Ruf, Haight & Allied Families : Bound by Stikeman : Genealogical History 1925

Allied Families Genealogical and Biographical – Ruf, Haight & Allied Families

Compiled and Privately Printed for Caroline Eddy Haight Hatch

Published by The American Historical Society, Inc, New York 1925. 4to. Impressive fine binding by Stikeman, New York. With hand-coloured initials and tailpieces : 27 plates (24 in colour), coats of arms, genealogical tables, portraits ; 33 cm

The contents include detailed genealogical records and coats-of-arms for Haight, Ruf, Plantz, Eddy, Sumner, Hall, Hatch, Hitchcock, Ross, Parmelee, Fish, Titus, Washburn, Estabrook, Bullock, Ingraham, Downer, Bishop, Grafton, Hobart, Knight, Hunt, Webster, Hosmer, Harris, Clement, West, Franklin, Royce, Lathrop, Parker, Rowley, Palmer, Doggett, Stowers, Hull, Munson, Merriman, Beecher, Roberts.

This impressive genealogical volume comes from the celebrated Allied Families Genealogical and Biographical series, a monumental 20th-century undertaking that traced the heraldry and histories of numerous American families. Issued in substantial, lavishly illustrated, the set is notable for its profusion of hand-coloured coats-of-arms and finely produced bindings, often made for private subscribers or presentation. Each volume in the series centers on particular family lines, and the present example—the Ruf, Haight & Allied Families volume—brings together a wide constellation of related families deeply rooted in the colonial and early American period.

BOUND BY STIKEMAN
This copy is bound by Stikeman & Co. of New York, one of the premier American binderies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded by Henry Stikeman, the firm was known for its refined aesthetic, rich leathers, and elegant gilt tooling, and by the 1920s it was executing sumptuous commissions for collectors and institutions alike. Bindings from this period typically bear the “Stikeman & Co., NY” stamp, a mark of quality that today remains highly prized by collectors. In genealogical works such as this, Stikeman often employed decorative devices and crest motifs that harmonized with the heraldic subject matter, making each copy an heirloom in its own right.

The marriage of content and craft here is particularly striking: a genealogical survey that enshrines centuries of American family history, housed in a binding that reflects the artistry of one of New York’s most accomplished binderies. It is both a reference work of genealogical significance and a collector’s object of beauty—an enduring testament to the intertwined histories of American families and American fine binding.

CONDITION
A fine copy throughout. The binding is in very good condition with no damge. The doublures are in fine condition. All contents present and pages immaculate throughout. Overall a very fine binding in fine condition.

(GC2)