Catalogue: Thoreau and Emerson
EMERSON, Ralph Waldo (1803-1882)
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Nature
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1836 - First edition, second state. Published by James Monroe & Co. With separate handwritten ALS by RWE to publisher. Formerly owned by Robert Hoe, Grolier Club founder.
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Dark gray to black original tooled boards. Title in gilt on front cover - no markings on spine. Handwritten letter dated Tuesday March 9 [?] by Emerson to publisher James Monroe reading "Dear Sir, I was quite unexpectedly prevented from sending the Manuscript yesterday morning. Print it on a good paper, as good, I think, as Mr. Ripleys [sic] sermon which you showed me, though with smaller type. Send me the proofs by stagecoach [?] or mail. Yours [illegible] R.W. Emerson". Page 94 correctly paginated, making this second state. Formerly owned by noted book collector and Grolier Club founder Robert Hoe with his bookplate on inside cover. No other markings, moderate to heavy foxing. Acquired in custom clamshell box from Chelsea Bindery.
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There was a remarkable number of Ripley's sermonizing around this time, believe it or not, but Emerson's reference is almost certainly to George Ripley (1802-1880), a co-founder with Emerson of the Transcendental Club (the first official meeting of which took place in Ripley's home) and eventual managing editor of the club's The Dial magazine, working closely with the remarkable Margaret Fuller, editor. In 1836, George Ripley published Discourses on the Philosophy of Religion Addressed to Doubters who wish to Believe, which contained six sermons - likely the volume to which Emerson refers. Ripley went on to found Brook Farm, a short-lived utopian communal experiment outside Boston, he was also instrumental in the formation of the Unitarian Church and, during the latter half of his life, become an important journalist, critic, editor and arbiter of social taste.
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Nature was Emerson's first and primary exposition of the philosophy of Transcendentalism, which valued nature, self-reliance and intuition over traditional European-based classical values.
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HOLMES, Oliver Wendell (1809-1894)
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Ralph Waldo Emerson
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1885 - First edition. Published by Houghton, Mifflin & Co. New York. American Men of Letters series. Signed and dated by Holmes
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Blue and black marbled boards with leather corners and spine. Gilt-edged top of text block. Spine so pristine as to appear almost new. Other first editions listed for sale shown with maroon cloth binding, with an 8-page publisher advert/bibliography at rear. This was either rebound or perhaps the publisher created a limited number of deluxe bindings for presentation copies. Interestingly, there is no publisher's catalogue or any further information about the American Men of Letters series. Title page signed by Holmes and dated Feb 9, 1885 - he has also written "First Edition" below. I am guessing this was separately bound among some number as author's presentation copies - but I've naught but circumstantial evidence. Frontispiece is an engraved portrait of Emerson with tissue guard that has caused offsetting on both frontispiece and title page in no way impacting clarity of either. Bookplate on front pastedown, and an article about services for Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., the author's son, tipped in at rear pastedown. Else unmarked and very solid indeed.
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Holmes was a polymath and one of the most important 19th century persons of letters himself, in addition to being the father of his son, the Supreme Court justice. He was a physician and important medical reformer, a highly esteemed poet, a trained lawyer, and a prolific prose writer, in particular for The Atlantic Monthly, which Holmes named. He was friends with Emerson and most of the important literary men of the day. In a brief introductory note in the book, Holmes thanks Emerson's family and friends for access to letters and other information on Emerson.
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THOREAU, Henry David (1817-1862)
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A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
[Photos]​
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1849 - First edition. Published by James Monroe & Co. New York: George P. Putnam. Philadelphia: Lindsay and Blackiston. London: John Chapman
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Brown original blind-stamped boards. Title in crisp, clear, faded gilt on spine, but imprint "Monroe & Co." is missing from bottom. Possibly expertly rebacked partially preserving original spine. Advertisement for Walden "Will Soon be Published" on first page at the end of the text. Last three lines of text omitted from p. 396. Faint ownership sig of "A.A. Burrage, Boston" on first free endpaper, possibly Alvah A. Burrage, (1823-93) author of "Burrage Memorial" a substantial genealogy published by Alfred Mudge and Son in 1877. Otherwise virtually unmarked and unfoxed, save a tiny ink stain on edge of text block not encroaching on pages, and a small damp stain affecting top corner of approximately 30 pages, extending no more than half inch from top outside corner of page. Beautiful, solid copy. Shelved in a custom clamshell box.
