The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin James Parton

The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by James Parton Complete in two volumes. Finely bound, presents beautifully on the shelf. An excellent biography of the legendary founding father and polymath by the popular 19th century biographer. OVERALL CONDITION: VERY GOOD Published in 1864 in by Mason Brother in Philadelphia. First edition, first printing. Finely bound in contemporary 1/2 brown calf over marbled paper: covers with hand-tooled bordering in blind; spine with gently raised gilded spine bands separating compartments richly ornamented in gilt; compartments two and four with gilt-lettered morocco spine labels; all edges marbled; marbled endpapers. Octavo, 8.25" x 5.5". Textually complete, lacking front blank in volume I. Collates: 627 pp.; 707 pp. Both volumes with two engraved frontis pieces separated by a tissue guard, as called for. A few within text illustrations. About the Author James Parton (February 9, 1822 - October 17, 1891) was an English-born American biographer who wrote books on the lives of Horace Greeley, Aaron Burr, Andrew Jackson, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Voltaire, and contributed three biographies to Eminent Women of the Age. Parton was the most popular biographer of his day in America. Parton's nonfiction combined elements of novel writing, which made his books quite popular. Harriet Beecher Stowe once thanked him "for the pleasure you have given me in biographical works which you have had the faculty of making more interesting than romance" (let me trust it is not by making them in part works of imagination). He is known for his insightful biographies on Aaron Burr, Andrew Jackson, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and more. Condition Report: Each volume is in VERY GOOD antiquarian condition. Exterior: Both volumes have square spines, firm hinges and joints and tight pages. Rubbed joints and a slight cracking of the head of the front joint in volume 2. Boards' marbled paper heavily rubbed. Rubbing to extremities, minimal rubbing of spines. Slightly bumped corners. Chipping to edges of board paper in spots, heaviest in volume 2. Interior: Toned pages. Blank flyleaves and first and last few pages browned and brittle with a few margins chipping, a few margin tears. Partially erased pencil writing on several blank flyleaves. Frontispieces are clear and bright white. Majority of the text block is clean. Occasional signs of handling - multiple leaves with smudges, creases and bent corners. All in all, a nice finely bound set, which presents beautifully on the shelf, of an uncommon first edition by a highly regarded biographer.