the plaintiff prevailed. This report was issued in a microfiche edition in 1984. Sabin, A Dictionary of Books Relating to America 19369. McCoy, Freedom of the Press D92. Cohen, Bibliography of Early American Law 12061.

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READ, General John Meredith (1837-1896). - Maxime LALANNE (1827-1886): An important collection of twenty five original etchings, including works from two separate series and three proofs-before-letters of Lalanne's 'Passage de la Seine par le Genl. Read pendant la guerre de 1870'

Paris: Cadart & Luce, 1869[-1871]. Folio. (18 x 12 3/4 inches and smaller). 25 etched plates (comprising 12 plates on india paper mounted from the '12 Croquis a l'eau-forte' series; 10 [of 12] plates on from the 'Souvenirs Artistiques du Siege de Paris 1870-1871' series; and three proof-before-letters examples of the 'Passage de la Seine' plate [one on india paper mounted]). The collection unbound as issued within recent dark green morocco-backed cloth box, the '12 Croquis' series with original light blue paper wrappers, the upper cover with etched title block and artist's manuscript presentation inscription, contained within original green cloth-backed paper-covered boards, titled in gilt on upper cover, cloth ties. The John Meredith Read collection of Lalanne etchings: an important archive recalling the former's role in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871 and his time as U.S. Consul-General to France. Maxime Lalanne was a highly accomplished etcher and draughtsman whose talents were readily acknowledged by his peers. P.G. Hamerton wrote that 'No one etched so gracefully as Maxine Lalanne. This merit of gracefulness is what chiefly distinguishes him there has never been an etcher equal to him in a certain delicate elegance, from the earliest times till now' (Etchings and Etchers, 1880, p.154). Joseph Pennell echoed this view, 'Lalanne is one of the most exquisite and refined illustrators of architecture who ever lived. His ability to express a great building, a vast town, or a delicate little landscape, has never been equaled' (Pen Drawing and Pen Draughtsmen, 1920, p.92.) Lalanne initially made a career in the law, but in about 1850 was persuaded by his friends to turn to the study of art full-time. He moved from Bordeaux to Paris, joined the studio of Jean Gigoux, and made his Salon debut in 1852. Lalanne was one of those who were instrumental in the revival of etching in France, and was a founding member of the Societe des Aqua-Fortistes. His illustrated manual Traite de la gravure a l'eau-forte, published in 1866, was pivotal in elevating etching to the status of a fine art, and he became one of the medium's most influential instructors. He published seven prints in the Society's Eaux-fortes modernes series between 1862 and 1866, and provided drawings for their journal, L'Illustration nouvelle. The present collection includes two series that have highly contrasting subject matter: the first bucolic land- and seascapes, the second a series forming an eyewitness record of the Franco-Prussian War. Perhaps the most interesting print is a supplementary image from the Franco-Prussian War, the subject being the original owner of this collection (General Read) being rowed across the Seine (like Washington across the Delaware) whilst the bombardment continues all around. 'John Meredith Read, Jr. was born in Philadelphia on February 21, 1837. The Read family was prominent in American political life; Read's great-grandfather George Read signed the Declaration of Independence and was a framer of the Constitution; his father, John Meredith Read, Sr., was a prominent Pennsylvania jurist who was outspoken on the "Free Kansas" issue and was later appointed Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Read was educated at a military school, followed by college education at Brown University and Albany (New York) Law School, from which he graduated in 1859. That year he was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar and married Delphine Marie Pumpelly. Read was an active supporter of Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party in the elections of 1860. As a reward, he was promoted to brigadier-general (the youngest man ever to hold this rank) and made adjutant-general of New York State, directing military affairs there during the Civil War with great success, eventually receiving official recognition from the War Department. His support of the Republican party continued through the Civil War, and he was active in General Ulysses S. Grant's campaign for President in 1868. His reward for service this time was to be appointed consul-general to France and Algeria in 1869. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), Read acted as the representative for the German government, protecting German interests and citizens until the Germans re- established diplomatic relations in 1872; for this, the Kaiser eventually tried to confer a knighthood on Read, but Congress never passed the resolution that would have allowed this. Read also looked after American and French interests during the Paris Commune uprising and the second siege of Paris. The French held him in such high esteem that in 1872 the Minister of War appointed him president of a commission to determine whether French troops should be taught English. Recognizing Read's talents in the diplomatic service, Grant appointed him the first resident minister to Greece in 1873. Once again, his term of office was marked with diplomatic successes. One of his first accomplishments was to gain the release of the American ship Armenia from Greek authorities. In 1876, he compelled the Greek government to revoke an order banning sales of English translations of the Bible. In 1877, he notified the U.S. press that the Russo-Turkish War was disrupting Russia's wheat exports to Europe and that U.S. exports to Europe at that time might capture the market. The resulting grain exports to Europe netted U.S. businessmen73 million. As minister, he was also responsible for protecting American interests and citizens during the Balkan crisis and War of 1875-1878.' (University of Rochester Libraries). H. Beraldi Les Graveurs du XIX Siecle (Paris, 1889) vol.IX, pp.18-23; J. Laran Inventaire du Fonds Francais apres 1800 (Paris, 1932) vol.XII, pp.272-282; J.M. Villet The Etchings of Maxime Lalanne a catalogue raisonne (Washington, 2003) 56 (IV/IV); 57 (IV/IV); 58 (V/V); 59 (III/III); 60 (II/III); 61 (III/IV); 62 (III/V); 63 (IV/IV); 64 (II/II); 65 (III/III); 66 (III/III); 67 (II/II); 69 (III/III); 70 (II/II); 71 (II/Ii); 72 (II/II); 73 (II/II); 74 (II/II); 77 (II/II); 78 (II/II); 79 (III/III); 80 (III/III); 107 (I/III or II/III)

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