c1881 · Boston
by Thoreau, Henry David
Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, c1881. Early Reprint. Very good in its original green cloth covered beveled boards with gilt text stamping on the spine, a gilt stamped facsimile of the author's signature on the front board and black end papers with the top edge of the text block gilt. A small octavo measuring 7 1/2" by 5" with two short closed tears to the cloth at the heel of the spine, light rubbing and wear to the cloth at the head of the spine and with an early prior owner's name and date on the second free end page. The contents are exceptionally clean and bright with no signs of tanning or foxing. There are several, minor marginal notes in pencil on pages 42, 194 and 310. This was the first of the four "seasons" to be published. Only 1,024 copies of the first edition were printed. A collectible, clean and tight copy with no weakness to the hinges or joints. Extremely scarce in first edition. 318 pages of text. (BAL 20123; Borst, A8.1.a)
(Inventory #: TB29385)