A handsome copy of Converse's final tutor, with the ownership signature "S[ister]r. Beatrice, OSB, 1893." Includes a generous selection of music; the final ads are for Converse's line of banjos, and include full page diagrams of his improvements in neck mounting and tail piece.
First edition. A major treatise by a leading manufacturer, marking the evolution of the instrument from minstrel stage to concert hall. This is an early issue with uncorrected textual errors e.g. "seemad" for "seemed" on p. 30, line 12, "audiance" for "audience", p. 14, line 12 from bottom, and "affect" for "effect" on p. 64, line 5 from bottom. Most notably, subsequent editions did not include the nine portraits of professional players, but only the portrait of Stewart.
Second edition; stamped "Complimentary Copy" on ffep [front free end paper], and with the pencilled block letters, "Danville School of Music. H. Q. Porter, Violin; H. A. Prior, piano; Park Hunter, Banjo," on the verso of the portrait. As noted, the textual errors are here corrected, and only the portrait of Stewart is retained.
16 letters written by Maj. (Baron) Friedrich von Steuben (1730-1794). Baron von Steuben, a native French speaker, served under Washington at Valley Forge, rose to the position of Inspector-General of the Continental Army in 1778 and later was a participant in the founding of the Hamilton-Oneida Academy, the predecessor of Hamilton College. Includes transcriptions and English translations of the French originals.
Title from content of broadside after header information.; At head of title: Wheatley's Arch St. Theatre Wednesday evening, July 21st.; Broadside advertising performance by Ordway's Æolians in Philadelphia at Wheatley's Arch St. Theater on Wedenesday, July 21st 1858. Acts include various musical performances and a stage performance entitles "Oh! Hush!";