-This is a poem on the Death of George Washington that was printed on silk just 2 weeks after Washington's€™s death. Broadside printed on silk from this period are extremely rare particularly this one which was printed by the same printer who printed the first Bible in America.

Printed on Silk this is AN ELEGIAC POEM ON THE DEATH OF GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON, COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES. WHO DIED AT MOUNT VERNON, VIRGINIA, 14th DECEMBER, 1799, AGED 69 YEARS. DEDICATED TO THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES. [Philadelphia]: Printed by R. Aitken, Jan. 1, 1800. Broadside printed on silk, 17¾ x 11 inches, printed in triple-column format. Ornate decorative border. Tipped onto cardboard. Some minor wear and soiling in upper margins. Just about very good. Expertly matted, and protected with Mylar sheet.
A beautiful example of printing on silk, this elegiac poem was printed by one of Philadelphia's most prominent printers within two weeks after Washington's death. Shipton & Mooney attribute the poem to Charles Caldwell. Early American broadsides printed on silk are quite rare. Evans cites copies of this broadside at Harvard, the Huntington, and Boston Public. EVANS 37079.