SYLVESTER, Nathaniel Bartlett "The Birth of the Vestal Flowers" [N.B. Sylvester, 1886]

[Adirondacks] SYLVESTER, Nathaniel Bartlett. The Birth of the Vestal Flowers. An Indian Legend of Mt. MacGregor.

New York (state): N.B. Sylvester, 1886. 6.5” x 5.25”, 40pp with 10 hand-mounted dried flower and fern specimens. Stiff paper wraps tied with red ribbon and printed in red ink. Light soiling to wraps. Specimens have left ghost images on facing pages, as expected. Very Good

Nathaniel Bartlett Sylvester, a dedicated historian and folklorist of upstate New York, preserved this captivating Adirondack legend in his rare 1886 booklet. It tells the story of a group of Mohican maidens who threw themselves onto a funeral pyre to escape Mohawk warriors, only to be miraculously saved at the last minute when a dark cloud quenched the flames. This blend of dramatic Native legend and actual pressed wildflowers from Mt. MacGregor captures Victorian America’s fascination with both romantic storytelling and natural history. The booklet is a unique and beautiful artifact of Adirondack cultural heritage and 19th-century tourism keepsakes.