Object Details
- Description
- The 1888 New England Almanac and Farmer’s Friend was published Charles Allyn of New London, Connecticut in 1887. The almanac shared valuable information during a time when newspapers were scarce. Their popularity with the public and low overhead made them attractive for publishers as well. While almanacs may be known for their farmer’s calendar or weather forecasts, they also served as calendars that marked holidays and all-saints days, and notable historic dates. The calendar also tracked the transit of celestial bodies and included the related astrological guidance. Additional materials included literary extracts, poetry, a list of roads and their mileage to major cities, medical advice, cooking recipes, patent notices, rates of interest, short histories, political discussions, schedules of courts, and practical advice. The diversity of topics made the almanac useful for every strata of society, creating an early form of mainstream culture.
- The Copp Collection contains about 150 books of early American imprint and shows a wide range of reading matter typical of a New England Puritan family living in a port town. Literacy was expected of many New Englanders, as Puritan doctrine required everyone to read the Bible. The abundance of multiple Bibles, psalms, hymnodies, sermons, and morality tales reflects the Copp’s religious beliefs. Other highlights of the library include the works of Shakespeare, almanacs, historical and political texts, and travel narratives.
- The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Credit Line
- Gift of John Brenton Copp
- ID Number
- DL.006868.020
- catalog number
- 6868.020
- accession number
- 28810
- Object Name
- book
- Other Terms
- Book; Printed
- Measurements
- overall: 7 1/8 in x 4 5/8 in; 18.0975 cm x 11.7475 cm
- See more items in
- Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
- Cultures & Communities
- Copp Collection
- National Museum of American History
- Record ID
- nmah_318483
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ae-1219-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
