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Herman Melville, 1857
Details
The Confidence-Man
Herman Melville, 1857
MELVILLE, Herman (1819-1891). The Confidence-Man. London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, & Roberts, 1857.
A very fine copy of the rare first English edition of Melville's final novel. William Reese wrote on the rarity of the English edition of The Confidence-Man along with Hawthorne's involvement in its publication, noting that "it is not the American sheets with a cancel leaf, but an entirely new setting of type, and was evidently produced by the English publisher Longman, Brown, Green, Longman's and Roberts. Hawthorne made arrangements for its English publication on Melville's behalf" (Reese). The English edition was possibly issued simultaneously with the American—BAL has a question mark on this point. Rare at auction: RBH only records three copies. BAL 13671 (B endpapers, “Books on Rural Sports,” no priority); Reese Melville 28.
Octavo (170 x 100mm). Brown coated end papers imprinted with publisher's ads, p. 24 of terminal catalogue dated March 1855. Original orange blind-stamped cloth, gilt-stamped spine (a little very minor rubbing and soiling); modern clamshell box. Provenance: Alfred Stourton (ownership inscription to front endpaper, possibly Alfred Joseph Stourton, 1829-1893, 20th Baron Stourton, 24th Baron Segrave, 23rd Baron Mowbray).
Herman Melville, 1857
MELVILLE, Herman (1819-1891). The Confidence-Man. London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, & Roberts, 1857.
A very fine copy of the rare first English edition of Melville's final novel. William Reese wrote on the rarity of the English edition of The Confidence-Man along with Hawthorne's involvement in its publication, noting that "it is not the American sheets with a cancel leaf, but an entirely new setting of type, and was evidently produced by the English publisher Longman, Brown, Green, Longman's and Roberts. Hawthorne made arrangements for its English publication on Melville's behalf" (Reese). The English edition was possibly issued simultaneously with the American—BAL has a question mark on this point. Rare at auction: RBH only records three copies. BAL 13671 (B endpapers, “Books on Rural Sports,” no priority); Reese Melville 28.
Octavo (170 x 100mm). Brown coated end papers imprinted with publisher's ads, p. 24 of terminal catalogue dated March 1855. Original orange blind-stamped cloth, gilt-stamped spine (a little very minor rubbing and soiling); modern clamshell box. Provenance: Alfred Stourton (ownership inscription to front endpaper, possibly Alfred Joseph Stourton, 1829-1893, 20th Baron Stourton, 24th Baron Segrave, 23rd Baron Mowbray).
Brought to you by
Heather Weintraub
Specialist, Books, Manuscripts, & Archives