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This item WAS NOT SOLD. Auction date was 2002 Jun 25 @ 10:00UTC-08:00 : PST/AKDT
JOHN P. JEWETT (1814-1884) American abolitionist and publisher of Stowe's landmark tale Uncle Tom's Cabin which he promoted to government and civic leaders nationwide, contributing much to the great popularity and important impact of the book on anti-slavery attitudes of the day. We offer a historically-important A.Ms.S. ("John P. Jewett") at top by an amanuensis, 33 full pages, 4to. on lined paper in a composition book, [Orange, N.J., ca. 1880] in which Jewett sets forth a detailed and defensive account of the process leading to the publication of the landmark novel, with specific reference to the many business disputes and personality clashes preceding and following publication. The manuscript is titled "Uncle Tom's Cabin; A True History By the Original Publisher (John P. Jewett). The text is written in the first person in two hands, the first by Jewett's son Frank, with the balance in another hand, likely that of Jewett himself or another family member. As the manuscript is written in the first person, is written in two hands and bears numerous corrections, we believe that Jewett at the very least dictated the contents, and perhaps completed the text himself. Jewett sets the tone of his article by citing the necessity of providing "sketches of sundry intermeddlers whose officiousness caused continual friction" and explains his motivation preparing the text: "...I am induced at this late day injustice to myself and my family who may survive me to place on record this veritable statement..." Jewett opens the history with a description of the first appearance of the book in type when published by his friend in he anti-slavery newspaper the National Era in 1851-52. He notes that publishing houses had declined to print the book "through fear of losing Southern trade [and] fear of personal violence". At the urging of his wife, Jewett wrote Stowe and the parties met to discuss publication. Jewett caustically notes that as the discussion turned to payment: "...an evil genius strode into the arena...the elder sister of Mrs. Stowe, Catharine E. Beecher" and proceeds to dismantle Mrs. Stowe in the harshest terms: "sang froid...dictator...dictate the proprieties of life..." and so on. To placate Catherine, Jewett prepared two contracts and asked the Stowe family have three businessmen review them. His contract accepted, Jewett then relates his hiring of eight presses to work night and day for six months printing the novel. Catherine again enters the scene, with Jewett taking great pains to accurately describe the woman in the most horrific terms, finally citing her "abusive" letter claiming deceptive practices on Jewett's part. An angry exchange of correspondence followed, with Catherine eventually contacting Jewett's pastor and an attorney in an effort to derail the deal. Catherine eventually succeeds in convincing the Stowe's of foul play, with a lengthy exchange of correspondence following. Eventually, the book came off the presses to great acclaim and: "in less than four months...I gave Mrs. Stowe my check for $10,000...in all I paid her $32,000..."Nonetheless, rumors started to fly that Jewett had taken advantage of Stowe, and cites a few press references. In his own defense, Jewett takes great pains to thoroughly explain the fairness of his dealings with Mrs. Stowe and cites all of the costly aspects involved in publishing the book, including express wagons, railroad transport, printing expense, and so on. He also cites sales statistics: 2,000 volumes sold per day, with translations in Spanish, Italian, French, Swedish, Hungarian, and so on, and his flops, including a poorly-illustrated English edition, and Mrs. Stowe's sequel The Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin. The latter sold so poorly that Jewett was stuck with 1,000 worthless copies, and here turns on Mrs. Stowe herself as she claims royalties for the discarded copies. Mention is also made of Stowe making a contract with British publishers behind Jewett's back, with near-disastrous results for the author. In his closing paragraphs, Jewett exclaims: "...If I was such a vandal, such an incorrigible sinner; it certainly is strange that no individual could be found to stop my mad career...Church and State, Religion and Law, failed to find aught of wrong in my case...the oft repeated saying is true; that the composition of the 'Genus Homo' must be three fold, viz: 'The Saints, The Sinners, and the Beechers'..." A fascinating and most important insight into the publishing of one of the most influential books of all time. One chip to cover, otherwise in very good to fine condition.
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