JEFFERSON, THOMAS

Notes on the State of Virginia. New York: printed by M.L. & W.A. Davis for Furman & Loudon, 1801. Stated third American edition (but this is actually the sixth by strict count, according to Reese). Period American tree calf. 8 1/2 x 4 7/8 inches (21.5 x 12.5 cm); [iv], 6-392 pp.; frontispiece portrait of Jefferson by Scoles, large folding map of the State of Virginia by Samuel Lewis (originally prepared for Carey's American edition of Guthrie's Geography and still found dated 1794 here), chart of the cave on p. 32, folding table opposite p. 138, diagram of the Ohio river at the foot of p.387. Light binding wear, lacking the front free endpaper, the map with a tear into the sheet extending from the gutter, two small rubbed areas, and some separations to folds, but overall quite sound; typical foxing and toning to the text, a few marginal tears, a decent copy overall. The view of the Natural Bridge in Virginia found in some copies is not present here, and may not be required (it is missing from many copies), see below. Quite scarce with the map present.

This New York edition, published in the year of Jefferson's inauguration, is typographically identical to the Newark edition of the same year except in imprint. That, stated as "Printed by Pennington & Gould," was issued without the map and the Natural Bridge plate. Writing of the Newark edition, Joseph Felcone (Collection, 803) notes: "This edition is one of three editions printed the same year from the same type, with reimposed first signatures and changed title pages and imprints. Aside from the text of the appendix concerning the Logan-Cresap incident, which is from the appendix first published in 1800, it would appear that the type was set from an uncorrected copy of the Mathew Carey edition of 1794. The other 1801 issues printed from this same type are: (1) New York: Printed by M. L. & W. A. Davis, for Furman & Loudon; and (2) New York: Printed for and sold by T. B. Jansen & Co., and G. Jansen & Co." The appendix mentioned, on the murder of Logan's family during the Revolutionary War, can be found at the rear on pages [341]-392 of our copy, and it first appears in these three related editions. Howes J78; The Image of Thomas Jefferson in the Public Eye, pp.16-17 for the portrait; Sabin 35906. Shaw & Shoemaker 722 etc.