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A Rare Autograph Of Early Printer Solomon Southwick

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Books & Manuscripts Start Price:300.00 USD Estimated At:500.00 - 600.00 USD
A Rare Autograph Of Early Printer Solomon Southwick
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[The James Franklin Printing Press] In 1717, James Franklin, older brother of Benjamin Franklin, returned home to Boston afer serving as a printer’s apprentice in England. He brought with him this printing press. Made in London of unseasoned English elm, probably about 1650, the press proved to be rugged enough to take over a century’s worth of continuous hard work. It was a “common press,” designed to be dismantled for easy transport. Upon his return to Boston with the press, James Franklin established one of the first newspapers in the American colonies, The New England Courant. Soon Franklin’s younger brother, Benjamin was place with Jams as an apprentice by their father. This relationship turned sour, however, and Benjamin ended his apprenticeship early by running away to Philadelphia.The strong political views that James expressed in the editorials of the Courant provoked the Boson authorities to censor him. Like so many before him, rather than submit to their authority, he left the restrictive atmosphere of Massachusetts and came to the more tolerant Rhode Island in 1725. James Franklin created printing history when he arrived in Newport. He became the most prolific printer in Rhode Island printing the currency of the colony, The Acts and Resolves of the General assembly, hundreds of broadsides, almanacs, and countless other printed pieces. He established Rhode Island’s first-if shore lived- newspaper, the Rhode Island Gazette, which was published between 1732 and 1733.By 1733, Benjamin Franklin had established himself as a printer in Philadelphia. James Franklin died in 1735, and Benjamin Franklin took his nephew, James Franklin, Jr., as his apprentice. Young James remained with his uncle until he was old enough to return to Newport and take over management of him family’s shop in 1748. In the meantime, Anne Franklin, James’ widow, and her daughter took over the shop.In 1758, after James, Jr. returned from Philadelphia, the Franklin family established the Newport mercury, which has been in continuous publication to this day. It is now published by the Sherman Family who also publishes the Newport Daily News, James Jr. died in 1762 and his mother once again took over the printing operation, this time with her son-in-law Samuel Hall.In 1768, Hall sol the press and the business to Solomon Southwick. In July 1776 Southwick printed copies of the Declaration of Independence for all the towns of Rhode Island. Southwick continued using the press until the American Revolution. During the war, Solomon Southwick buried part of the Franklin Press behind his house on Broadway in an attempt to hide from the British. A local Tory informed on Southwick and the British dug up the press for their own use during their occupation of the city.