JOSEPH CALLENDER was born in Boston, May 6, 1751. Very little is known about him, but he is reported to have acquired the plates of Peter Pelham, who was presumably the first to engrave on copper in America, and to have destroyed them. Callender made most of the dies for the second Massachusetts Mint, at a cost of £1 4_s._ each. This was considered an exorbitant price by the superintendent, who made a contract with a Newburyport artisan, Jacob Perkins. Callender received £48 12_s._ for making thirty-nine dies, and repairing three others, while Perkins received but £3 18_s._ 10_d._ for his work. Callender died in Boston, Nov. 10, 1821, and was buried in the Granary Burying Ground. The only Chippendale plate by Callender is a copy of the _Atkinson_ plate by Hurd, and is for a member of the same family. As compared with its model, this plate shows very little difference, it is so close a copy, but the motto ribbon which is added is more graceful than those of Hurd usually were, the heraldic drawing is quite as good, and the lettering of the name is better. Callender, of course, would not have begun to engrave much before Hurd’s death; indeed, the preponderance of the Ribbon and Wreath style in his designs goes to show that his work dated towards the close of the century. His plates in this style are very light and graceful, with no overloading; and a faithful use of the usual features of the style is apparent. In the _Russell_ plate he was again a copyist, using for his model the _Joseph Barrell_ plate. The plates for the _American Academy of Arts and Sciences_, and for the _Massachusetts Medical Society_ are practically alike; the curtain, and the [Illustration: Thomas Russell] ribbon and festooning are very similar, while the view within the oval frame is, of course, adapted to the use of the books of the respective societies. Callender would seem by these signs to have been a lazy engraver, or to have considered his designs so perfect as to call for no further effort. A LIST OF BOOK-PLATES SIGNED BY CALLENDER.