Description

Hardcover, red cloth boldly lettered in gold. 98 pages. Illustrated with a portrait frontispiece, drawings and numerous plates depicting several historic Staten Island buildings, now no longer extant. Included also are plates of Trinity Church in lower Manhattan. A signed presentation copy by the publisher, on front free end-paper, dated 1915. First edition. The book relates the story of Major Lancaster Symes and Queen Anne, the granting of royal land grants and the geographical areas of Staten Island and Manhattan. Included are chapters on historic places on Staten Island, Staten Island in Literature and a short Staten Island bibliography. An uncommon work, this copy has no previous ownership marks, no writing and no book-plates, albeit evidence of mild damp-stain just visible to upper margins, not affecting text or illustrations. Gold letting is bright, though cloth covers show some age darkening and are stained on lower rear corner. A good copy.