United States Constitution | A rare New Hampshire imprint with significant Granite State provenance

United States Constitution

The Constitution and Laws of the United States. America: Portsmouth, (New Hampshire): George Jerry Osborne, Junior, and to be sold at his office, Guttemberg’s Head, Congress-Street, 1790

8vo (238 x 155 mm, uncut). Half-title, different federal eagle ornaments on title-page and at heading of the Constitution, with terminal blank; half-title and following few leaves ink-spotted at lower margins, gatherings F and G severely foxed, upper fore-edge corner of title-page lost. Original stab-sewing. Half brown morocco slipcase, chemise.

The first New Hampshire printing of the acts passed at the first session of the First Congress of the United States, prefaced by the Constitution and including the proposed twelve-amendment Bill of Rights.

This copy is signed twice on the half-title by Timothy Walker (1737–1822), a selectman for the town of Concord and a colonel in the New Hampshire Militia. Walker was active in politics, serving as well as a state legislator, justice of the peace, and delegate to the state's constitutional conventions of 1778, 1781, and 1791. Walker's father, also named Timothy, was the founder of Concord, New Hampshire.

Very rare: ESTC locates copies only at the American Antiquarian Society and the New York Public Library.

REFERENCE

ESTC W11919; Evans 22951