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# RARE 1899 "Rhinebeck the Beautiful" Third Edition Booklet
## Includes Historic 1941 Handwritten Letter & Inscription by Prominent NY Attorney Charles Stewart ButlerAn exceptional piece of Hudson Valley local history and unique regional ephemera. This listing features a complete, authentic copy of the rare **1899 Third Edition** of *"Rhinebeck the Beautiful: Revised and Enlarged,"* printed locally by **The Rhinebeck Gazette Job Printing Office** in Rhinebeck, New York. What makes this specific copy uniquely valuable is its incredible provenance. Tucked inside is an original **1941 handwritten letter** on personal letterhead, accompanied by a matching tongue-in-cheek **handwritten cover inscription** by prominent New York City attorney and Long Island historical figure, **Charles Stewart Butler (1876–1954)**. ---### ITEM DETAILS & SPECIFICS:
* **Book Title:** Rhinebeck the Beautiful (Revised and Enlarged, Third Edition)
* **Author/Compiler:** J.T. Hammick
* **Publisher:** The Rhinebeck Gazette Job Printing Office, Rhinebeck, N.Y.
* **Publication Date:** 1899
* **Format:** Thread-bound booklet with original tan decorative paper covers.
* **Page Count:** 55 pages.
* **Subject:** Late 19th-century history, landscape, and prominent country estates along the Hudson River in Dutchess County, NY.
* **Included Ephemera:**
1. An original 2-page handwritten letter dated January 27, 1941, on Charles Stewart Butler's personal law office letterhead (76 Beaver Street, New York).
2. A whimsical, handwritten comedic review/inscription on the inside cover signed by Butler.---### HISTORICAL TRANSCRIPTIONS INCLUDED IN THIS ARCHIVE:#### 1. Inside Cover Inscription (Handwritten by Charles S. Butler):
*"This is one of the greatest expositions from a local point of view ever perpetrated on the waiting public! Read it — smile — and read some more then die — laughing —"*
— **Chas S. Butter** [Butler]#### 2. Tucked Letter (Dated January 27, 1941):
**Letterhead:** *Charles Stewart Butler, 76 Beaver Street, New York. Telephone Whitehall 4-4626.*
*"Dear Nancy — So glad to have met you at Alice Bailey's the other night. Here is the 'funny little book.' Read it with an open mind, and you'll think it funny 'too'— It is a classic, and should be owned by everyone dwelling along the Hudson! — Hoping to see you sometime soon again. Very sincerely yours, Charles Butler"*---### CONDITION REPORT:
* **Booklet:** Good/Fair antique condition given its age and fragile nature. The original paper covers show expected age-toning, light edge-wear, and minor staining. The historic thread binding remains intact, holding the pages securely together. The interior pages are clean, crisp, and fully legible with no heavy tearing or missing text.
* **Letter:** Excellent condition. The historic 1941 letterhead paper has been safely preserved folded inside the book; the ink is clear, bold, and perfectly legible.*Please review the high-resolution photographs carefully to assess the precise cosmetic condition of this antique archive.*---### SHIPPING & HANDLING:
This fragile historical item will be packaged with extreme care in an acid-free sleeve and shipped securely between heavy cardboard layers to ensure it arrives safely. Ships fast with tracking.
