Series 11. James Fenimore Cooper (1890)
Scope and Content
The series consists of James Fenimore Cooper's "The history of the Navy of the United States," originally published in two volumes in 1839, extra-illustrated by John Sanford Barnes (see Series 3) into an eight-volume version with the addition of 427 portraits, 343 prints, 154 autograph letters signed, 32 maps, 23 broadsides, 10 signed documents, and 11 original water color sketches and portraits. It is accompanied by original and carbon typescripts of Barnes's lists of the extra illustrations, a manuscript notebook index of the additions, and a folder of photoreproductions.
Among the autographed letters included are those of John Barry (see Series 5), Cooper himself, John Hancock, Commodore Bainbridge (Series 1), Isaac Hull (Series 27), David Porter, and Commodore Perry (Series 36), all of whom are represented elsewhere in the Naval History Society Collection. The illustrations document all the major naval battles, ships, and persons mentioned in Cooper's work.
Historical Note
The practice of adding printed, manuscript, and visual materials as well as associated ephemera to previously published volumes probably began with James Granger's 1769 publication of "Biographical History of England," in which leaves were left blank specifically for the insertion of portraits by the purchaser. So-called extra-illustration reached its peak in the late 19th century as an organizational and collecting paradigm. An extra-illustrated volume very much reflects the collector and his or her interests, serving as a repository in the form of a cabinet of curiosities in which to display a wide range of associated, however remote, materials. Contemporary descriptions of extra-illustrated volumes often stress the volume of materials added as well as their quality, a significant expansion of the original being a virtue. Cooper's "History" provides a perfect setting for the physical manifestation of Barnes's lifelong interest in naval history and memorabilia, citing as it does every major naval engagement and personality. This work, when considered together with the Miscellaneous Manuscripts (Series 52), US Navy: Officer's autograph letters (Series 44), and John Paul Jones collections (Series 28), provides material evidence of Barnes's passion for collecting and its meticulous documentation.
Related Material at The New-York Historical Society
A bound version of the handwritten illustration list (originally from the Naval History Society Collection) titled "Catalogue of the extra illustrations, print, and manuscripts added by Captain James Sanford Barnes, U.S.N., to James Fenimore Cooper's History of the Navy of the United States, extending it to eight volumes" is available in the Reading Room. It lists the added materials, by page number, throughout the eight volumes and is indexed alphabetically by volume.