Americana
Search Blog Posts
Raptis Rare Books was recently featured in the May 10, 2026 issue of Florida Weekly: Celebrating 250 Years of America – Florida Weekly History comes to life this season on Worth Avenue, where Raptis Rare Books will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States with a remarkable exhibition of founding-era treasures. Set within the gallery’s…
In February of 1798, as the young American republic stood in a period of mounting political anxiety, Elkanah Watson sent a small book to Mount Vernon. Inside, on the front pastedown, he had written simply: “From the Author to General Washington.” On the facing leaf, he added a longer, more personal message: “New York, Feb.…
The library of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg served not only as a collection of books but as a window into her intellectual world and a testament to her extraordinary career. As one of the most influential legal minds of the 20th and 21st centuries, Ginsburg’s library was a reflection of her lifelong dedication to law,…
One of the rarest and most significant books in American political history, The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution remains the single most influential text in promoting the ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America. In 1787, Alexander Hamilton resolved to launch a measured defense and…
Raptis Rare Books was recently featured in the July/August 2023 issue of The Magazine Antiques in the article: A Blueprint for Early America: Owen Biddle’s 1806 Book, The Young Carpenter’s Assistant by Benjamin Davidson and Pippa Biddle. Read the full article here.
Born in the mid-1700s in relative poverty, Alexander Hamilton rose to prominence as one of America’s founding fathers and the first treasury secretary of the United States. He founded the nation’s financial system, the Federalist Party, the United States Coast Guard, the New York Post newspaper, and he was the main author of the economic…
Born on January in either 1705 or 1706, Benjamin Franklin is one of the most well known Founding Fathers in American history. A polymath, Franklin was well known for both his political and scientific contributions to colonial America. Along with these pursuits, he also established the first newspaper chain, the first public library in America,…
Born in 1822, Ulysses S. Grant was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Army to victory in the American Civil War in 1865 and thereafter briefly served as Secretary of War. Later, as president,…
In celebration of Juneteenth, we invite you to browse some of the rarest, earliest, and most important works of African American and Civil Rights leaders literature currently in our collection. January 1st, 1863: President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed in his famous Emancipation Proclamation, “that all persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be…
The first President of the United States, George Washington served as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and later presided over the 1787 convention that drafted the United States Constitution. He is popularly considered the driving force behind the nation’s establishment and came to be known as the “father of the…
Widely considered one of the most influential American Presidents to date, Ronald Wilson Reagan remains one of the most iconic figures within the American Republican Party. As the leader of the modern conservative movement, Reagan altered the the political dynamic of the United States and his policies and beliefs have been frequently invoked by several…
In celebration of Black History Month, we invite you to browse some of the rarest, earliest, and most important works of African American literature currently in our collection. The earliest book published by an African American, Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, was published in 1773, three years before American…
One of the most fascinating genres to collect, Americana encompasses a broad range of titles, the most rare and desirable being the earliest texts printed in America. Containing resounding messages that played a significant role in the foundation and political history of the United States, among the most important books in American history are Thomas…
Celebrated on the third Monday in February in honor of the first president of the United States, George Washington, President’s Day was first established as a federal holiday in 1879 by an Act of Congress and continues to be a day of celebration, commemorating the presidency as an institution and America’s Founding Fathers. In observance…
Often referred to as “the father of American literature”, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, or Mark Twain as the world now knows him, published a large body of work including several works of both fiction and non-fiction in addition to a vast number of short stories and essays. Raised in the port town of Hannibal,…
The following article was posted on The Palm Beach Daily News website: Posted Jul 7, 2020 at 5:30 PM Raptis Rare Books in Palm Beach marks 60th anniversary of the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird with an array of Harper Lee collectibles. Raptis Rare Books is marking the 60th anniversary of the publication of Harper Lee’s To…
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the publication of one of the most important American novels of the 20th century, To Kill a Mockingbird, Raptis Rare Books is currently holding an exhibition of rare signed first editions, letters and original drawings by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird was first published by J.B. Lippincott Company…
Black History Month was officially recognized by President Gerald Ford as a month of national observance in 1970 during the United States Bicentennial where he urged American citizens to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history”. Many of the most celebrated and…
Raptis Rare Books is pleased to welcome back acclaimed speaker Dr. Alvin Felzenberg as he presents: A Look at Transformational Presidents. Dr. Alvin Felzenberg is a recognized expert on American politics, the American presidency, Congress, and political movements. Dr. Felzenberg served in two presidential administrations, was senior adviser to the Departments of State and Defense, and was…
Raptis Rare Books is pleased to welcome acclaimed photographer Steve Horan for a discussion and book signing on his new book of photography: People of Yellowstone. Steve Horan has spent over five years photographing the people who work in and around Yellowstone National Park including wranglers, researchers, rangers and coach drivers. The culmination of this work:…
Raptis Rare Books is pleased to welcome back acclaimed speaker and historian Edwin Lamont as he discusses the intriguing history of General William Jenkins Worth. Lake Worth, FL, Fort Worth, TX, and Worth Avenue in Palm Beach are named for General William Jenkins Worth. So are counties in Georgia, Missouri, and Iowa. Who was he?…
In celebration of Independence Day we are pleased to share a selection of rare books and historic documents related to America’s great Founding Fathers, particularly those instrumental in drafting the United States Declaration of Independence. Adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, The United States Declaration of Independence announced the sovereignty of…
The 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt was a prolific and skilled writer, publishing over 40 books on a range of topics including military history, natural history, conservation, biography, and editorial commentary throughout his lifetime. Known for his vigorous, robustly masculine persona, Roosevelt embraced a strenuous lifestyle and led an adventurous and well-traveled…
Initially proposed by a group of African American educators at Kent State University in February of 1969, Black History Month was officially recognized by President Gerald Ford as a month of national observance in 1970 during the United States Bicentennial where he urged American citizens to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of…
