In Original Wrappers

George Whitefield.
A Short Account of God’s Dealings with the Reverend Mr. George Whitefield.
London: William Strahan, sold by James Hutton, 1740. (BRA2298)

Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of this extremely early Methodist publication is the fact that it retains its original paper wrapper, which was inscribed by one Isaac Reed in 1740. This inexpensive and intentionally temporary covering, held together by a single loop of twine, reflects how such untrimmed booklets were bought and sold in the early days of Methodism. Only a few such examples survive, as most eighteenth-century books have been bound and rebound in sturdy leather-covered bindings by later collectors.