Subject: 18th Century Literature

Playbill advertising the performance of "The Jew" at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London, England on June 13, 1797. This playbill is a single sheet and is printed in English. The play was also performed in the USA in 1795.

First New-York edition of Johann Georg Zimmermann's *Solitude Considered With Respect To Its Influence Upon The Mind And The Heart*. Printed by Mott & Lyon for Evert Duyckinck & Co, C Davis, J Harrisson, J Fellows, J Lyon, N Judah, and P Mesier in [1796?]. Bound in full leather, though the front and back covers are detached, and the spine is chipped at both ends. WorldCat records 27 copies, but none printed in NYC. Naphtali Judah (1773?-1855), one of the first Jewish booksellers and publishers in New York, established his business in 1795. He was the president of Shearith Israel, a prominent Mason, and a member of Tammany Society.

Pamphlet containing two plays: "The Jew," a comedy in five acts by Richard Cumberland, and "Lionel and Clarissa." Both plays feature illustrated title pages. "The Jew" was first performed at the Drury Lane Theatre in London in May 1794 and is significant for its portrayal of a Jewish moneylender as the protagonist. Published circa 1810.

Pamphlet of Richard Cumberland's play, *The Jew: A Comedy*, first performed in England in 1794. This is the first American edition, published circa 1795. The play is notable for its sympathetic portrayal of Sheva, a wealthy Jewish moneylender, as the hero, a rarity in English theatre at the time. The play's success in Great Britain, America, Germany, and Paris is discussed, along with Cumberland's later disappointment at the lack of financial gratitude from the Jewish community. The pamphlet also touches on the play's popularity and its relationship to Shakespeare's *The Merchant of Venice*.

Book titled "The Messiah, attempted from the German of Mr. Klopstock," printed by George Forman for Benjamin Gomez in 1795. Benjamin Gomez (1769-1828) was a prominent Jewish bookseller in New York, the first of his kind. He published over 20 titles, including works of Jewish interest such as the first American printing of Letters to Dr. [Joseph] Priestley. He was involved in publishing, selling, and binding books until 1802, later becoming treasurer and president of Shearith Israel, the first synagogue in New York City.