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1000 copies were originally published at Thoreau's expense, of which only 550 were originally bound. Of the 1000, 706 were returned to Thoreau (450 unbound), who gave away or sold another 111 (presumably bound) copies. The remaining volumes were ultimately sold to Ticknor, which republished them after Thoreau's death with a new title page for the unbound copies and a cancelled and overprinted title page for the bound copies. The copy in the Collection is likely one of the copies originally sold, as Thoreau or his sister typically added the omitted three lines on the bottom of p. 396 in longhand for those copies which they sold or gave away subsequent to their return. Thoreau famously and wryly wrote to a friend that he had a library of some 800 volumes, 700 of which he had written himself. I don't remember the exact numbers he used - you get the idea.
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The book is a distillation of a two-week trip by Thoreau and his brother John, who died suddenly in 1842, and is in part an elegy to him. It was poorly received due to its unorthodox style, jumping between descriptions of the natural environment and local people, interwoven with tangents about literature, Christianity, eastern religions, philosophy, Native Americans, early European settlers and much more.
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Walden: Or a Walk in the Woods
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1854 - First edition. Published by Ticknor and Fields, Boston
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One of 2000 copies. Original brown blind-stamped boards. Possibly partially rebacked, preserving original spine. Title and publisher's name in gilt on spine clear but faded. Eight-page publisher's catalogue at rear dated April 1854. The book was published in July 1854. Different copies have ads dated April, May, June and September 1854, and September 1855. While The Bibliography of American Literature says these ads are of "no known bibliographical significance," it is clear from every listing of a first edition that earlier ads are considered to be more desirable. Also note that a copy currently for sale as this is written, which lists September ads, also includes a one-page ad in front, also dated September. This copy has no ads in front whatsoever.
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With gift inscription in pen on first free endpaper "Anne Pennock/from her mother/11th month 3rd 1854". Virtually no other markings or foxing. Map of Walden Pond on separate page between pages 306 and 307. Beautiful, solid copy. Shelved in a custom clamshell box.
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Excursions
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1863 - First edition. Published by Ticknor and Fields, Boston
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One of 1588 copies. Original green blind-stamped boards. Title in gilt on spine clear but faded below which in small but legible gilt print "Author of Walden and A Week on Concord River." Publisher's name on spine discernible but not fully legible. Completely unmarked. Mostly minor with some moderate foxing throughout. Solid, nice copy with minor wear to extreme top and bottom of spine and lower corners of boards. Publisher's ad at front lists only Walden and Week.
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Contains a 26-page "Biographical Sketch" of Thoreau by Ralph Waldo Emerson which is apparently a copy of his eulogy from Thoreau's funeral. The book also includes Thoreau's classic essay "Walking" - the first time it was published in an actual book as opposed to journal. Also included is Thoreau's essay "The Succession of Forest Trees," originally delivered as an address in 1860, in which "he analyzes aspects of what later came to be understood as forest ecology and urges farmers to plant trees in natural succession...becoming perhaps his most influential ecological contribution to conservationist thought." [LOC 1860]. Steel engraving opposite title page is said to be the first published image of Thoreau. Lacks tissue-guard.
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In the Maine Woods
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1864 - First edition. Published by Ticknor and Fields, Boston
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One of 1450 copies (per Borst). Original publisher's brown blind-stamped boards. Sold as unrestored, but to my (untutored) eye may have been rebound preserving original spine. Title and publisher in gilt on spine faded but clear and crisp - below title in small but legible gilt print "Author of Walden and A Week on Concord River." Completely unmarked. Virtually no foxing. Publisher's ad at front lists only Walden, Week, Excursions and Maine Woods, with prices. No publisher's catalogue at rear - not an issue point. Some signs of separation of gatherings in latter part of book, otherwise very solid and tight. NF-
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Contains three papers written about two separate trips to Maine, one in 1846 and the other in 1847. The first two papers were previously published in magazines, the last previously unpublished. Thoreau calls for the establishment of "national preserves" of virgin forest, "not for idle sport or food, but for inspiration and our own true re-creation." An early and prescient call for preservation.
