Antique History Of The United Netherlands & The Life & Death Of John Of Barneveld - Peasley Library

James C. Peasley (James Carr Peasley) was a prominent banker and railroad executive in Chicago, Illinois, during the late 19th century. Railroad Executive and he served as the First Vice President of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company (CB&Q). He was a member of the Board of Directors for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago Records indicate he was a bank note signer and served as an officer at the National State Bank. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, with which he was affiliated, has extensive historical records documenting financial and legal matters, construction, and personnel from that era. James Carr Peasley was widely recognized for possessing one of the finest personal libraries in Chicago.

His library was frequently cited in local records, such as the Chicago Tribune, as one of the most significant private collections in the city. The name "J. C. Peasley" appears at the bottom of the spine because it was a custom owner's stamp used to identify volumes from his private collection.

The stamp means James C. Peasley didn't just buy the book; he commissioned a bookbinder to strip the original paper covers and create a custom leather or cloth binding specifically for his personal collection. A spine stamp indicates Peasley followed this tradition of high-end customization.

The History of the United Netherlands, Vol. 1 - 4, by J. L. Motley from the death of William the Silent to the Synod of Dort with A Full View of the English-Dutch Struggle Against Spain, and of the Origin and Destruction of The Spanish Armada. Published by Harper & Brothers, New York, 1866 and 1868.

Also included The Life and Death of John of Barneveld, Advocate of Holland with A View of the Primary Causes and Movements of the Thirty Years' War. Published by Harper & Brothers, New York, 1874. Includes a fold out map in Vol. 1.

All the books with red leather, raised spine with gold embellishments. The marbleized boards with leather corners, marbleized end-wraps with reinforced cloth binding at spines, gold metallic top margin.

Dimensions: 6 1/2" W, 9 1/4" H, 1 1/2" H

Condition: wear to top and bottom spines, dulling to corners, soiling/discoloration to spines, slight yellowing around perimeters, inked Peasley inscriptions to title pages. The books are tight, square, fairly clean, pages crisp and pliable.