Watson, John F. "Annals of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania in the Olden Times"

John F. Watson. Annals of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania in the Olden Times.

Philadelphia: Thomas, 1891.  Octavo. 3 vols.  Rebound in 20^th century. 

John Fanning Watson (1779-1860) was cashier of the Bank of Germantown and secretary/treasurer of the Germantown and Norristown Railroad. He had a lifelong interest in the history of Philadelphia and Germantown, publishing the single volume first edition of the Annals in 1830, which he revised and republished in two volumes in 1844. This much enlarged compendium about the history of Philadelphia was bound for "J. Snyder" in half leather with marbled boards. The text is complete and while the fine illustrations using engraving and woodcuts are not generally where they are called for in the directions to the binder, all but three are present along with ten extra plates. One of the wood engravers is Henry M. Snyder who was not the owner of this volume, but there could be a connection. A collation of the plates accompanies these two fine volumes. This is the fourth printing of the second edition of this classic work.