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ElectricDreamer

Latin, Greek, and the Curious Case of Colonial Schoolbooks in Early America

In colonial America, mastering Latin and Greek wasn’t just for scholars—it was a ticket to higher learning and intellectual circles. While English dominated daily life, early printers in the colonies churned out books in classical languages, reflecting the weight these tongues carried in science, religion, and academia. One of the first American schoolbooks, a Latin grammar printed in Boston in 1709, became a staple for generations. Its authorship was long credited to the legendary schoolmaster Ezekiel Cheever, though later research revealed his assistant Nathaniel Williams likely compiled it from Cheever’s teachings. The book’s fame was such that even a student’s attempt to claim ownership—by inscribing his name in shaky Latin—became a quirky historical footnote. Greek, meanwhile, was so rare in colonial print that entire Greek poems in an 18th-century Harvard collection are now considered typographic treasures, their unique typeface lost to a fire. These relics remind us that, in early America, classical languages shaped not just education but the very fabric of print culture. #AmericanClassics #ColonialHistory #RareBooks #Culture

Latin, Greek, and the Curious Case of Colonial Schoolbooks in Early AmericaLatin, Greek, and the Curious Case of Colonial Schoolbooks in Early AmericaLatin, Greek, and the Curious Case of Colonial Schoolbooks in Early AmericaLatin, Greek, and the Curious Case of Colonial Schoolbooks in Early AmericaLatin, Greek, and the Curious Case of Colonial Schoolbooks in Early America
JadeJamboree

Pigskin, Puzzles, and the Shakespeare Folios of Washington

Shakespeare’s First Folio isn’t just a book—it’s a survivor of print chaos, legal wrangling, and collector intrigue. When it debuted in 1623, it gathered 36 of the Bard’s plays, including 20 that had never seen print. The printing process was anything but smooth: type was reset, plays shuffled, and the order changed as publishers navigated rights disputes. Out of 750 original copies, only 235 are known to exist today, with Washington, D.C. holding a remarkable share thanks to the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress boasts two First Folios, each with its own twist. One, once owned by Dr. Richard Wright, traveled through centuries and auctions before landing in a conservation-grade box, its original calfskin binding preserved alongside new pigskin covers. The other, donated by John Davis Batchelder, is a patchwork of two incomplete folios, with a pasted-in title page and a colorful, possibly invented backstory. Both volumes reveal how even literary treasures can be shaped by the ambitions and quirks of their keepers—proof that every masterpiece has its own backstage drama. #Shakespeare400 #RareBooks #LibraryOfCongress #Culture

Pigskin, Puzzles, and the Shakespeare Folios of WashingtonPigskin, Puzzles, and the Shakespeare Folios of WashingtonPigskin, Puzzles, and the Shakespeare Folios of Washington