1st Edition of ‘Rural & Domestic Life of Germany’ by W Howitt -1842

Published by Nevan O Shaughnessy on May 19, 2025May 19, 2025

PRESENTING AN EXTREMELY RARE FIRST EDITION hardback copy of ‘The Rural and Domestic Life of Germany with Characteristic Sketches of its Cities and Scenery, Collected in a General Tour, and During a Residence in the Country in the Years 1840, 41 and 42’, by William Howitt, with above 50 Illustrations by G.F. Sargent. Published by Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, Paternoster Row, London in 1842.

Printed by Manning and Mason, Ivy Lane, St. Paul’s., London.

This RARE book is in very good condition for its age with some very minor ‘knicks’ on the edges of the spine and cover, spine slightly loose, but otherwise, very GOOD. The text is almost perfect with some foxing, mainly on the first few pages.

Leather and wavy paper jacket with gold lettering.

AS AN ADDED BONUS – the Book comes with a Label belonging to it’s original owner, Major William Alexander Obenchain, a Civil War personality who served on General Robert E. Lee’s Staff, and after the War became President of Ogden College in Bowling Green, KY (now the University of Western Kentucky).

Obenchain was of German descent himself.

This book was part of the extensive private collection of the Calvert Hall/Obenchain Collection/Estate formerly of Virginia, Bowling Green, KY and later, Highland Park, Texas.

AS you can see from the history of this Collection, the family have very strong ancestral ties to the States of Virginia, Kentucky and Texas.

YOU WILL NOT FIND THIS BOOK ANYWHERE ELSE

William Alexander Obenchain. Born April 27, 1841 at Buchanan, Botetourt Co., Virginia.

Parents: Thomas Jefferson Obenchain and Elizabeth Ann Sweetland.

Entered VMI on July 18, 1859 as a member of the VMI (Virginia Military Institute) Class of 1862 and was graduated (1st in his class) in December 1861–this class was graduated early due to the Civil War.

Served in various capacities as an Engineer officer throughout the Civil War. At rank of Captain he was a senior ranking officer in the Virginia Corps of Engineers and served on Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Staff.

He was promoted to the rank of Major, for meritorious conduct near Richmond in 1864.

Post-War Career- Educator.

Taught at Hillsborough Military Academy (NC), Pittsboro (NC) Military Academy, Western Military Acad. (New Castle, KY), University of Nashville, Ogden College, Bowling Green, KY.

Married Eliza Calvert Hall (famous Author) of Bowling Green in 1885.

Obenchain died August 17, 1916 at his home in Bowling Green, age 75.

What makes this Book SPECIAL is :-

(1) It is a VERY RARE First Edition and

(2) it was owned by a prominent Civil War personality (Major W.A. Obenchain)

The name Germany is used in three senses: first, it refers to the region in Central Europe commonly regarded as constituting Germany, even when there was no central German state, as was the case for most of Germany’s history; second, it refers to the unified German state established in 1871 and existing until 1945; and third, since October 3, 1990, it refers to the united Germany, formed by the accession on this date of the German Democratic Republic (GDR, or East Germany) to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, or West Germany). The name Federal Republic of Germany refers to West Germany from its founding on May 23, 1949, until German unification on October 3, 1990. After this date, it refers to united Germany. For the sake of brevity and variety, the Federal Republic of Germany is often called simply the Federal Republic.

Link: http://germanculture.com.ua/history/