LINCOLN, ABRAHAM and STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS. Political Debates between Hon. Abraham Lincoln and Hon. Stephen A. Douglas. In the Celebrated Campaign of 1858, in Illinois. Including the Preceding Speeches of Each, at Chicago, Springfield, Etc.: Also the Two Great Speeches of Mr. Lincoln, in Ohio, in 1859. Carefully Prepared by the Reporter of Each, at Chicago, at the Times of their Delivery. Columbus: Follett, Foster and Company, 1860. Tall 8vo, 240 x 150mm. (9 1/4 x 6 in.), original publisher's sage green cloth, worn, corners, edges and spine neatly repaired in matching cloth, text foxed (as usual), dampstains at end, cloth chemise, quarter brown morocco slipcase. FIRST EDITION, without the "2" at bottom of page 17 (according to Monaghan probably indicating a later printing) and with rule over the Follett, Foster & Co. imprint on verso of title-page, PRESENTATION COPY TO I.J. DYER, inscribed in pencil by Lincoln on front free endpage: "I.J. Dyer Esq From A. Lincoln." Sabin 41156; Monaghan 69; Harry E. Pratt, "Lincoln Autographed Debates," in Manuscripts, 6:4 (Summer 1954), p. 196.A PRESENTATION LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DebatesThe text of these debates, the most celebrated in American political history, was set in type from Lincoln's personal scrapbook, where he pasted transcripts of his and Douglas's addresses as they were printed (at times imperfectly) in the Chicago Press and Tribune and elsewhere. The book, issued in April, a few months before Lincoln's nomination, rapidly became a best seller and over 30,000 copies were printed in a matter of months (Abraham Lincoln Encyclopedia, p. 81). Lincoln personally received 100 copies to distribute, but Pratt's pioneering census located only 18; several others have come to light since then, all but two of them inscribed in pencil due to the highly absorbent nature of the paper on which the book was printed. This copy was apparently given to a Jacksonville neighbor about whom little is known. I.J. Dyer, born in Kentucky in 1835, came to Jacksonville, Illinois with his family in 1841 and later owned a farm. Wounded during the Civil War, he studied law at Washington University in St. Louis and was admitted to the bar in 1873. According to Pratt nothing is known about the circumstances under which Lincoln gave the book to Dyer.Provenance:1. I.J. Dyer, the recipient2. William P. Clyde (sale, 6 May 1931, lot )3. Frank S. Hogan, bookplate (sale, Parke-Bernet, 23 January 1945, lot 373), bought by Abraham Lincoln Bookshop4. Anonymous owner (at time of Pratt census, 1954)5. Harry J. Sonneborn (sale, Sotheby Parke Bernet, 5 June 1980, lot 29).

LINCOLN, ABRAHAM and STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS. Political Debates between Hon. Abraham Lincoln and Hon. Stephen A. Douglas. In the Celebrated Campaign of 1858, in Illinois. Including the Preceding Speeches of Each, at Chicago, Springfield, Etc.: Also the Two Great Speeches of Mr. Lincoln, in Ohio, in 1859. Carefully Prepared by the Reporter of Each, at Chicago, at the Times of their Delivery. Columbus: Follett, Foster and Company, 1860. Tall 8vo, 240 x 150mm. (9 1/4 x 6 in.), original publisher's sage green cloth, worn, corners, edges and spine neatly repaired in matching cloth, text foxed (as usual), dampstains at end, cloth chemise, quarter brown morocco slipcase. FIRST EDITION, without the "2" at bottom of page 17 (according to Monaghan probably indicating a later printing) and with rule over the Follett, Foster & Co. imprint on verso of title-page, PRESENTATION COPY TO I.J. DYER, inscribed in pencil by Lincoln on front free endpage: "I.J. Dyer Esq From A. Lincoln." Sabin 41156; Monaghan 69; Harry E. Pratt, "Lincoln Autographed Debates," in Manuscripts, 6:4 (Summer 1954), p. 196. A PRESENTATION LINCOLN-DOUGLAS Debates The text of these debates, the most celebrated in American political history, was set in type from Lincoln's personal scrapbook, where he pasted transcripts of his and Douglas's addresses as they were printed (at times imperfectly) in the Chicago Press and Tribune and elsewhere. The book, issued in April, a few months before Lincoln's nomination, rapidly became a best seller and over 30,000 copies were printed in a matter of months (Abraham Lincoln Encyclopedia, p. 81). Lincoln personally received 100 copies to distribute, but Pratt's pioneering census located only 18; several others have come to light since then, all but two of them inscribed in pencil due to the highly absorbent nature of the paper on which the book was printed. This copy was apparently given to a Jacksonville neighbor about whom little is known. I.J. Dyer, born in Kentucky in 1835, came to Jacksonville, Illinois with his family in 1841 and later owned a farm. Wounded during the Civil War, he studied law at Washington University in St. Louis and was admitted to the bar in 1873. According to Pratt nothing is known about the circumstances under which Lincoln gave the book to Dyer. Provenance: 1. I.J. Dyer, the recipient 2. William P. Clyde (sale, 6 May 1931, lot ) 3. Frank S. Hogan, bookplate (sale, Parke-Bernet, 23 January 1945, lot 373), bought by Abraham Lincoln Bookshop 4. Anonymous owner (at time of Pratt census, 1954) 5. Harry J. Sonneborn (sale, Sotheby Parke Bernet, 5 June 1980, lot 29).

