There was an engraver named John Bower who signed his work "J. Bower" and was working in Philadelphia in 1816 when he produced "A View of the Bombardment of Fort McHenry," showing the 1814 bombardment of the Baltimore fort by the British fleet. That engraving is reproduced in my book, The Star-Spangled Banner: The Flag that Inspired the National Anthem (Harry N. Abrams, 2000) if you want to compare the style with the illustrations in your Bible.
Lonn Taylor
Fort Davis, Texas
----- Original Message -----
From: Anne Lane
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 3:54 PM
Subject: Engraver Information Sought
We have just been offered a Bible illustrated with engravings by somebody named J. Bower. I am unable to find much information on the internet, and I hope that somebody among you might know something about him. I found one reference connecting him with a book of maps; there are a number of maps in this Bible. I don't have a date for the Bible itself; the important half of the title page is missing so I don't have a publisher or country either. The book is bound in full calf with the words "Holy Bible" in gold on the spine along with a few lines of gold tooling. Dimensions are 11" x 9" x 4 5/8". The type is fairly large. The paper is fairly brown but still very flexible, which makes me think earlier 19th century. The front cover is loose, the boards are trying to delaminate around the edges, and the fold-out maps are somewhat tattered and very creased. We're also missing, alas, a chunk of Genesis, some of which is crumpled up and pressed between later pages of the book.
If you can help me with Mr. Bower, or point me toward some authorities on bibles in general, I'd be delighted.
Many thanks,
Anne
Anne T. Lane, Collections Manager
Charlotte Museum of History
3500 Shamrock Drive
Charlotte NC 28215
704-568-1774, ext 110
[log in to unmask]
Winter Featured Events and Exhibits:
North Carolina Slave Narratives, February 5, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Stitched from the Soul Family Day, February 12, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
An Evening with Robert Bruns - the Scottish Bard, February 26, 6:30 - 10:30 p.m.
Civil War Encampment, March 5, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Vecinos/Neighbors on exhibit until August 2005
Stitched from the Soul: The Farmer-James Collection of African-American Quilts, on exhibit until March 2005
Solving the Rock House Mysteries, now on exhibit
For information on these and all other events, please call (704) 568-1774 or visit us online at www.charlottemuseum.org
========================================================= Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).
=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).
|
