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Tavistock Books specializes in first editions, fine rare books & other related bibliographic material, with a special focus on Charles Dickens. New books arrive daily, please check with us should you not find the title you seek. Book searches are available for first editions in the subject areas you see represented here.

Customer satisfaction is guaranteed. The firm emphasizes fine condition throughout its stock. The firm is always interested in purchasing books such as what will be found on this web site; whether it be individual volumes or an entire library. If you have such books to sell, please contact the firm's owner, Vic Zoschak, regarding same.  Finally, please note, we do NOT offer a gratis appraisal service.

As a result of the Covid pandemic, Tavistock Books has transitioned to, primarily, an on-line only business model and the shop is now closed to the general public.  We welcome visits, on a 'by appointment' basis, by other members of the trade & established customers.  That said, please note, this website is open 24/7, and items so ordered will generally ship within 3 business days, if not sooner. 

Tavistock Books is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and the Independent Online Booksellers Association.

Latest Catalogue

LETTERSHEETS: An Ephemeral Phenomena

LETTERSHEETS: An Ephemeral Phenomena

I find lettersheets to be an interesting subset of US Postal history, with the term encompassing a sheet of paper that could be used for correspondence, then folded & mailed, sans envelope.  In explanation, envelopes were not used much before the second half of the 19th century, because most countries' postal rates calculated for the extra sheet of paper that made up the envelope, thereby increasing the cost of mailing when an envelope was used. 
 
Our list this week focuses on privately produced pictorial lettersheets, most herein published by Charles Magnus, of New York City. These lettersheets, predominantly showing bird's-eye views and city / street scenes, were created to comply with, yet circumvent, those previously mentioned postal regulations. 
 
Magnus [1826 - 1900] himself was an intriguing individual, perhaps best remembered today for his color lithographs of city views, song sheets, maps, patriotic covers and, of course, lettersheets, as offered herein.
 
Finally, you’ll note, in the listings, I often cite “Milgram”, which refers to James Milgram’s AMERICAN ILLUSTRATED LETTER STATIONERY  1819 - 1899 [Lake Forest: 2016].  Milgram an oft-cited expert on U.S. postal history, and this an excellent reference for anyone wishing to make a deeper dive into this fascinating genre of 19th C. United States ephemera.
 

In any case, we hope you enjoy browsing this week’s iteration of our biweekly FS lists.

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