Forbes, Allan (1874–1955)

Towns of New England and Old England, Ireland and Scotland. [Two volumes printed as one in a presentation box.]

New York: Tudor Publishing Company, 1936. First Edition, Thus. Hardcovers in a Publisher's slipcase. This expansive work serves as a grand cartographic and genealogical bridge between the American colonies and their British namesakes, featuring hundreds of illustrations from rare prints and contemporary photographs. 

This specific 1936 edition is prized for condensing the sprawling two-volume State Street Trust set into a single, high-quality reference volume while retaining the elegant presentation.

KEY FEATURES
+++ Visuals: Profusely illustrated throughout with reproductions from old prints, maps, and archival views of town squares, memorials, and architectural links. 
+++ Binding: Deep burgundy cloth with gilt-stamped spine; includes the uncommon original publisher’s presentation slipcase and vibrant red top-stain. Illustrated dust jackets.
+++ Content: Detailed narratives on the founders and settlers of New England towns (e.g., Boston, Plymouth, Hartford) and their direct connections to European counterparts. 
+++ Gift inscription on front flyleaf dated 1937, placing the provenance squarely within the era of the New England Tercentenary. 

CONDITION: Near Fine -- The book is remarkably clean and tight with no internal flaws to note beyond a neat 1937 gift inscription. The cloth is vibrant and the top-stain is unfaded. The slipcase is Very Good, showing light shelf wear and rubbing to the corners but remaining structurally sound and protective.
+++ Imprint: Published by Tudor Publishing Company, a house known for high-quality historical reprints and scholarly editions during the mid-20th century. 
+++ Specs: 10.5 inches tall / [2], vi, 225, [1]; [2], vi, 225, [1] pages (continuous pagination in two sections).

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE - 
Allan Forbes was a prominent Boston banker and historian who served as the President of the State Street Trust Company. He spent decades documenting the maritime and colonial history of New England, often commissioning these works to be given as keepsakes to the bank's clients. His work remains a cornerstone for genealogists and local historians because of his access to private archives and rare British prints that were not widely circulated in America at the time.

While the first iteration of this work was issued in two separate volumes in 1920-1921, this 1936 'First Edition Thus' by Tudor was designed to satisfy the surging public interest during the colonial revival movement of the 1930s. It stands as a significant artifact of American identity-building, linking the 'New World' directly to the 'Old World' through shared nomenclature and ancestry.

SUBJECTS: New England History, British History, Genealogy, Colonial Settlements, Transatlantic Relations, Architecture, Allan Forbes, State Street Trust Company, Americana, Reference, Illustrated History, Genealogy.

Item #21523

Price: $115.00