The Potters and Potteries of Bennington.  By John Spargo – President of the Bennington Battle Monument and Historical Association.  Copyright 1926. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston and Antiques Incorporated, 1926.  Hardcover.

An interesting and historic find!  The book itself is a hand-numbered limited edition -  #313 out of 800.  The book contains 44 full-page plates and measures approximately 11.5” x 8.5.”

Inside the book was laid in a letter to Daisy Smith Bradford of Bennington, VT  - dated 1921 – from the then President (stamp signed) of the American Museum of Natural History in New York.  The letter invited Ms. Bradford to become an Associate Member of the museum for $3.00 per year in annual membership.

Daisy Smith Bradford was married to William Henry Bradford – who took over his father’s successful mill business – Bradford Mills - in Bennington in the late 1800s.  At one time, Bradford’s father had a lucrative government contract to make knitted undergarments for Civil War soldiers. 

The Bradfords were a prominent and wealthy family in Bennington with a regal, ornate home.  There is a gallery at the Bennington Museum entitled Gilded Age Vermont that features many of the Bradford’s items.  The Gilded Age was a term coined by Mark Twain to describe the economic indulgences of the late 1800s, spurred by the industrial boom.

Interestingly, the Bennington Museum has a piece of pottery donated by Daisy Smith Bradford that also appears to be photographed in this book.

I cannot confirm that Daisy Smith Bradford owned this book – but the letter was found in the book, and there is an interesting historical link between them. 

A rich piece of Bennington history!

Condition:

The book boards have moisture staining, most notably to the cover.  The edges, corners, and spines have wear and scuffing. The first few endpages – with a colored plate – are detaching halfway down the page, but still holding to the binding.  The internal, heavy-stock pages are quite clean.  The binding has areas of splitting but the pages are holding.  Heavy book.  No names, inscriptions or bookplates.