Civil War Era Copy Book EARLY INKED " CARBON PAPER " INVENTION

Description: Original Civil War-EraMedical Doctor's "Copy Book"Dr. Samuel Keen Ashton - Philadelphia Unusual Example of an Early Inked "Carbon Paper" System Contains Records from 1859 through 1885 [ FEATURES & DETAILS... ] - It is rare to find such a lovely and robust 19th-century example of the use of inked copy paper. The predecessor of carbon paper was an inked paper, invented almost simultaneously by an Englishman (Ralph Wedgwood) and an Italian (Pellegrino Turri) around 1806.- This "copy book" -- which was purchased at auction from an estate -- is a 300-page bound volume of blank, numbered pages. The paper is a very, very thin almost-tissue paper, obviously sold at the time for the very purpose of creating and storing ink-paper copies.- Dr. Samuel K. Ashton used his copy book to keep records of the most important correspondence from his Philadelphia medical practice. The first entry is from 1858, and it continues through 1863 -- right into the Civil War. In that context, Dr. Ashton retired for over 20 years. He then resumed his practice (and his copybook) in 1884. So, there last section spans 1884-1885. In total, he used 194 pages of this 300-page volume (about 2/3). - According to Dr. Samuel Ashton's obituary: "Dr. Ashton was a descendant of one of Philadelphia's oldest families. He was born in this city April 6, 1822, and was educated at Haddington College, of which his father, the Rev. W. E. Ashton, was head master; Germantown Academy and the University of Pennsylvania, graduating from the last-named institution in 1841, and in medicine in 1843. Dr. Ashton practiced his profession for a number of years, when he retired for a period of twenty-five years, but resumed practice about 1882, and actively continued it until the beginning of his fatal illness. For many years he was a warden at Calvary Protestant Episcopal Church, in Germantown, where for some time he resided while out of general practice. He was a life-member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and also of the American Philosophical Society and a member of a number of other scientific and medical societies. Dr. Ashton married Caroline M. Smiley, daughter of Thomas T. Smiley, of Philadelphia, surgeon in the United States Army. He leaves nine children, two of whom, Thomas G. and W. [William] Easterly Ashton, are also physicians." [ THERE'S DRAMA, TOO!... ] - SCANDAL! Besides the expected business correspondence and collection letters, there is ALSO a complete (and quite readable) 7-page letter, dated 1885, from Dr. Samuel Ashton to his son, Dr. William Easterly Ashton. The latter had just left town suddenly, bound for Tacoma, Washington, apparently to seek his fortune in the Old West. (Tacoma was a new destination -- the terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad.) But, it suddenly got complicated when an (apparently) close associate of Dr. William's ALSO skipped town at that same time, two steps ahead of the law. Dr. Samuel sends this letter as a fatherly warning to his son that the town gossip already has him tried and found guilty of conspiring with the fugitive associate to skip town.- Long story short, I believe that the son, Dr. William Easterly Ashton, abandoned his Tacoma dream and returned to Philadelphia to clear his good name. History has him down as a renowned OB-GYN surgeon in Philadelphia. He was applauded in the medical community for performing an early (and successful) caesarean section. He also went on to author quite a few medical books in his field, fought in World War I, and invented some surgical instruments. - According to Dr. William Easterly Ashton's obituary: "William Easterly Ashton, 73, physician, surgeon, and author; he took part in the Saint Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne offensives as regimental surgeon to the 309th Field Artillery of the 78th Division during World War I and received the Distinguished Service Cross in 1918; he was the inventor of several surgical instruments, in Philadelphia, 30 March 1933."[ CONDITION... ] - Beautiful antique condition -- from a non-smoking environment.- Some of the copies are light and not entirely readable. This is not a condition issue; rather, an effect of the "ink paper" technology being used. See photos for further explanation.- There is some staining on the cover from being in a medical office. The spine is leather-covered but, as usual with leather bindings this old, there is some loss. But the book itself is still firmly bound; it's not falling apart by any means. The above is my good-faith attempt to disclose all noteworthy issues. Keep in mind that vintage/antique items always show their age. (Don't we all!?) It would be impossible to mention every tiny detail, so please expect that there will be something about this item (or lot) that's not perfect and may need touch-up. PLEASE SUPERSIZE ALL PHOTOS, AND ASK ALL QUESTIONS BEFORE BIDDING/BUYING. I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER. [ ALL ABOUT SHIPPING... ]DON'T OVERPAY FOR SHIPPING: U.S. purchasers, you can choose from various shipping options in this listing. Shipping costs vary dramatically depending on your Zip code, so choose the one that best suits your needs. I never inflate shipping to make hidden profits. If you believe the shipping is too high, please message me with your Zip code, and I'll be glad to double-check it for you!SHIPPING UPGRADES: At our discretion, we may upgrade your shipping to a different service at no additional charge to you ... provided it's rated the same (or faster) than the service you chose. If you do not wish to have your shipping choice upgraded, please message me as soon as you complete your purchase. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: By default, international shipment is through eBay's Global Shipping Program, which means the shipping rate (cost) is determined by eBay -- outside my control. BUT ... If you live in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, or U.K., message me to see whether there may be a cheaper alternative using Priority Post -- depending on the size and value of your parcel. 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Price: 89.25 USD

Location: Newark, Delaware

End Time: 2024-02-05T22:41:52.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD