490 résultats
1864WRCLIT85064Baltimore: Cushings & Bailey 1864. xi2001pp. Quarto. Polished plum-colored cloth stamped in gilt and blind. Lithographed manuscript facsimiles and illustrations. Spine a shade sunned with shallow chips at crown and toe slight edge-wear a bit of foxing early and late old French bookseller's description in corner of verso of front free endsheet offset through tissue to upper blank portion of title old offset from an ancient and absent floral specimen in gutters of pages 42-3 generally a very good copy. First edition of this considerable undertaking to raise funds contemporary with the Baltimore Sanitary Fair to support relief for the aid of soldiers and their families. Includes faithful facsimiles of the contributors' works and includes the first facsimile of Lincoln's handwritten Address Delivered at the Dedication of the Cemetery at Gettysburg. Other facsimiles of works by other important 19th Century authors include: Francis Scott Key Edward Everett Washington Irving Harriet Beecher Stowe Nathaniel Hawthorne John Audubon Oliver Wendell Holmes Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Herman Melville Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau William G. Simms J.J. Audubon and many many others. Melville's "Inscription to the Slain at Fredericksburg" was not collected in book form until 1947. BAL 2418 13672 etc. Cushings & Bailey hardcover books
1850WRCLIT69114New York & London: Harper & Brothers . London: Richard Bentley 1850. vii19-46516pp. Gray-green cloth sides ornately stamped in blind with frame and publisher's device spine lettered in gilt yellow coated endsheets. Usual darkening offset to coated endsheets light foxing a bit heavier in prelims and terminal leaves shallow loss at extreme crown and toe of spine neat engraved bookplate otherwise a very good copy. First U.S. edition BAL's first printing first cloth binding form 'B' of the end gatherings. The London edition in two volumes appeared in late January; this edition followed up in March and includes an author's 'Note' dated New York March 1850. BAL 13662. Harper & Brothers ... London: Richard Bentley hardcover books
185024197New York: Harper & Brothers 1850. First American Edition. First printing. Octavo 19cm.; publisher's slate blind-embossed "A" cloth gilt spine yellow glazed endpapers; vii8-46516adspp. Some general shelf wear with brief exposure at corners spine rather sunned and gilt faded a few signatures a bit loose else a Very Good and sound copy. Contemporary gift inscription to a Henry Frost on front free endpaper. BAL 13662. Harper & Brothers unknown books
1849HM039New York: Harper & Brothers 1849 Two volumes. First American edition. Original publisher's blue-green blind-stamped cloth with gilt lettering to spines. A very good or better set with some light wear some toning to spine scattered spotting and small stains to cloth former owner ink signature to first blank of volume II usual scattered foxing to text. Overall a very attractive and tight copy without any repair or restoration. Much nicer than usually found. BAL 13658. Mardi is Herman Meville's third book and marks a departure from his first two works Typee 1846 and Omoo 1847 which are more autobiographical in nature. Mardi begins like Melville's preceding novels with a fictional South Seas whaling adventure story but quickly changes into a more allegorical and experimental text when the main characters abandon their vessel and travel to a variety of fictional symbolic countries. Melville's use of poetry and song also makes this text unique. While it was heavily criticized upon publication Mardi is best understood within the greater context of his entire body of writing. Rather than continue to produce variations of his first two successful novels Melville pushed himself to improve on his own writing and while perhaps not fully recognized in Mardi this laid the groundwork for his later novels including White-Jacket 1850 and Moby Dick 1851. This first American edition published April 14 1849 was preceded only by the three volume first British edition published on March 16th of the same year. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine. New York: Harper & Brothers hardcover books
1849WRCLIT71665New York: Harper & Bros. 1849. Two volumes. Purple cloth stamped in blind and gilt coated yellow endsheets. Spines sunned pencil ownership inscription in each volume coated endsheets show heavy discolorations from evidently an early form of protective wrapper some isolated small ink spots to cloth otherwise for this edition about very good with only very slight scattered foxing. Worn slipcase. First American edition of Melville's third book and first novel issued a few days after the scarce three volume London edition. This set is in the binding variant with the blindstamped rule at the crown of each spine. BAL 13658. WRIGHT I:1860. Harper & Bros. hardcover books
1849WRCLIT69132New York: Harper & Bros. 1849. Two volumes. Green cloth stamped in blind and gilt yellow endsheets. Light wear and a couple small nicks to spine extremities foretips rubbed bookplate on each pastedown and a late 19th century typographic bookplate on verso of each title some foxing throughout light tidemark in upper gutter of second volume otherwise a good to very good set. First American edition of Melville's third book and first novel issued a few days after the scarce three volume London edition. BAL 13658. WRIGHT I:1860. Harper & Bros. hardcover books
18491855London: Richard Bentley 1849. First edition. Bound in contemporary quarter red morocco over marbled boards with marbled end papers and a marbled text block. Front hinge a little tender but otherwise a handsome binding. Bound with contents of both volumes up front no half-titles or title page to the second volume. Textually complete. Contemporary inscription on the title page. <br/><br/>Redburn is the story of a young man's first voyage at sea from New York to Liverpool and back and was based on Melville's own first hand experiences as a seaman on a similar voyage ten years before. The book was Melville's attempt at a more commercial sort of fiction - "a plain straightforward amusing narrative of personal experience" as he described it -- and Melville himself did not accord the book much esteem. Indeed Melville finished the work in under ten weeks and submitted the draft to his publisher with nary a rewrite. Many critics however have enjoyed the work - F.O. Matthiessen considers Redburn "the most moving of its author's books before Moby-Dick." <br/><br/>"But the great charm of the work is its realness. It seems to be fact word for word bating a little that is melo-dramatic and exaggerated in the hero at the outset. With this exception the tale is told simply and without the least pretension; and yet within its narrow bounds are flashes of genuine humor strokes of pure pathos and real and original characters" Contemporary Review in The Boston Post. Richard Bentley unknown books
1856440538New York: Dix and Edwards 1856. Hardcover. Good. First edition. 431pp. 7pp. Original blind-embossed red cloth with cream endpapers. Small offsetting and stains on a few pages extremities worn with some loss of the spine ends spine title faded a good only copy without dustwrapper if issued. The first book appearance of many of Melville's classic shorter works and his only lifetime collection including "Bartleby" and "Benito Cereno." BAL 13669. Dix and Edwards hardcover books
194311495New York: Limited Editions Club 1943. Pencil and gouache on masonite. Signed with initials "BR" Exhibition label of Kraushaar Galleries 32 East 57th. Street New York 22. 1 vols. 16 x 11.5 inches. Framed. Pencil and gouache on masonite. Signed with initials "BR" Exhibition label of Kraushaar Galleries 32 East 57th. Street New York 22. 1 vols. 16 x 11.5 inches. Moby Dick. This illustration was drawn for use in the last chapter of Moby Dick Chapter 135<br/><br/>Lewis Mumford: No one else has come so close to the spirit of Melville and Melville's character as Robinson has. His pictures would remain as precious evidence of Melville's genius even if the words that had prompted them were destroyed. Christ-Janer Boardman Robinson p. 66 Limited Editions Club unknown books
18491063462 volumes. New York: Harper 1849. 2 volumes 8vo 365; xii 9-387 8 ads pp. Original black cloth backstrips lettered in gilt small chip to vol. I covers blind-stamped bookplate in each volume of Walter Leon Sawyer dated Boston 1897. Foxing in both volumes as usual dark stains on end-papers from paste-down glue. Enclosed in a cloth box. A remarkably good copy untouched in its box for the better part of a century. § First edition. A pleasant copy of this important work of American literature. BAL 13658. Note: contains what "seems to be the only direct reference in Melville's writings to the California gold rush" Minnigerode p.27. Harper hardcover books
18785Melville Herman. WHITE-JACKET; OR THE WORLD IN A MAN-OF-WAR. London: Richard Bentley 1853. 2 vols. First English edition second issue with cancel title-pages. Later three-quarter dark blue morocco raised bands gilt. This English edition is quite uncommon and like Bentley's editions of THE WHALE and REDBURN unsold copies were re-issued in 1853 with cancel title-pages. The English edition consisted of 1000 copies compared to 4524 of Harper's American printing. Fine set of Melville's highly symbolic fifth novel that depicted the harsh and inhumane treatment of sailors at sea. The last copy of the first English edition to appear at auction was December 2003 $21000 in worn cloth pages loose ex-library etc. NW-Newberry V:407-8 444-5. BAL 13662-note. hardcover books
192451856London: Constable and Company Ltd 1924. The Standard edition ltd. 750 sets. Large 8vo 16 volumes. Bound in original publishers blind stamped cloth with gilt lettering. Top Edge Gilt. The volume titled: "Poems" lacks a 1/2 inch triangle of cloth at the top of the spine some intermittant pencil underling "Piazza Tales" has a closed tear from one leaf having been carelesslessly opened couple of dj flaps laid in couple of nicks at the extremities of the spines otherwise this is a nice clean set previous owner's bookplate on the end paper. This set includes the first publication of Melville's Billy Budd which was discovered in manuscript among Melville's papers at the time. BAL 13680 13682 13683. An excellent complete set. Blanck also notes that "The Confidence Man" volume contains a bibliography of Melville's work by Michael Sadleir; "Miscellaneous Poems" and "At the Hostery" appear in a book here for the first time. Constable and Company Ltd unknown books
1855008113New York: Dix & Edwards 1855. SCARCE. The first appearance of this novella about a revolt on a Spanish slave ship captained by Don Benito Cereno appearing in the magazine in three installments on pages 353-367 459-471 and 633-644. Acknowledged as one of Melville's greatest achievements it was included with some revisions in his short story collection "The Piazza Tales" published May 1856. Very Good indeed bound in contemporary quarter calf over marbled boards five raised bands with dark brown calf volume label in gilt title label missing marbled end papers and edges. The complete six monthly magazines with title pages well bound and lacking only the original wrappers. Moderate toning to end papers only interior pages clean and with no foxing or toning. Quite uncommon especially so in collectible condition. Basis for the 1969 French film of the same title winner of a Gold Medal at the 1969 Venice International Film Festival and the NET Playhouse television episode in 1967. American Literature Science and Art Volume VI. First Printing. Quarter Calf. Very Good/No Jacket As Issued. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Dix & Edwards Hardcover books
135368London: Ward Lock and Co. hardcover. near fine. 27 volumes. Small 8vo 3/4 red leather gilt-dec. raised bands a.e.g. London: Ward Lock and Co. n.d. Near fine<br/><br/> Ward, Lock and Co unknown books
287New York: Harper & Brothers. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Fine. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION of Melville's third book containing the first glimpses of the rich symbolism and allegorical style that would later be more fully developed in Moby Dick. New York: Harper & Brothers 1849. Octavo original brown blind-stamped cloth. Two volumes. Provenance: with bookplates of Albert Henry Wiggin the noted book collector and famous Boston and New York banker who was considered for Time's Man of the Year for 1930 for his work during the Depression; also with attractive bookplates of Sydney Ansell Gimson and Fowler Booksellers. Very light wear at spine ends usual scattered occasional foxing pastedowns toned and foxed. Cloth very clean and gilt exceptionally bright: a beautiful copy. Harper & Brothers hardcover books
1852140940979New York: Harper & Brothers 1852. First Edition. Near Fine. First edition first printing. Bound in publisher's original purple/gray cloth decorated in blind and spine stamped in silver. Near Fine with light lean and sunning to spine neat restoration to cloth at head rubbing to joints. Previous owner name partially abraded from title page leaving several small holes. Pages toned and sporadically foxed throughout though heavier at preliminary and terminal pages. One of Melville's scarcest titles which was published shortly after Moby Dick. Harper & Brothers unknown books
8985419. MELVILLE Herman. THE WORKS OF HERMAN MELVILLE. London: Constable and Company Ltd. 1922-1924. 15 of 16 volumes lacking volume 13 Blly Budd and Other Prose Pieces . The Standard Edition #324 of 750 sets numbered and signed on behalf of the publisher in Volume I. Octavos all in the publisher's original blue cloth bindings: all sides decoratively blocked in blind gilt lettering on spines maroon coated endpapers top edges trimmed and gilt others untrimmed. Title-pages printed in blue and black. Bookplate to front pastedown in nine of the volumes. Some spines faintly sunned yet attractive and near fine overall. unknown books
1930291284Chicago: Lakeside Press 1930. Limited. hardcover. very good. Rockwell Kent. Illustrated by Rockwell Kent with 280 woodcuts many full page. 3 volumes. 4to black cloth decoratively stamped in silver spines lightly and evenly faded and with some faint staining neatly repaired at tips; inner hinge in second volume is cracked but interior is otherwise very clean and fine with many un-opened pages. Chicago: Lakeside Press 1930. Limited edition -- one of 1000 copies printed. Very good.<br/><br/> Perhaps the finest illustrated book of the 20th century. Lacking the acetate dust wrappers and the aluminum case.<br/><br/> Lakeside Press unknown books
1846234587London: John Murray 1846. First editions of Melville's first two novels: Typee in first issue p.19 l.1 reading "Pomarea"; Omoo with signature P present on p. 209 BAL state A. Map printed on p. xviii of first work; frontispiece chart in second work. Pp. xviii 285 1 imprint; xiv 321 1 imprint. Bound without ads. 2 vols. 8vo. Nineteenth century half green calf and marbled boards gilt spines by Bowron period spine labels. Front joint of Omoo a bit tender else fine. Green cloth clamshell box. First editions of Melville's first two novels: Typee in first issue p.19 l.1 reading "Pomarea"; Omoo with signature P present on p. 209 BAL state A. Map printed on p. xviii of first work; frontispiece chart in second work. Pp. xviii 285 1 imprint; xiv 321 1 imprint. Bound without ads. 2 vols. 8vo. 'Typee' & 'Omoo' in First Issue. Melville's first novel was based upon his experiences living in the Marquesas after he deserted from the whaler Acushnet in 1842. Published in England under the title Narrative of a Four Months' Residence and in America shortly thereafter Typee gained Melville an international reputation that was further cemented by Omoo. BAL 13652 & 13655; for Bowron cf. Ramsden London Bookbinders p. 41; Packer Bookbinders of Victorian London p. 21 John Murray unknown books
1857WRCLIT71583New York: Dix Edwards & Co. 1857. vi394pp. Original brown cloth decorated in blind spine lettered in gilt green endsheets. Crown and toe of spine a bit frayed foretips slightly bumped with some wear a portion of the spine gilding rubbed away three minuscule pinholes in upper joint still a quite sound internally very good or better copy. First U.S. edition of the last of Melville's novels published during his life- time and one of his most uncommon. The London edition appeared almost simultaneously. It's allegorical narrative featuring a company of riverboat travelers on their way to New Orleans includes characters partaking of some personality traits of Emerson Hawthorne Thoreau and Poe. BAL 13670. WRIGHT II:1699. Dix, Edwards & Co. hardcover books
192239296London: Constable 1922 - 1924. Sixteen volumes various paginations. <br/><br/>This is the first and still the best collected edition of Melville's complete works. Volume XIII is the first publication of "Billy Budd" which was unknown until this time. Volume XVI includes the first publication of many of Melville's poems. The set is limited to 750 copies. Bound in publisher's cloth with slight tonal variation of the backstrips but all in very good condition. Constable hardcover books
1849WRCLIT42255London: Richard Bentley 1849. Three volumes. Octavo. Mottled 18th century calf yes 18th century! neatly and sturdily rebacked at a recent date in matching calf with raised bands gilt rules contrasting red and black gilt labels new endsheets. Boards somewhat worn and darkened at edges else a very good set with the half- title in the third volume but not the second none called for in the first. The second and third volumes are largely unopened. First edition preceding the U.S. edition. One of one thousand sets printed. Apart from THE WHALE Melville's only other three volume novel. In any state even in an English provincial remboitage such as this it is uncommon. SADLEIR EXCURSIONS p.225. BAL 13657. Richard Bentley hardcover books
