Alexander Cartwright 1874 Letterpress Copy

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FS- Alexander Joy Cartwright Framed and Matted Letter press letter.

The letter has been professionally framed and matted with a photo of Cartwright & the Rules of baseball as he has designed them... The measurements of the frame are 11x14. The letter is fully intact and housed in lucite behind the matt... Based on the cut of the letter, I determined it would be easier to display only the salutation & beautiful signature of Cartwright...

For those of you who are not familiar with what a letter press letter is: It is a "Letter Press" retained copy of the original Letter written entirely in the hand of Alexander Cartwright. A Letter Press Copy was made directly from a hand written letter using the ink from the original letter to create an exact copy of the original Letter. Letter Press copying, first patented by James Watt in 1780 but not widely adopted in business until the Civil War period. As the technology came into common use, a screw-powered letter press was used in conjunction with a "press book", a bound volume of blank, tissue paper pages. A letter freshly written in special copying ink was placed on a dampened page while the rest of the pages in the copy book were protected by oilcloths. The book was then closed and the mechanical press screwed down tightly. The pressure and moisture caused a transfer of the ink used to write the original letter to be retained on the underside of the tissue sheet. This impression could then be read through the top of the thin paper. These letter presses were used by some individuals and businessmen in the first half of the nineteenth century, but they only came into general use in the second half of the century. A letter press reduced the labor cost, both by decreasing copying time and by allowing an office boy to do the copying once performed by a more expensive clerk. As the same time, it eliminated the danger of miscopying as the copy produced was an exact representation in the original ink of the letter written by the sender - a "copy" that was as near as possible to the original Autograph Letter down to the signature.

Content: This wonderful and very rare, Alexander Joy Cartwright Letter Press Letter is dated December 25, 1874 and is addressed to Edward Harlow, Esq / Secretary of the New York Board of Underwriters. It reads as follows "Dear Sir / The Barque Joseph Maxwell, New Bedford, Hickock Master ___ arrived at this port on the 2nd inst. from a whaling voyage in the Arctic Ocean, having come into collision with the ice and exceptionally severe gales on her passage down, she was in a very ___ and damaged condition. A complete ___ of survey having been ordered by the ___ (at the request of the Master) the result was her condemnation. For the benefit of all concerned, in accordance with this recommendation, the ship and ___ was sold at public sale and will probably be broken up. / Very Truthfully Yours / Alex. J. Cartwright / Agent, New York Board."


A rare and fascinating, original Letter Press, Retained Copy of an 1874 Autograph Letter Signed By baseball pioneer Alexander Joy Cartwright and a fantastic addition to any collection!!!

Much better than Paying $2k Plus... $365 PP gift Shipped

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