Writing-Master and Accountant's Assistant Containing an Extensive System of Practical Arithmetic with a Valuable Set of Engravings of Business Writing &c. Designed for the use of Academies and Boarding Schools Written by C. Buchanan Greenock. Engraved by Kirkwood & Son. Edinburgh.

Glasgow: R. Chapman, 1798. Full Description:

BUCHANAN, Colin. The Writing-Master and Accountant's Assistant. Containing an Extensive System of Practical Arithmetic with a Valuable Set of Engravings of Business Writing &c. Designed for the use of Academies and Boarding Schools Written by C. Buchanan Greenock. Engraved by Kirkwood & Son. Edinburgh. Glasgow: R. Chapman, 1798.

First edition. Small folio (10 3/8 x 8 1/4 inches; 265 x 210 mm). With engraved title-page and an additional 23 engraved plates. Engraved title with vignette of a classroom. Lacking leaf A2 which is the Preface, but otherwise textually complete and with (truncated) all the engraved plates. Besides this copy, we could find no other copies at auction on Rare Book Hub.

Contemporary marbled paper boards, rebacked with quarter modern calf. Boards a bit rubbed. Title neatly re-margined at inner margin and with discreet closed tear repair to blank fore-margin. Plates 1 and 9 with repaired corner, not affecting text. Plate 4 with a neatly repaired closed tear with no loss. Some staining to blank verso of plate 5. Plates 15-17 with some fore-edge fraying. Leaves B2 and K with some repaired closed tears, no loss. Leaf E2 remargined at inner and top margins, affecting a few letters and some closed tear repairs to fore-edge. F and F2 with some marginal repairs, no loss. LEaf T remargined at bottom and fore-edge, not affecting text. Some occasional old ink marginalia, and ink spots. No free endpapers. Still a very good copy of this rare item. Housed in a full blue cloth clamshell with red morocco gilt spine label.

"Colin Buchanan, of the 'Academy', Greenock- a private school of his own- was the author of two works upon book-keeping, and was a famous teacher of his day." (Murray, Chapters in the History of Book-keeping and Accountancy, 1930, p. 51)

ESTC T111254.

HBS 69342.

$2,000. (Inventory #: 69342)