1856322New York: Dix & Edwards 1856. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. 1st edition of Melville's first book of short stories the only book of stories he ever got published. Original cloth gilt sharp usually oxidized away slight wear to spine tips very good with almost no foxing surpassing for this cheaply made book. Setup first details to follow. Looking back to the American short story's roots there was Irving's Sketch Book 1819 the invention of the modern short story and the first American book that was a bestseller here and in Europe. 25 years passed while the next generation absorbed Irving's innovation then in a 100-year span came Poe's Tales 1845 Hawthorne's Mosses from an Old Manse 1846 and after The Piazza Tales there was short fiction at the pinnacle by Twain James Crane Bierce and O. Henry then Fitzgerald Hemingway and Steinbeck but Melville touches them all. 6 tales fill the book's 431 pages. The Bell Tower is a psychological gripper of ambiguous devilry that's an advance of Edgar Poe. The Lightning-Rod Man is the shortest but it's a parable of such absorbing invention and depth that it would be a career marker if credited to any other author. The Piazza the delusions of idealism and The Encantadas sketches hellishly reimagining the Galapagos Islands are longer and just as fine. All 4 are half a century ahead of their time and more intricate than most novels but it's the 161 pages of Benito Cereno good versus evil and the 77 pages of Bartleby the Scrivener isolation that soar to the heights and stand tall at the zenith. Every word of atmosphere theme plot and characterization the 4 pillars of short fiction are fused in an unfamiliar manner that is nonetheless easily recognized as truthful seamless symmetrical and readily welcomed but it was all too late for Melville. By 1856 he couldn't believe what wasn't happening to him. He'd already decided that mind is to soul as wave is to ocean and unthreatened by failure he wrote as brilliantly as he could for as long as someone would publish him and dismissed his editor's advice to write down to his readers and enjoy a lucrative commercial career Herman never realized that money is coined liberty. But Melville's martyrdom or the ignorance of 19th century readers does not justify why in the 21st century 100 years after his rediscovery this 1st edition continues to be undervalued beyond reason. In many ways it reads like it was written 65 years ago not 165 and I can cogently argue that it is American literature's finest collection of short stories. The 1st edition that some wrongly speculate may include 3 printings was a small one 2500 copies and sales were slower than bluff erosion 1051 sold. This is ironically though repeatedly the journey of real art so it's not surprising that after one last novel a year later Melville was excommunicated from literature failed to have his prose published again in his lifetime and like so many virtuosos before him he was never rescued. Dix & Edwards hardcover books
1853WRCLIT56707London: Richard Bentley 1853. Two volumes. Modern three quarter calf and marbled boards in 19th century style gilt labels edges rough trimmed. But for some very isolated minor foxing and a few negligible marginal smudges a very good set. No half-titles are called for. First edition second issue with the cancel titles dated "1853." The original London printing which preceded the U.S. edition by two months consisted of only one thousand sets. As a consequence of their tepid sales in 1853 Bentley bound up remaining sets of sheets of this title of REDBURN and of THE WHALE in several forms of remainder cloth bindings including two-and three- volumes in one format with cancel titles bearing the new date. In the remainder format both due to the somewhat smaller quantities issued thus as well as to the exceptionally vulnerable multi-volume in one format they are much less often seen than the primary issues. BAL 13661. SADLEIR EXCURSIONS p. 227-8. Richard Bentley hardcover books
1849WRCLIT71567London: Richard Bentley 1849. Three volumes. Octavo. Turn of the century three-quarter olive calf and marbled boards spines gilt extra gilt labels by Larkins. Extremities a bit rubbed and worn but a handsome very good set with the half-titles in the 2nd and 3rd volumes none called for in the first. First edition preceding the U.S. edition. One of one thousand sets printed. Apart from THE WHALE Melville's only other three volume novel and while a difficult set indeed in original cloth even sets in bindings such as that in hand are uncommon. SADLEIR EXCURSIONS p.225. BAL 13657. Richard Bentley hardcover books
