1910, 2 Vol, Ancestral Records and Portraits, SIGNED COLONIAL DAMES FOUNDER!

Description: THESE BOOKS DETAILING THE BEGINNING HISTORY OF THE COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA WERE SIGNED BY ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE COLONIAL DAMES, AND... WAS HERSELF A DESCENDENT OF GEORGE WASHINGTON! Here is the story, backed up by the last three photos of this listing. Both books had this inscription: "Mr. Charles B. Alexander ... Compliments ... Mrs. H Irvine Keyser" At first it was hard for me to read the handwriting of the signatory. After some time, I was able to determine that the signatory is indeed as I portrayed it here, "Mrs. H Irvine Keyser". The last three listing photos show screen shots of obituaries found online. The first is the 1931 obituary of "Mrs. Mary Washington Keyser, widow of H. Irvine Keyser". The next listing photo is from later in the obituary which notes, "Mrs. Keyser, born in Baltimore in 1841, was a direct lineal descendent of the Colonial family Washington, through John A. Washington, brother of the first president... Mrs. Keyser was one of the founders of the Society of the Colonial Dames of America and took a great interest in the genealogy of her and other early Colonial families." Finally, to finish the story, is the background for Charles B. Alexander. The last listing photo shows two paragraph in the obituary of William Alexander, a founder of an insurance company. It is noted there that William Alexander and his brother, Charles B. Alexander of Eccleston, MD, incorporated the company in Maryland. Now go back to the Keyser obituary where it is noted that Mr. Keyser, husband of Mary Washington Keyser, died in 1916 in "... their country home, Westmoreland, near Eccleston... ". So, Mrs. H. Irvine Keyser, nee Mary Washington Keyser, a founder of the Colonial Dames of America and a descendent of George Washington (yes, THE George Washington), inscribed and gifted these books to a friend in Eccleston, MD. As a final note, someone inked "C.B. Alexander 'Cliffholm' Eccleston, MD" on the first free endpaper of Volume 2 (only, not in Vol 1; not shown in listing photos). It could certainly have been Charles B. Alexander who inked his name, and possibly his nickname, on the first free endpaper. NOW FINALLY THE BOOKS. Fully titled, "Ancestral Records and Portraits : A Compilation From the Archives of Chapter I., The Colonial Dames of America", and then subtitled, "Prepared Under the Direction of the Publication Committee By The Editorial Department of the Grafton Press". FIRST EDITION, published by Grafton Press in 1910. The books are in GOOD CONDITION. The books have clean blue cloth boards with moderate to heavy corner and top/bottom spine wear, light edge wear, gilt titling and decoration front board and spine. Gilt page tops. Both volumes are fully bound, but there is some endpaper cracking at the end of Vol 1 (not otherwise in either volume) and hinge weakening in both volumes. The next owner may wish to pay for firming up the binding. There are 406 age-toned pages in Vol 1, with pagination continuing to 835 in Vol. 2. PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED with plates in both books. The books will be shrink-wrapped to retain their current condition for storage, and then will be cushioned in a sturdy box when mailed. WHAT A STORY! Cliff's Books SL

Price: 200 USD

Location: Burtonsville, Maryland

End Time: 2025-01-28T05:12:02.000Z

Shipping Cost: 10 USD