It is often said that the contributions women made to America are sorely neglected because they seldom were recorded. When we look at the work involved with running a household and raising children it becomes clear why the contributions never were documented. By the time the dinner was cleared and the children put to bed, exhaustion was often her companion. Keeping a diary was a luxury that her workload would not allow.

Even the "labor-saving" devices designed to free her from drudgery often caused more drudgery. The vacuum cleaner is the perfect example. Instead of beating your rugs seasonally, one was now expected to vacuum every day!

This section features many books and other items that help to illuminate the contributions made by the fairer sex. Soldiers and suffragettes, reformers and writers have their own section now. Of course, First Ladies will be included here and with the Presidents. Mary Lincoln books will be here and also in Lincoln and Civl War.

If You Do Not See What You Are Seeking, Please Call, Fax or Email Your Request.

There Are Many Other Items Available, And Stock Changes Almost Daily.

Please be advised that the following items are "One-Of-A-Kind" and are subject to prior sale.

Bordered Items are Clickable for a Larger View of the Piece.

This Section was updated on 31 October 2008

	Price: $26.95

Long sidelined as frivilous, fashion can yield important clues to social class, custom and time period. Especially during the Victotian era, a dress was never merely a dress.

An important book in the field of Mary Lincoln scholarship, McCreary, for the first time turns a woman's eye to the wardrobe of Mary Lincoln.

Her study of photographs, period dress descriptions, and original dresses and jewelry from the era as well as those that belonged to Mary Lincoln, contribute to the development of her extensive documentation of Mrs. Lincoln's clothing. McCreary's book helps us understand the nuances of Victorian fashion and provides insight into what was, for many women, one of the few forms of self-expression allowed them.

McCreary's solid research into the costumes and adornments in the photographs of Mary Lincoln through the lens of Victorian fashion trends, gives us an important tool.  This book, makes a a solid and great case that some of dates previously assigned to photos of Mrs. Lincoln are incorrect.

 

	Price: $28.95

Here at the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop we often obsess about carrying first editions. This book has the rare distinction of being more important in second edition. This edition includes important aspects of Donna's thoughtful research, edited from the first edition. It also includes the invaluable guidance and input of a chef who has helped to decipher long-lost cooking terms and ingredients.

From his boyhood cabins in Kentucky and Indiana to the elegant dining room of the White House, these foods nourished the man who lead our country during its most turbulent time. Blended with the recipes and menus are intimate glimpses of the Lincolns' lives at home, stories about their entertainment, and the love Lincoln felt for his family.

Cooks and historians will enjoy recipes ranging from rustic Corn Bread and Rail Splitters and the Gingerbread Men Lincoln so loved as a boy, to the delectable Mary Todd's Courting Cake and French-chef-inspired menus from the Presidential years. Donna brilliantly answers that age old question..."What was Lincoln's favorite cake?"

Better Together!
Buy both of Donna's books for $45.00. You save over $10.00.

	Price: $35.00

A thoroughly detailed biography.

Very good; dust jacket chipped and torn; original Chicago Tribune review included.

	Price: $35.00

Still the only major biography of this magnificent woman and humanitarian. “Mother” Bickerdycke left her Galesburg , Illinois home early in the war and dedicated herself to caring for the enlisted men of the Union ’s western armies. General Sherman famously exclaimed “she outranks me” when his officers complained that Mother Bickerdycke was coddling the sick soldiers.

Very good; dust jacket.

	$28.00

Examines the divided fortunes of the family that was closer to Abraham Lincoln than any other, his in-laws, the Todds of Kentucky. Of the fourteen children born to Robert Smith Todd, six sided with the Union and eight sided with the Confederacy during the Civil War. Four of the extended family died because of the war, including Mary Todd Lincoln’s husband. With brio and rigor, Berry fills a gap in Civil War history, showing how the war changed one family and how that family changed the course of the war. As they debate each other about the issues of the day and comfort each other in the wake of shared tragedy, the Todds become a singular microcosm and metaphor for the country as a whole.

As new; dust jacket. Signed.

	$25.00

“These letters are more than uncommon; they are unique ... Several hundred women disguised themselves as men to enlist in the Civil War, but until now, we have little first-hand evidence of their experiences. Rosetta Wakeman fought and died for her country; her letters describe soldier life that was in many ways typical, but in one respect, uncommon indeed ... Lauren Cook Burgess has done a superb job of editing them and placing them in context.”—James M. McPherson.

Signed by Burgess; as new; dust jacket.

	$30.00

This collection of scholarly essays examines enslaved women in the Old World from South Africa to Nordic nations during Viking times.

As new.

	Price: $30.00

The second volume of Ohio University ’s scholarly collection on women and slavery treats the institution in the New World .

As new.

	Price: $90.00

The definitive Mary Chesnut, and a Pulitzer Prize winner.