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Cape Cod
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1865 - First edition. Published by Ticknor and Fields, Boston
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One of 2000 copies of which some were sent to Britain and published with a cancelled title page. Original publisher's brown blind-stamped boards. Title and publisher in gilt on spine extremely faded - fully legible only when held at particular angle to light. Ownership signature "M Crosby Jr.(?)/Jamaica Plain/April 1865" on front free endpaper. Otherwise unmarked with virtually no foxing. Publisher's ad at front lists only this and previously published titles. 23-page publisher's catalogue at rear dated December 1864, plus a one-page ad for "The Atlantic Monthly" magazine. Very solid and tight.
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Letters to Various Persons
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1865 - First edition. Published by Ticknor and Fields, Boston.
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One of 2130 original copies. Original publisher's dark green blind-stamped boards. Title and publisher in gilt on spine slightly faded but clear and crisp - below title in small but legible gilt print "Author of Walden and A Week on Concord River". Completely unmarked. Virtually no foxing. Publisher's ad at front lists only this and prior works. No publisher's catalogue at rear. Very solid and tight.
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Edited by Ralph Waldo Emerson who in an Editor's Note says the letters contained were printed/copied directly from the originals (with some personal info omitted).
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A Yankee in Canada, with Anti-slavery and Reform Papers
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1866 - First edition. Published by Ticknor and Fields, Boston
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One of 1546 copies printed. Rebound preserving original brown blind-stamped boards. New spine with old title block pasted on. Unmarked save original owner's signature (George S. Wardell(?)) dated Sept 1866. No publisher's ad or catalogue. Small damp stain on front cover.
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Contains the first publication in book form of "Civil Disobedience" since the relatively obscure Aesthetic Papers (1849), which was an anthology of disparate works mostly from the Transcendentalist magazine The Dial. Also contains "A Plea for Captain John Brown."
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Early Spring in Massachusetts
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1881 - First edition. Published by Houghton, Mifflin and Co.
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Original green cloth boards with crisp, bright gilt lettering to spine and cover. Early bookplate (Ellen Twistleton Parkman) - otherwise unmarked with no foxing. No publisher's ad or catalogue. VG+ to NF.
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Selections from Thoreau's journals edited by Thoreau's friend and correspondent H.G.O. Blake, who inherited the journals from Thoreau's sister Sophia following her death in 1873. Five-page intro by Blake.
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Summer
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1884 - First edition. Published by Houghton, Mifflin and Co.
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Original green cloth boards with crisp, bright gilt lettering to spine and cover. Early bookplate (John Waern Hill), otherwise unmarked with no foxing. One scuff on spine not affecting text. Two-page map of Concord on facing pages before title page. Publisher's ad in front and 16-page catalogue at rear. VG+ to NF.
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Selections from Thoreau's journals edited by Thoreau's friend and correspondent H.G.O. Blake, who inherited the journals from Thoreau's sister Sophia following her death in 1873. Three-page intro by Blake.
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Winter
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1888 - First edition. Published by Houghton, Mifflin and Co.
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Original green cloth boards with crisp, bright gilt lettering to spine and cover. Bookplate of Arthur Swann. Otherwise unmarked with no foxing. Publisher's ad in front and 14-page catalogue at rear. Front board showing early signs of separation. VG-
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Selections from Thoreau's journals edited by Thoreau's friend and correspondent H.G.O. Blake, who inherited the journals from Thoreau's sister Sophia following her death in 1873. Four-page intro by Blake.
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Autumn
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1892 - First edition. Published by Houghton, Mifflin and Co.
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Original green cloth boards with crisp, bright gilt lettering to spine and cover. Unmarked with no foxing. Publisher's ad in front, no catalogue at rear. VG+ to NF.
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Selections from Thoreau's journals edited by Thoreau's friend and correspondent H.G.O. Blake, who inherited the journals from Thoreau's sister Sophia following her death in 1873. Four-page preface by Blake.
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[See also Krutch's Joseph Wood Krutch's 1948 biography of Thoreau Catalogued under Krutch's name - the copy in the Collection contains Eleanor Roosevelt's bookplate and estate sale tag.]
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