Leaves of Grass Complete Poems & Prose of WALT WHITMAN SIGNED Presentation Copy

Description: Walt Whitman Complete Poems & Prose ——Leaves of GrassSpecimen Days And CollectNovember Boughs with Sands At Seventy Annex to L.of G. ——Portraits from life. & Autograph Ed’n 1888-9 PRESENTATION COPY: A REMARKABLE COPY! with Inscription, “Edwin Arnold from the Author Nov: 2 1891” and autograph, “Walt Whitman” signed under “Leaves of Grass” title. The “Big Book” as Whitman referred to it. It is simple gorgeous and feels amazing to have in one’s hands. The condition is very good, with no markings inside at all. Almost pristine inside. The book includes Leaves of Grass, Specimen Days, November Boughs, & Portraits from life. The original limited edition of six hundred copies. This is an early issue without the hand written limitation details, which were added from February 14th 1889 onwards. This is signed by Whitman at the foot of the title page to "Leaves of Grass" as called for. It also has an inscription from the author, in his hand, to the front end paper. This inscription is to his friend and admirer, Sir Edwin Arnold, the English poet who visited him at his home on November the 2nd 1891, documented in the "Springfield Republican" of November 7th 1891. The inscription is dated November 2nd 1891. It is assumed that this book came over to the UK with Sir Edwin Arnold and has been here ever since.Now for the condition. The binding appears to be the original green cloth and marbled paper, with the paper title to the spine. There is some edge and surface rubbing/wear and the corners are soft. Some professional repair/restoration work has been done:new end papers, front and rear. The original inscribed end paper has been re-attached to its correct place. The title label has some loss. The contents are generally very good but with some signs of handling, use and age, mainly to the first part, with the rest of the contents appearing to be unread as many of the pages remain "unopened". On this Edition: "Whitman never lost his passion for joining disparate parts into a whole: it was the basis of his politics, his philosophy, and his bookmaking. He wrote to one acquaintance in 1886 that 'I think of. bringing out a complete budget of all my writing in one book.'. Horace Traubel was again involved in getting this big book out, and he and Whitman had endless discussions about all aspects of its production." Whitman was worried about his failing health and terrified that he would die before his "big book" was published. "At one point the poet told Traubel, 'I am in a hurry-in a hurry: I want to see the book in plates: then I can die satisfied. We will attend to the presswork and binding when we come to it. The main thing is the plates-the plates. Horace, I am on the verge of a final collapse: I look on the future-even tomorrow, next day-with a feeling of the greatest uncertainty. I am anything but secure: let us make the book secure.' . Whitman was immersed in every aspect of his bookmaking" and was very pleased with the result, for upon receiving the first copies he declared to Traubel, "it's better-far, far better-than the best I looked for." (All quotations from Ed Folsom, Whitman Making Books/Books Making Whitman). Whitman's "big book"- what he thought of as the final monument to his career - was published in only 600 copies "for the author's own use", with each copy signed on the title page. This copy is the first issue - without the limitation number added by hand by Horace Traubel. (All copies that were distributed before Feb. 14, 1889 were unnumbered.) WALT WHITMAN. Walt Whitman (1819-1892) was a controversial American poet whose experiments in radically new forms of poetry blended rhythmic rambling with mystic imagery and celebrated his thoughts on man and society. His masterpiece, Leaves of Grass, led to his dismissal from a job as a clerk in the U.S. Department of Interior because of the book’s reputed scandalously explicit sexual references. Because of the value of this book, this shipment will have added insurance, labeled as a “handling” fee. The book will be packaged well and shipped quickly, USPS Priority Mail. Peaceful life journey to all…

Price: 14995 USD

Location: Kihei, Hawaii

End Time: 2024-11-13T20:44:12.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD