Auction Closing: December 14, 2024 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time
Lot Number: 112
Estimate Range: $2,000 - $4,000
“The Bloody Massacre” Goodspeed’s Boston Book Shop from William F. Stratton’s 1832 Uncolored Facsimile Plate

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(PAUL REVERE, JR.) (March 1770) Boston, Uncolored (Fac-Simile) Republished, at 15 Water St. March 5, 1832, Engraved by William Stratton (1803-1846) after Paul Revere’s “Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.”, for Goodspeed’s Book Shop of Boston, Excellent Crisp Virtually Mint.

“Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.” (plus three columns of six lines each and full legend below, complete.) This is the Uncolored Printing from William F. Stratton’s original 1832 Steel-Plate facsimile re-engraving. The original 1770 Copper-Plate engraved by Paul Revere resides in the Massachusetts State House archives. This 1932 facsimile, after Revere, by William Stratton was faithfully engraved for Goodspeed’s to be sold by Goodspeed’s Book Shop, Boston located opposite the Massachusetts State House. This current example is Ex. Goodspeed's Book Shop, Boston the print only, sold without frame. Image size about 7 3/4” wide, complete with its full written inscription 10" high. The vivid sharp black impression is as made, some scattered imperfections in the Stratton plate seen mostly in the sky, the clock shows the corrected “10:20” time. A partial original “Goodspeed’s Book Shop printed tag accompanies this print having been removed from the back of its original frame, Plus a reprint of an old Goodspeed’s price sheet for their print. This example virtually as made new, clean having never been folded and is ready to frame for display.
Engraved after Paul Revere’s (1770) “The Bloody Massacre” Uncolored Print, engraved by William Stratton.

Lauren B. Hewes in “Beyond Midnight: Paul Revere” discusses the reasons why this facsimile was produced. She points out that by 1830 many of the Revolutionary events had been forgotten including the Bloody Massacre. “Massacre Day” had been celebrated every March from 1771 to 1783 when it fell out of favor, and there were no acknowledgments of the event in the 1830’s papers, the Sixtieth Anniversary.

In fact, Hewes points out that Paul Revere was better known in the 1830s as a Freemason and Industrialist, having founded Revere Copper Company in 1801. From 1832 on Paul Revere’s name increasingly came up for his involvement in the American Revolutionary War. He was fully recognized after Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote his poem, "Paul Revere’s Ride," in 1860, and published in 1861.

William Stratton (1803-1846). It is not known where he had his training, but he was advertising his services as an engraver in 1829, producing mostly trade cards and other job printing. In 1833 he advertised offering comics and caricatures. His work was exceptional.

Signed within image "Engrav'd Printed & Sold by Paul Revere Boston."

Legend continues - First column "Unhappy Boston! see thy Sons deplore, : Thy hallow'd Walks besmear'd with guiltless gore: : While faithless P-n and, his savage Bands, : With murd'rous Rancour stretch their bloody Hands; : Like fierce Barbarians grinning o'er their Prey, : Approve the Carnage and enjoy the Day."

Second column "If scalding drops from Rage from Anguish Wrung : If speechless Sorrows lab'ring for a Tongue : Or if a weeping World can ought appease : The plaintive Ghosts of Victims such as these : The Patriot's copious Tears for each are shed. : A glorious Tribute which embalms the Dead."

Third column "But know, Fate summons to that awful Goal: : Where Justice strips the Murd'rer of his Soul: : Should venal C--ts the scandal of the Land. : Snatch the relentless Villain from her Hand. : Keen Execrations on this Plate inscrib'd, : Shall reach a Judge who never can be brib'd." Lower legend "The unhappy sufferers were Mess.s Saml Gray, Saml Maverick, Jams Caldwell, Crispus Attucks & Patk Carr : Killed. Six wounded two of them (Christr Monk & John Clark) Mortally."

This example is after the Revere and was re-engraved on copper by William F. Stratton in 1832. Brigham calls this “an interesting print. It copied the original Revere print as faithfully as any engraver could copy it.”

The original 1932 steel-faced copper plate is in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society.