rare imprint: Manual of Politeness

[Etiquette].  A manual of politeness, comprising the principles of etiquette, and rules of behavior in genteel society, for persons of both sexes. Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott, 1842. Small octavo, 119 x 82 mm. 287, [1] pp. Original green cloth stamped in blind on covers, ruled in blind on spine with gilt lettering (rubbed at outer edges of spine), an excellent, sound copy.

An early edition published by Lippincott, indeed earlier than any others we can locate by 8 years, of what is likely the same text as that published by W. Marshall & Co. of Philadelphia in 1837. (The Act of Congress entry date on verso of our title uses 1837) Via Worldcat we locate four copies [Yale, NYU, Skidmore, Winterthur] of the 1837 edition that there is attributed to William Foster Jones; George B Ellis; J Fagan (the edition appears to have an engraved title and frontispiece but otherwise similar pagination to the Lippincott editions. An entry for an 1850 edition appears but with no libraries found, another for 1865 which lists a holding at Winterthur only. Further complicating the matter is three copies located in the trade of the title, with “Grambo” added as a secondary publisher- with 1852, 1853, and 1855 listed as publication dates.