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Abbot, Ephraim, 1779-1870. Papers of Ephraim Abbot, 1813-1825.

Title: Papers of Ephraim Abbot, 1813-1825.

The bulk of this collection consists of Abbot's sermons. There is also some personal and biographical material, including travel logs and records of personal expenses.

ArchivalResource: 5 boxes (1.75 linear feet)

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/229966313 View

Jenks, William, 1778-1866. Prospect from a study, in the north entry of Hollis Hall, [graphic, ca. 1797]

Title: Prospect from a study, in the north entry of Hollis Hall, [graphic, ca. 1797]

William Jenks painted this while an undergraduate at Harvard College; it is believed to have been painted during his senior year, in 1797, although no date appears on the object itself. The painting depicts the view from a study in Hollis Hall, which was Jenks' dormitory. In the foreground are books and a windowledge, with a slate on the wall to the left and the Latin inscription, "Ne quid nemis," written beneath it. In the distance, through the window, other buildings are visible, as well as a vast stretch of lawn, trees, and a hill in the far distance.

ArchivalResource: .01 cubic feet.1 painting : watercolor, graphite, and ink on board; 6 x 8 in.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/631692974 View

Abbot, Ephraim, 1779-1870. Journals.

Title: Journals. 1812.

ArchivalResource: 2 v. ; 19 cm.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/27785590 View

Abbot, Ephraim, 1779-1870. Ordination sermons, 1785-1870 / collected by Eliphalet Pearson and bound together in a single volume. Publishers and authors vary.

Title: Ordination sermons, 1785-1870 / collected by Eliphalet Pearson and bound together in a single volume. Publishers and authors vary.

Of particular note is the Timothy Hilliard sermon printed by John Mycall. The first page of text, as well as page [37], features a woodcut initial and woodcut headpiece. John Mycall, the publisher, "adopted a French approach to his typographic style, as opposed to the English look of most early American books. He liberally used printers' fleurons and decorative headpieces in the French style." What's more, the first headpiece has been printed in red ink, while the ornamented initial has been printed in dark blue. Mycall "in this rare example presents the reader with the first multicolor printing in America, appropriately enough in the Franco-American tricolor of red, white, and blue." Needless to say, this is a paramount landmark in the history of American typography -- never before had color existed in print on American soil (or colonial soil, for that matter). Rev. Timothy Hilliard (1746-1790), the Harvard alum who delivered the sermon here printed, spent a brief period as the pastor at Cambridge; he was popularly known as a compassionate and learned preacher. Of all of his sermons, only five of them were ever published -- this one having been issued only the year before his death. In 1694, there were two parishes in Newbury, Massachusetts, some 35 miles north of Cambridge. As the population grew, settlers at the mouth of the Merrimack withdrew from the City of Newbury to become Newburyport. So, in 1722, these settlers established the Third Parish of Newbury, which later became the First Religious Society of Newburyport. John Lowell, a 22-year-old Harvard graduate, became the parish's first pastor. When Lowell died in 1767, Thomas Cary (1745-1808), another graduate of Harvard, became the parish's second pastor. In 1788, however, Rev. Cary fell ill. To ease the burden of responsibility, the parishioners installed John Andrews, yet another Harvard graduate, as an associate professor -- or "Colleague-Pastor", as he is here referred to. Rev. Hilliard then preached this sermon on the occasion of Rev. Cary's ordination on December 10, 1788. The print run must have been very small (especially for a typographic experiment such as multicolor printing), and those who possessed the ability to read the text must not have been many. Not one copy has been sold at auction in the last fifty years. A magnificent example of typographical progress in America.

ArchivalResource:

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/764448396 View

Abbot, Ephraim, 1779-1870. Papers, 1801-1904.

Title: Papers, 1801-1904.

The collection is divided into record types: an autobiography covering the period 1779 to 1827; two diaries recording Abbot's movements for the periods 5 January to 23 September 1812, and 18 February 1814 to 8 May 1815; eight sermons written from 1813 to 1851; and numerous pieces of correspondence. In the autobiography Abbot discussed his education and religious calling, as well as his movements. Later entries for the 1820s are written more as a travelogue, recording places in New England Abbot visited to try to improve his poor health. The diaries trace Abbot's daily activities, visits to friends and relatives, preaching duties, and letter writing. The sermons deal with various scriptural subjects and each contains a listing on the outside leaf of when and where it was delivered. The majority of letters were written by Abbot, his first fiancée, and her family. His relationship with Mary Pearson came about through Abbot's connection with her father, Rev. Eliphalet Pearson (1752-1826), who was one of his teachers at the Seminary. Rev. Pearson's advice, usually channeled through his daughter to Abbot, is a common characteristic of many letters. All correspondence from May 1808 to June 1811 was between Abbot and Mary Pearson. He was devoted to her in these letters and declared his ardent love for her, but refused to force her into a permanent relationship due to his financial insecurity. Abbot also wrote about his activities as a missionary in Robbinstown and Denneysville in eastern Maine, describing in many letters the sinful state of the congregation and his discouragement because of the lack of moral character he encountered in the region. In one letter, dated 10 and 11 July 1811, Abbot described the Indian settlement at Pleasant Point. Other letters recount his activities in Greenland, N.H., including a letter dated 27 October 1813, which detailed his ordination ceremony. Later correspondence is widely scattered and reveals Abbot's role as head of the Abbot family. Several younger family members wrote to him for advice, or simply to register their activities with him. There is also evidence in these later letters of his business and agricultural interests: bank and investment statements, student boarding fees, and letters asking advice on planting and harvesting. Abbot's last letter, dated 27 March 1868, is unique in that he commented on a national issue: the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson. Letters after this date were written by family members, most often by Abbot's daughter, Lucy (1832- ) or her friends.

ArchivalResource: 10 v. ; octavo.2 boxes.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/207107970 View