Details

LINCOLN, ABRAHAM and STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS. Political Debates between Hon. Abraham Lincoln and Hon. Stephen A. Douglas. In the Celebrated Campaign of 1858, in Illinois. Including the Preceding Speeches of Each, at Chicago, Springfield, Etc.: Also the Two Great Speeches of Mr. Lincoln, in Ohio, in 1859. Carefully Prepared by the Reporter of Each, at Chicago, at the Times of their Delivery. Columbus: Follett, Foster and Company, 1860. Tall 8vo, 240 x 150mm. (9 1/4 x 6 in.), original publisher's sage green cloth, worn, corners, edges and spine neatly repaired in matching cloth, text foxed (as usual), dampstains at end, cloth chemise, quarter brown morocco slipcase. FIRST EDITION, without the "2" at bottom of page 17 (according to Monaghan probably indicating a later printing) and with rule over the Follett, Foster & Co. imprint on verso of title-page, PRESENTATION COPY TO I.J. DYER, inscribed in pencil by Lincoln on front free endpage: "I.J. Dyer Esq From A. Lincoln." Sabin 41156; Monaghan 69; Harry E. Pratt, "Lincoln Autographed Debates," in Manuscripts, 6:4 (Summer 1954), p. 196.

A PRESENTATION LINCOLN-DOUGLAS Debates

The text of these debates, the most celebrated in American political history, was set in type from Lincoln's personal scrapbook, where he pasted transcripts of his and Douglas's addresses as they were printed (at times imperfectly) in the Chicago Press and Tribune and elsewhere. The book, issued in April, a few months before Lincoln's nomination, rapidly became a best seller and over 30,000 copies were printed in a matter of months (Abraham Lincoln Encyclopedia, p. 81). Lincoln personally received 100 copies to distribute, but Pratt's pioneering census located only 18; several others have come to light since then, all but two of them inscribed in pencil due to the highly absorbent nature of the paper on which the book was printed.
This copy was apparently given to a Jacksonville neighbor about whom little is known. I.J. Dyer, born in Kentucky in 1835, came to Jacksonville, Illinois with his family in 1841 and later owned a farm. Wounded during the Civil War, he studied law at Washington University in St. Louis and was admitted to the bar in 1873. According to Pratt nothing is known about the circumstances under which Lincoln gave the book to Dyer.

Provenance:
1. I.J. Dyer, the recipient
2. William P. Clyde (sale, 6 May 1931, lot )
3. Frank S. Hogan, bookplate (sale, Parke-Bernet, 23 January 1945, lot 373), bought by Abraham Lincoln Bookshop
4. Anonymous owner (at time of Pratt census, 1954)
5. Harry J. Sonneborn (sale, Sotheby Parke Bernet, 5 June 1980, lot 29).