[Drawing Book; C.1798–1803 Examples of Engraving Published by Mathew Carey of Philadelphia; likely engraved by Robert Scot, first Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint].

A rare American drawing book for student drawing and/or engraving


Six leaves of plates published c.1798 in Philadelphia by Mathew Carey in pamphlet form, likely engraved by Robert Scot, first Chief Engraver of the U. S. Mint, as a student instruction book for drawing or engraving. We locate one physical copy at AAS who attribute authorship to Scot.

Each numbered plate depicts two images of the same pastoral landscape. The left image shows an outline drawing or preliminary engraving. The right image depicts the finished illustration or engraving, completed by additional shading and detail.

Plate 1 has an imprint that gives Carey’s address as “No. 118 Market Street Philada.,” at which address he published from 1791 to 1803. Mathew Carey’s account books held at the American Antiquarian Society record payments made in 1799 to Robert Scot for six drawings executed in 1798.¹  Possibly, these six engraved drawings were made by Robert Scot for Mathew Carey. Our copy is bound up slightly different than the example at AAS.

Edinburgh-born Robert Scot (1744–1823) was an engraver and watchmaker in England who emigrated to Virginia c.1775. There he engraved currency for the Commonwealth of Virginia and made Indian medals for the state that were admired by Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson. By 1781, Scot settled in Philadelphia where he advertised himself as “Late Engraver to the State of Virginia.” In 1793, President George Washington appointed him as the first Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, serving under its first director, David Rittenhouse. Scot worked as an engraver and die-sinker at the U. S. Mint until his death.²

The 1833 ownership inscription on the endpaper of “Charles Sower” may be 12-year-old Charles G. Sower of Norristown, Pennsylvania (1821–1902). A member of a prominent Pennsylvania-German family of printers and publishers, young Charles was the son of newspaperman and publisher, David Sower, Jr. (1794–1862), and nephew of newspaperman and publisher, Charles Sower, (1789–1820). The printed book label of “C. Sower” could be that of Charles G. Sower or his uncle, Charles Sower.

Instruction books of this nature are rare survivals and much sought after.


Description: [Drawing Book; C.1798–1803 Examples of Engraving Published by Mathew Carey of Philadelphia; likely engraved by Robert Scot, first Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint].

[Philadelphia: Published by M. Carey No. 118 Market Street c.1798–1803]. [6]ff. of numbered and engraved plates.  8¼ x 5¼ inches. Contemporary stiff blue wraps faced with grey-brown paper; sewn. No title leaf or text leaves, as issued; imprint to one plate. Small, printed yellow book label of “C. Sower”; ownership inscription of “Charles Sower, Norristown, Sep. 25th, 1833.” Some wear, separation, and dampstaining to wrappers; one leaf with closed tear in ample margin some foxing, good.

[3724626]

1. OCLC 226246586, AAS only. Digital Evans 49574. Not in Evans, Bristol, or Clarkin. 2. The Papers of James Madison… accessed online. Ref. (Wolf), Germantown and the Germans (Philadelphia, 1983).


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