In today’s episode we’re talking about a first edition copy of Nathanial Hawthorne’s Famous Old People, a book for young readers about American historical figures. The book was published in 1841 on Boston’s West Street—just a few doors down from where the Brattle stands today—by Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, a fascinating historical figure in her own right. The first woman publisher in the United States and an early champion of Hawthorne’s work, Peabody ran a book shop and lending library at 13 West Street, where her salons became an important meeting place for the transcendentalist and early feminist movements. Although it tells the stories of New England puritans and political leaders, Famous Old People is also a reminder of Boston’s rich literary history, in which the Brattle is honored to play a small ongoing role.
Brattlecast #88 - Electoral Collectibles
As the 2020 presidential election looms on the horizon, we’re taking a look at some collectible ephemera from past elections, like campaign literature written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and an unused ballot from the 1994 South African election in which Nelson Mandela was elected president. We’ll also explore some of the most negative campaigns in American history, including one so vicious that it may have been responsible for the death of Andrew Jackson’s wife. Finally, we’ll speculate on which uniquely cursed items from this year, such as the “Settle for Biden” face mask, may be of interest to future collectors and historians.