When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Autograph Letter Signed Archive (8 Letters)
Benjamin Vaughan Abbott (1830–1890)
To: Soule & Bugbee, Boston – Legal Publishers
Dates: January 1882 – May 3, 1883
Total: 8 letters, multi-page correspondence
Summary & Significance
A rare and cohesive eight-letter working archive documenting the full lifecycle of a major 19th-century legal publication, written by Benjamin Vaughan Abbott, one of the most influential legal editors and compilers of his era.
Spanning over a year, this archive traces the project from:
- Initial correspondence and book trade discussions
- Editorial negotiation and compensation
- Structural planning of a large legal work
- Formatting and production decisions
- Proofing, indexing, and printing logistics
- Final delivery and payment settlement
Few manuscript groups preserve such a complete record of how a legal treatise was actually created, edited, printed, and paid for in the 1880s.
What the Archive Documents1. Negotiation & Commission (July 1882)
- Abbott agrees to edit an English law book
- Discusses timeline and workload
- States expected compensation:
“I ought to receive in the neighborhood of $1000.”
2. Scale & Structure (Sept 1882)
- Estimates scope at approximately 1900 pages
- Plans multi-volume structure
- Coordinates with printers and specimen pages
3. Editorial Decisions (Dec 1882)
- Debates formatting of English vs. American tables
- Rejects costly changes that would delay publication
- Refines usability vs. production efficiency
4. Clarifications & Cost Control (Dec 30, 1882)
- Corrects earlier misunderstandings
- Recommends keeping table systems separate
- Emphasizes time and cost savings
5. Proofing & Production (Feb 1, 1883)
- Reviews printer’s proofs
- Builds Table of Cases and index
- Notes missing materials and production delays
6. Completion & Payment (Feb 26, 1883)
- Confirms work is finished
- Requests payment
- Provides financial breakdown:
Notes for $500 and check for $300 less charges
7. Final Settlement & Future Work (May 3, 1883)
- Confirms payment is arriving
- Maintains professional relationship
- Mentions new concept:
“Legal Cyclopedia” as a promising future project
About Benjamin Vaughan Abbott
Benjamin Vaughan Abbott was a central figure in American legal publishing:
- Contributor to the New York Penal Code (1881)
- Co-founder of Abbott Brothers
- Editor of Abbott’s Practice Reports and major legal digests
- Appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant to revise U.S. statutes
- Among the most widely used legal compilers of the 19th century
About Soule & Bugbee
A leading Boston firm specializing in legal publishing and bibliography:
- Managed by Charles C. Soule
- Published key legal treatises of the era
- Served as a central hub for legal scholarship
- Soule later founded The Green Bag, an influential legal periodical
Historical Importance
This archive provides a rare, detailed look at:
- The economics of legal publishing
- Editorial labor and compensation
- Manual processes behind indexing and proofing
- Coordination between editor, publisher, and printer
- Distribution practices and author copies
It is effectively a primary record of professional legal publishing in late 19th-century America.
Condition
- All letters handwritten in ink
- Light toning and age-related wear throughout
- One letter retains period fastening (small nail)
- Minor spotting and handling wear consistent with use
- Overall: Very good condition with strong legibility
Why This Archive Matters
This is not a group of unrelated letters.
It is:
A continuous documentary record of a legal publication from commission through payment, written by one of the most important legal editors of the period.
Material of this type is sought by:
- Legal historians
- Institutional libraries
- Advanced manuscript collectors
- Scholars of publishing history
Final Note
Complete, narrative manuscript archives of this nature are increasingly scarce, particularly those tied to identifiable legal works and containing financial, editorial, and production detail across all stages.
