Bickerstaff's Boston almanack, or, Federal calendar, for 1791. ..
Subtitle: Containing, besides what is usual, a true narrative of the shocking captivity of Robert White, among the Algerines
Series: Early American imprints -- no. 23066
Publisher: Printed by E. Russell, cheap to travelling traders, &c.
Published: 1790
Place of publication: Boston
Language: eng
Number of pages: 24
Subjects: Portraits; Algerians; Captivities
Notes: The Bickerstaff almanacs published by Russell for the years 1783-1793 are attributed to Benjamin West by Evans and others. The attribution is traditional, but most of these issues can be shown to be the probable work of other calculators. West issued no almanacs under his own name for the years between 1787 and 1804. This issue may have been calculated by Amos Pope. The notes on the calendar pages include the abbreviation P.N. (pointers north), e.g. P.N. 2.30, a reference which appears to have been peculiar to Pope's almanacs at this time, and which is explained on p. [2] of his An astronomical diary: or Almanack, for 1792 (Boston: J.W. Folsom).

There is a striking frequency of correspondence between these calendar page notes generally and those in the Bickerstaff almanac published by Russell for 1792, which also appears to be the work of Pope. Though Pope's 1792 almanac is thought to have been his first, calculators sometimes published their initial work anonymously to test its acceptance.

Advertised, under title of "Bickerstaff's genuine Boston almanack," in the Herald of freedom, Boston, Nov. 16, 1790. Identical in typography and content, except for the title, with Bickerstaff's Boston almanack for 1791, published by Russell, of which this is probably the first issue.

Signatures: [A]⁴ B-C⁴.

The cut portraying Robert White was also used in the broadside "An elegiac poem composed by F[reeman]s H[earse]y" (probably printed by Russell in 1791) to represent Major Thomas Butler, wounded in a battle with the Indians near Fort Wayne, Nov. 4, 1791.

Advertisement for books sold by E. Russell, p. [24].

Evans 23066

Drake, M. Almanacs, 3444