The New-England Primer. New-York: Hugh Gaine, ca. 1763–66

[CHILDREN'S BOOK]

THE NEW-ENGLAND PRIMER IMPROVED, FOR THE MORE EASY ATTAINING THE TRUE READING OF ENGLISH TO WHICH IS ADDED THE ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES' CATECHISM. NEW-YORK: HUGH GAINE, CA. 1763–66

32mo (3 3/4 x 3 3/8 in.; 96 x 85 mm). Half-title, woodcuts on 5 leaves; some browning and staining, a few leaves just shaved, C2–6 worn with some loss to text.

An exceptionally rare edition of the most enduring of all American children's books, evidently known by only one other copy. This edition is not in Evans, but Charles Heartman included it in his The New-England Primer Issued Prior to 1830, no. 385, on the strength of a copy being described at a sale held in New York by Scott & O'Shaughnessy, Inc., on 26 April 1917. That copy was lacking leaf A5 and was never seen by Heartman.