ORIGINAL POEMS FOR INFANT MINDS, by Several Young Persons

Frankish, printer. Acceptable. 1821 Frankish, Printer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 3 5/8 x 5 7/8 inches tall full leather bound, covers framed by gilt fleurons, gilt-lettered leather label to spine, engraved frontispiece, 180 pp. Moderate to heavy soiling, rubbing and edgewear to covers, with bumping to all four tips. Front board very slightly bowed. Front free-endpapers and last couple of signatures of volume slightly pulled, but still firmly attached. Blank front free-endpaper chipped and torn, with ink prior owner inscription and name. Fore edge chipping to the first few pages of the volume. Moderate to heavy foxing and soiling throughout, but still quite legible. Several creased pages. Despite these detractions, still a decent, complete reading / reference copy of this rare American issue of an early nineteenth century collection of children's poetry. Reference: American Imprints (1821) #5455. OCLC (No. 41941298) locates only two copies at institutions worldwide - one at Princeton University and one at New York University. ~CCC~ [1.0P] This collection of children's poetry was first solicited by the publisher Darton and Harvey and published anonymously as 'by several young persons.' The primary contributors to the volume were Ann Taylor, Jane Taylor and Adelaide O'Keeffe; Bernard Barton and various members of the Taylor family contributed verse to it as well. As Donelle Ruwe writes in her study of the genesis and reception history of the collection, it was issued as a single-volume work in 1804, and when it proved successful, further poems were solicited for an additional volume, which was published in 1805. Over time, the collection became associated with the Taylor family. Authors (and sisters) Jane Taylor (1783-1824) and Ann Taylor (1782-1866) were English poets, novelists and critics. Ann wrote the words to the song 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,' which is known worldwide, but its authorship generally forgotten. The sisters and their authorship of various works have often been confused, in part because their early works were published together. Ann Taylor's son, Josiah Gilbert, wrote in her biography, 'Two little poems - 'My Mother,' and 'Twinkle, twinkle, little Star' - are perhaps, more frequently quoted than any; the first, a lyric of life, was by Ann, the second, of nature, by Jane; and they illustrate this difference between the sisters.' Following the success of this collection, Ann and Jane Taylor published the poetry collections Rhymes for the Nursery in 1806 and Hymns for Infant Minds in 1810.