Very good; dust jacket.

	Price: $30.00

A fine scholarly study of the great reformer and free thinker.

Very good; dust jacket.

	Price: $39.95

“Actress, intellectual, poet, travel writer, abolitionist, idiosyncratic feminist, and mesmerizing reader of Shakespeare.” Students of the Civil War only remember Kemble for the abolitionist entry on her resume. As an impulsive young woman Kemble married a Georgia planter, and lived on his plantations. Already opposed to slavery, living amidst the Peculiar Institution turned Kemble into a full fledged abolitionist. The marriage did not last, but her memoir, Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation, became one of the most influential of abolitionist writings. David covers Kemble’s experiences with slavery, but also, for the first time, put Fanny in the context of her whole remarkable career as actress, activist, and woman of letters.

As new; dust jacket.

	Price: $275.00

One of the best and most realistic novels of the immediate post-Civil War period, both proudly patriotic and unsparingly critical of the Union war effort. A very uncommon piece!

Lt. fray. & ch. at extrems.; lt. sun. sp. & bd. edges, but lettering still bright; lt. overall wear; else v.g.; in ½ morocco and mbld. slipcase, with draw ribbon, raised bands and gilt sp. lettering.

	Price: $85.00

Edmonds’ memoir is one of the most extensive accounts of a woman donning a disguise to serve as a soldier. Her experiences as a hospital steward in the 2 nd Michigan regiment for later books on the phenomena.

Light fox; light sun; light chipping of extremities; else very good.

	Price: $650.00

The highly dramatic biographical account written by the famed Rebel spy and “heroine”, written as the war drew to a close while the author pursued a stage career in England. Very difficult to find in first edition.

Rub. & bump.; lt. soil. & scuff. bds.; hngs. starting, vol. I; ft. hng . starting, vol. II; news clippings tipped in eps., vol. I; some uncut edges; else good, bright.

	Price: $27.95

Women who donned uniforms and served in the ranks of Civil War armies have received much interest lately, but Elizabeth Leonard expands the story to also look at women who served Civil War armies as women. Spys, nurses, and “daughters of the regiment,” all played important roles in the war.

As new; dust jacket. Signed.

	Price: $27.95

When the Civil War broke out, Clara Barton wanted more than anything else to become a Union soldier. Determined to serve, she became instead a one-woman relief agency. With no institutional affiliation, but impelled by a sense of duty and a need to heal, she made her way to the front lines and supplied medical relief to the victims of some of the most famous battles of the war. Under fire, she stood ankle-deep in gore, in hellish makeshift battlefield hospitals, serving as nurse, surrogate mother, sister, wife, or sweetheart to thousands of sick and dying men. In part because of Barton’s work, nursing, regarded as menial service before the war, became a trained, paid profession after the conflict. Although Clara Barton went on to found the American Red Cross, Oates shows that her experience in the Civil War was her most extraordinary achievement.

As new; dust jacket. Inscribed and signed.

	Price: $45.00

Ruth and James Randall comprised the finest husband-wife team in Lincoln scholarship. James Randall was recognized as the dean of Lincoln scholars in his time, but Ruth contributed excellent work on Mary Lincoln and the family.

Very good; dust jacket.

	Price: $85.00

Sarah Morgan Dawson’s diary is one of the finest first hand accounts of life on the Confederate home front. Frank, funny, and sometimes weary, the Baton Rogue native’s account of her wartime wanderings vividly show the emotional hardships of life near the front. Part of the Indiana Civil War Centennial Series.

Very Good; dust jacket.

	Price: $85.00

A fine biography of Varina.

Very good; sunned and chipped dust jacket.

	Price: $125.00

Extensively researched and highly sympathetic.

Light sun; light chipping of extremities; else very good.

	Price: $35.00

Kate Chase remains one of the most fascinating characters in wartime Washington. Her stormy marriage to Rhode Island Governor William Sprague, and her efforts to make her father president are just two subjects covered by this important biography.

Very good; dust jacket.

	Price: $95.00

A scarce copy of Mrs. Velasquez’s famous adventures in cross-dressing. In the guise of Lt. Harry Buford Velasquez travelled widely in the Confederacy and met many remarkable people - allegedly.

Front hinge starting; light chipping of extremities; else very good.

	Price: $125.00

The reference on the subject.

Very good; glassine dust jacket.

Read it with Donna McCreary's Fashionable First Lady for a more complete picture.

	Price: $975.00

Woodcut of Mrs. Surratt on wrapper cover and of the hanging on the rear. 12 other full page illustrations, diagrams and maps. Includes a summary of the day by day testimony at the trial, printed in double columns.

Very good, being above average; lt. soil as usual mild marginal and spine chipping, but no loss of images or text.

