A Memoir of Benjamin Robbins Curtis, LL.D. with Some of His Professional and Miscellaneous Writings.
Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1879. Hardcover. Complete 2-volume set. 8vo. Green blind-ruled cloth with gilt spine lettering/rules. xii, 490pp; iv, 440pp. Tissue-guarded frontispieces. Very good. Tight and internally choice, the only wear showing on the lightly-shellacked spines, with show miniscule chipping at head and foot and each bearing a hand-lettered paper shelf label near foot. Item #50930
Handsome pair, first edition, of this hefty account of the life (1809-74) of the associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1851-57) who dissented in the Dred Scott case, often remembered as President Andrew Johnson's defense attorney during his 1868 impeachment trial -- and as the first Supreme Court justice to hold a college law degree. His namesake son compiled and edited these volumes. Justice Curtis's brother, George Ticknor Curtis -- also an attorney but better known as historian and writer -- provided the life that fills the first volume, while the second volume contains a broad array of Justice Curtis's writings. Volume I bears bold ownership signature at top of title page of "W.B. Allison / June 23/80" and same appears in Volume II at top of contents page. From the collection of William B. Allison (1829-1908), the powerful Iowa Republican who, as U.S. senator from that state (1873-1908), was one of the "big four" who controlled the Senate; as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee for most of those years, he championed tariff legislation and co-authored the Bland-Allison Act of 1878; as member of the Senate Finance Committee he was often courted by U.S. presidents to hold cabinet positions. Early 20th century bookplate on both front pastedowns records "This book is part of Allison Memorial Collection Gift of Mrs. Jennie A. Brayton" and until deaccessioned was part of Allison's non-circulating collection at his hometown public library across the street from his Dubuque residence. Notes Leland L. Sage in his 1956 biography "William Boyd Allison: A Study in Practical Politics," Allison owned "hundreds of books on government, economics, history, banking, finance, and the tariff.... An omnivorous reader, Allison doubtless read most of these volumes, if only for relaxation from the strain that accompanied his efforts to solve the many problems facing the Nation...." Very scarce and with intriguing provenance.
Price: $595.00