Hannah Reed's 1833 Emerson (Boston) Speller with Upside Down Covers and Delights Inside, Just As Found antique wabanaki so would have been well

so would have been well into his 70s when he carved this one

Hinge in good condition

There is a scratch and loss around the very bottom of the base on one side

combined with carved profile and hand-drawn face (and ears

There may also be a bit of warping to the box itself such that the top and bottom aren't exactly flush

Hannah Reed's 1833 Emerson (Boston) Speller with Upside Down Covers and Delights Inside, Just As Found antique wabanaki so would have been wellAs I've said I am forever opening old spellers in the hopes of finding endpaper drawings or mementos tucked inside their pages and occasionally my efforts are rewarded! And in the case of this one, dated 1833, it was not until I got it home and started documenting its pages that I discovered the woven paper heart tucked inside a spread toward the back. Small joys are the best. And I love that the "Boston Lion Circus" clipping is specific to Boston,