The last couple of weeks, I have purchased some booklets and articles, for which I need some help.
First I found a copy of Thomas Aldred "The Young Archer's Assistant". It's the seventh edition, but Lake & Wright only mentions first and tenth ed., in fact, they believed they were the only editions.
Does anyone know when my edition was published?
Second I got a copy of a manuscript "Early Archery in Minnesota" by Earl Goodrich Lee. (L & W dates it 1940, but there are references in it to a 1954 issue of ARCHERY).
Are there any connections between the author and the Goodrich Footwear Co., which also published a booklet about archery?
Finally I got a "book" (38 mimeographed pages) "Making Modern Composite Bows" by Walter L. Miller.
Who was he? (Finding a specific Walter Miller on google is impossible).
Hope someone might help.
Ole Steen

Sorry, Ole, I can't help I'm afraid. My copy of 'The Young Archer's Assistant' is the First Edition. Dave Sterling may be able to help with the U.S. booklets.

Ole, With respect to "The Young Archer's Assistant" published by Thomas Aldred [firm], I only have and know of the 1st and 10th editions. That is all that Fred Lake could identify as you point out [see "A Bibliography on Archery", pp. 27]. Fred had thought at one point that possibly the 10th edition was labeled as such to "hype" and promote the booklet --meaning, that if it was in its 10th edition -- it must be popular and worth purchasing.

The preface is signed "FM", who Fred Lake thought stood for Revd. Francis Merewether. The C. F. A. Hinrichs [archery tackle] firm in N. Y. C. apparently used this booklet as a basis for publishing their "The Young Archer's Assistant..." in 1856. As noted in the bibliography, there is a film positive at the New York Public Library -- I have a copy of this film positive.

It looks like you have proven that there were in fact other editions. As far as I know, you are the only one to have an "in between" edition. Perhaps, the other editions were printed in such small quantities and given the fact that the booklet is small and doesn't have substantial covers/boards to protect it may be the reasons that the other editions haven't survived.

On the other hand, Thomas Aldred was a successful archery tackle firm, and the booklet may have found a great deal of use particularly by those individuals newly taking up the sport. The 1st and 10th editions are very, very scarce so you have truly a very rare item -- possibly a one of a kind since I not aware of any other "in between" editions being identified.

The 1st edition was published in 1854 and Fred Lake thought that the 10th edition was published circa 1860. That suggests that the 7th edition was published somewhere in between -- probably towards the end of the 1850's.

Moving on, copies of "Early Archer in Minnesota" by Earle Goodrich Lee were mimeographed. I have only a photostat copy of the mimeographed publication but not the actual mimeograph itself. From what you have said, it appears that you have the original document from which the mimeographs were printed -- that's great. It is a nice publication and does exactly what the title suggests -- it does a great job of covering early archery in the State of Minnesota.

I should mention that this publication is extremely scarce -- I am only aware of one other copy being offered for sale in my 40+ years of collecting. In addition, you have a unique item. To the best of my knowledge, the author is not connected with the Goodrich Footwear Co., which published a pamphlet on archery.

As respects "Making Modern Composite Bows" by Walter L. Miller, this is a neat booklet. My recollection is that Miller actually manufactured "toxhorn", a plastic material used in the manufacture of bows which preceded fiberglass [see pp. 208 of "A Bibliography of Archery" by Lake & Wright]. I actually talked to him once. He lived in Connecticut at that time. I believe that he knew a number of prominent archers in the 1940's and 1950's and communicated and worked with Dr. Clarence N. Hickman and other scientists who were involved in archery at that time.

You have had a productive several weeks -- congratulations on your nice "finds".

Thanks for your help. I daren't tell, what I paid for the "Young Archers.." (but it was less than £20). I have found another collector, who has a copy of the book and I'll contact him to hear which edition he has.
My copy of "Early Archery.." is not the original typewrited manuscript (alas), but the mimeographed copy in a beige cardboard cover (original price $1). Inside is a calling card from Earl Goodrich with "Compliment from" written on with a pen.
But yes, I've had a rather fine "bowhunting season".
Those three were not the only ones, I also found a copy of Baron de Cossons "Crossbow of Ulrich V" , "Die Afrikanischen Bogen Pfeile und Köcher" by Karutz and Frobenius "Bogen der Oceanier".
But it's timeconsuming. I've been collecting for more than 20 years and it's getting harder to find the good ones, the internet is a great help, but also a "curse". The dealers know, what they have now a day and they know, what it's worth, they also can find it on the internet.
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Ole, I gather that you acquired your copy of "The Young Archer's Assistant" for a bargain. That's great -- it helps to balance those situations where we end up paying more for an item than we should.

As you point out, the internet doesn't always help -- a dealer may perhaps have a book [particularly if it is an archery book] and may not know how to price it and may assume that what he or she sees on the internet is a proper price. Sometimes it is but many times the first dealer took a "flyer" on coming up with the price in the first place and other mis-guided dealers follow suit -- what happens is that the book or item may end up being overpriced. Then it becomes a matter of how bad do you want the item or do you wait for a more reasonably and realistically priced copy to come along [of course, with archery books -- it may never re-surface].

I have a copy of Baron de Cossons "Crossbow of Ulrich V..." -- I only have had one copy ever offered for sale to me -- this is another scarce title. I have Frobenius' "Morphology of the African Bow Weapon", which has great illustrations, but not his "Die Oceanischen Bogen" -- actually, this title might be more scarce than the "Morphology...African Bow Weapon". Definitely a nice acquisition! Karutz's title is also a nice item to have.

It is special to have Earl Goodrich Lee's business card as well -- it makes the volume somewhat unique!

With all your finds, you are definitely on a "roll". Keep us posted on your finds!