Golden Vine Henry Sherwood Vintage 1852 Baptist Sunday School Woodstown NJ Book
THE ITEM: A monumental piece of Salem County religious history discovered in a prominent Woodstown, New Jersey estate. Published in 1852 by the American Baptist Publication Society in Philadelphia, this rare antebellum volume of "The Golden Vine; or, Henry Sherwood" carries exceptional local provenance. Measuring Approx. 6.0 in tall by Approx. 3.75 in wide by Approx. 0.5 in deep with an Approx. 6.0 oz standalone weight, this 16mo pocket volume is bound in decorative purple cloth with blind-stamped floral borders, a gilded Egerton Library front emblem, and an ornate dual-color decorative title page. Penned in original period iron gall calligraphy ink across the front flyleaf is the remarkable historic presentation record: "Presented by Mr. A. Macaltioner to Woodstown Baptist Infant School Library No 36." The Macaltioner family remains foundational to the region's historical record, making this mid-19th-century volume an incredible heirloom artifact for local collectors, regional genealogists, and historians honoring America’s 250th year. This volume is in fair antique condition as pictured; the embossed purple cloth cover displays significant historic sun-fading, spine cloth fraying, and corner wear. The sewn binding is shaken but remains attached, while the interior rag-paper pages exhibit moderate to heavy foxing and age-toning consistent with 1850s paper stock, alongside a minor historic edge tear to the inscribed flyleaf page. Please inspect all gallery photos carefully for close-up views of the binding, paper condition, and historic ink presentation prior to purchase.
HISTORY & PROVENANCE: During the mid-19th century in rural South Jersey, Sunday school libraries and church infant schools served as foundational centers of early childhood education and moral instruction. Prior to the establishment of modern public school and municipal library systems, collections were assembled and sustained through charitable donations by prominent community leaders such as Mr. A. Macaltioner. The Macaltioner family represents one of the foundational genealogical lines of Salem County and Pilesgrove Township, with deep ties to the historic Woodstown Baptist Church founded in the 18th century. Because these pocket volumes were actively read and handled by generations of young Sunday school students, survival rates for intact copies are exceptionally scarce, making this surviving documented artifact an irreplaceable link to pre-Civil War New Jersey heritage.
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