American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 09

audiobook

American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 09

by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith, John F. (John Fanning) Watson

EN·~19 minutes·3 chapters

Chapters

3 total

AMERICAN HISTORICAL AND LITERARY CURIOSITIES

0:05

Part 9.

0:01

Part Nine

19:17

Description

This volume opens a fascinating tour of America’s lesser‑known past, gathering together oddities from both history and literature. The compilers have assembled a scrapbook of anecdotes, forgotten biographies, and peculiar episodes that illuminate the everyday lives of early Americans. Richly detailed plates accompany the text, bringing to life everything from colonial printing presses to curious artifacts that once sparked public debate. Listeners will hear vivid descriptions of these images, letting imagination fill the gaps left by the absent visuals.

The format invites you to pause and reflect on each story, as the narrators weave facts with a touch of humor and reverence. From strange courtroom dramas to surprising literary hoaxes, the selections reveal how humor, ambition, and chance shaped the nation’s cultural tapestry. As the first part unfolds, you’ll find yourself eager to explore the next set of marvels hidden in America’s archival shadows.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~19 minutes (18K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Credits

Produced by David Widger. Scanning assistance from Geof Pawlicki using Internet Archive Equipment

Release date

2004-07-15

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the authors

J. Jay (John Jay) Smith

J. Jay (John Jay) Smith

1798–1881

A lively 19th-century man of letters, he moved easily between books, gardens, and civic projects. Best remembered as a librarian, editor, and an important force behind Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery, he also wrote and edited works on American history, literature, and horticulture.

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John F. (John Fanning) Watson

John F. (John Fanning) Watson

1779–1860

A devoted collector of local memory, this early American historian helped preserve the stories, landmarks, and everyday life of old Philadelphia before they disappeared. His best-known work, Annals of Philadelphia, turned interviews, documents, and antiquarian curiosity into a rich record of the city’s past.

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