FIRST LADIES COLLECTION

While the social responsibilities of being First Lady had been apparent from the earliest days of the Republic, much about the role remained for each incumbent to define for herself. Some presidents' wives chose to maintain a distance from their husbands' jobs, while others made no secret of their wish to be involved. As more American women began to define lives for themselves outside the home, working and participating in important public decisions, the role of First Lady expanded, too.

We have a fine collection of books related to the First Ladies (given the history of the office a few First Daughters are included as well). From Martha to Laura, the collection spans the history of our nation. This is priced as a set and we are not offering the items individually. A good starter collection! Download the complete list.

Price: $1,500.00

	Price: $4,500.00

A printed version of her poem is laid in, opposite on the inside front board. Autograph page is excellent, with edge toning only.

The book covers have some staining/rubbing; spine sunned; hinges cracked, but holding; small stains inside rear hinge; else clean throughout. There is no more famous hymn from the Civil War, and this line is probably the most memorable and distinguishable.

	Price: $1,650.00

In her twenty-year stage career, she became known as the first powerful female manager in New York. The play Our American Cousin, debuted at Laura Keene’s Theatre in New York in 1858. Keene was starring in the production at Ford’s Theatre when Lincoln was shot.

A fine example of her scarce signature. She writes: "Laura Keens/New York Jan. 18th '58.

Fine, vertical crease at right margin, misses writing.

Together with:

Copy carte-de-visite, Curney & Son/707 Broadway/N.Y. backmark. Very good.

	Price: $75.00

These are seldom seen issued for a woman. Prior to 1848, upon marriage a woman lost any right to control property that was hers prior to the marriage, nor did she have rights to acquire any property during marriage. A married woman could not make contracts, keep or control her own wages or any rents, transfer property, sell property or bring any lawsuit.

Before 1848, a few laws were passed in some states in the U.S. giving women some limited property rights, but the 1848 law was more comprehensive. It was amended to include even more rights in 1860; later, married women's rights to control property were extended still more.

Minor edge soiling, else very good.

(We have two other Land Grants signed by McKinley for ladies. Please inquire)

	Price: $2,400.00

The addressee, an old friend and physician to Lincoln (appointed by him Surveyor Gen. of Washington Territory), is said to have been one of the intermediaries who reunited him w/ Mary Todd following the breakup of their engagement.

This envelope originally held a letter in which the “lonely & desolate” widow complained of poor treatment by Judge David Davis and official Washington, called Henry “almost our only friend in our deep, deep affliction,” and said that were it not for her son Taddie, “I would pray to die, I am so miserable.” Henry drowned in a steamboat accident only two weeks after this was mailed.

Some soiling, wear; black-bordered verso was partially torn away in opening.

	Price: $1,200.00

One of the most pleasing poses of Mary Lincoln, this carte was taken by Mathew Brady, probably in his Washington gallery in 1861. This carte bears Brady's New York imprint, however since negatives were often exchanged the imprint is not conclusive evidence that the photo was made in New York.

This rare image shows Mary wearing a taffeta dress, with embroidered trim featuring clusters if leaves and fruit.

Some minor spotting, rich sheen to the dress and hair. (To see this dress in color, read Fashionable First Lady by Donna McCreary.)

	Price: $300.00

Mrs. Roosevelt, dressed in a formal black gown, is seated at a carved table, under a portrait of James Monroe.

Light and small signature in lower right corner.

flaking at lower right, and at decollete.

	Price: $525.00

A jape at the expense of the "fair sex," evidently written by some pseudo-misogynist but based on a real incident (one which may have left legal traces, if the text is true to circumstance).

The verses tell of a group of young women, the "Damned Hard Cases," who spurn the fellows and "get a sleigh, fast nags & oysters / Whiskey to make them high & boisterous" and have a Bacchanalian night, "Screaming all the way to steady Wauwatosa...Now since this time, somewhat ashamed / (One horse you know was badly lamed / And the owner, too, has brought a suit) / These Damned Hard Cases by repute / Finding suits will come whatever course they take / Prefer a lover 's suit, to any other make, / And so they now extend their hands / Hope soon to be in Wedlock's holy bands / Joined to those they once did so deride / When the Damned Hard Cases took a silly ride." The accompanying sketch shows about a dozen females in blue cloaks and bonnets with red mufflers, riding in a sledge labelled "D.H.C." One woman stands, diriving a pair of ribby horses; another stands holding a bottle a loft (as the wind carries away her bonnet).

Placards are visible among the rest, reading "Womans Rights," "Celibacy," "Opposition to Male Men," "No Beaux" and "Old Maids Forever." In the far distance is a sketchy group labelled "Police" who are apparent ly in hot pursuit. A transcript of the poem is available, download it here.

Mss. toned a long right edge, w/slight roughness, but both pieces basically very good. An amusing pair.