Purveyor's Office, Philadelphia, November 15, 1808.

£1,750 · Offered by Maggs Bros Ltd

A rare broadside concerning different kinds of cloth and sundries “which are occasionally purchased for the service of the United States, by the Purveyor of Public Supplies”. Said purveyor, Tench Coxe (1755-1824) was a political economist appointed to the role by Thomas Jefferson. He has been described as the “father of American manufacturers.” The detailed list gives an insight into the far-reaching commodity requirements, both through international trade and domestic manufacturing, stimulated by the American Army in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War. It is also replete with information pertaining to military fashion and utility. The specified sundries include “broad-cloths” in blue, white, buff, grass green, and scarlet, each of these with a sterling cost per yard; “white swanskin for vests”, “assorted coatings”, “twilled serges for linings”, “shalloons and rattinets”, “yellow or buff nankeen”, and numerous different cloths for shirting. “Book linen”, possibly intended for the binding of books, is requested in stripes and checks , alongside “Brown Hollands”. Some of the fabrics give hints of their origins in their names, for example “white bocking baize” was a product of Bocking in Essex, and “Ticklenburgs” were a coarse blended linen produced in Tecklenburg, Westphalia, made primarily for sale in the West Indies. Of particular interest is the inclusion of “Printed calicoes and chintzes for the Indian service”. This reflects the manner in which the US Army were provisi

• Year: 1808

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