Walt Whitman is easily one of the most influential poets and writers in the United States in the 19th Century. The 100 year anniversary of his death brought an increase in his popularity and demand for copies of his books. He is widely regarded as one of the most popular poets in American history.
Whitman's works are readily available across the United States and even first editions of his poems and essays are not too difficult to track down. However, demand for Whitman's early publications are in high demand and can cost a pretty penny. As with all texts the better the condition, the higher the price, but there are a number of limited and very rare editions of his work.
For the serious collectors, consider a first edition of The Leaves of Grass, perhaps Whitman's most famous and celebrated publication, of which only 800 copies were originally published in 1855. Have your credit card ready as such a specimen could cost upwards of $25,000. available for a little bit less at approx $10 000.
Whitman, Walt. United States Magazine. J. and H.G. Langley, New York (1841). and Democratic Review; Engraved frontispiece portrait of Martin Van Buren
Whitman, Walt. Wild Frank's Return. J. and H.G.Langley, New York (1841). The United States Magazine and Democracit Review
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Brooklyn, New York (1855). 800 copies were printed.
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Thayer and Eldridge, Boston (1860). 1000 copies printed, adding 122 new poems, including Starting from Paumanok and Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking, and two new sections, Calamus and Children of Adam.
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Thayer and Eldridge, Boston (1861).
Whitman, Walt. Drum Taps. New York (1865). famous poems, including O Captain! My Captain! and When Lilacs Last in the Door-Yard Bloom'd, 1000 copies.
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. William E. Chapin, New York (1867). Although Drum-taps and the Sequel to Dru p-taps were printed separately in 1865 and 1865-1866, few, if any, copies of the separately printed Drum-taps are to be found. Songs before parting appear in Leaves of grass for the first time
Whitman, Walt. Poems. John Camden Hotten, London (1868). Selected and Edited By William Michael Rossetti; 1500 copies.
Whitman, Walt. After All, Not to Create Only. Roberts Brothers, Boston (1871). Recited By Walt Whitman on Invitation of Managers American Institute, on Opening Their 40th Annual Exhibition, New York, Noon; 2000 copies including 300 were bound in cloth cover.
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of grass. Camden, New Jersey (1876). Two rivulets and photograph signed; 2 volumes; book contains Two Rivulets, Democratic Vistas, Centennial Songs, As a Strong Bird on Pinions Free, Memoranda During the War and Passage to India.Roden Noel; bound by Zaehndorf; engraved by Samuel Hollyer; 600 copies.
Whitman, Walt. Two Rivulets. Camden, New Jersey (1876). Including Democratic Vistas, Centennial Songs, and Passage To India; 650 copies.
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. James R. Osgood and Company, Boston (1881).
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. David Bogue, London (1881).
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Rees Welsh and Co, Philadelphia (1882). 100 copies.
Whitman, Walt. Specimen Days and Collect. David McKay, Philadelphia (1882).
Whitman, Walt. Specimen Days. Rees Welsh and Co, Philadelphia (1882).
Whitman, Walt. Specimen Days And Collect. Rees Welsh and Co, Philadelphia (1883).
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. David McKay, Philadelphia (1884). Engraving of Whitman following page 28
Whitman, Walt. Complete Poems and Prose. Ferguson Bros, Philadelphia (1888). 1855-1888; Authenticated and Personal Book (Handled by W.W.); Portraits from Life; Autograph; 600 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. David McKay, Philadelphia (1888). The engraving of a young Whitman by Samuel Hollyer from a lost daguerreotype by Gabriel Harrison at page 28; From the 1881 plates, precedes the Deathbed edition
Whitman, Walt. November Boughs. David McKay, Philadelphia (1888). Thsi copy has m lee (for melee) at p6:32 and in the last at p.11:3; 400 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Ferguson Bros. and Co., Philadelphia (1889). With Sands at Seventy and A Backward Glance O'er Travel'd Roads; 300 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Good-Bye My Fancy. David McKay, Philadelphia, PA (1891). 2nd Annex to Leaves of Grass; 31 poems of the Good Bye My Fancy section, 8 short prose pieces [An Old Man's Rejoinder, Old Poets, Ship Ahoy!, For Queen Victoria's Birthday, American National Literature, Gathering the Corn, A death Bequest] and two other collections of very short pieces: Some Laggards Yet (11 pieces) and Memoranda (17 pieces).
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. David McKay, Publisher, Philadelphia (1891). Including Sands at Seventy.1st Annex, Goodbye My Fancy.2nd Annex, A Backward Glance O'er Travel'd Roads, and Portrait from Life; 50 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Autobiographia. Charles L. Webster and Co, New York (1892). or the Story of a Life; edited by Arthur Stedman
Whitman, Walt. Complete prose works. David McKay, Philadelphia, Philadelphia (1892).
Whitman, Walt. LEAVES OF GRASS. David McKay, Philadelphia (1892). Including Sands at Seventy, Good Bye My Fancy, a Backward Glance O'er Travel'd Roads and a Portrait from Life
Whitman, Walt. Calamus. Laurens Maynard, Boston (1897). A Series of Letters Written During the Years 1868-1880 By Walt Whitman to a Young Friend (Peter Doyle); Edited with an Introduction by Richard Maurice Bucke, M. D. One of Whitman?s Literary Executors.
Whitman, Walt. Complete Prose Works. Small Maynard and Co., Boston (1898). Specimen Days And Collect, November Boughs And Good Bye My Fancy [Traubel Copy]; with frontispiece portrait and five plates, including facsimile manuscript
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. David McKay, Philadelphia (1900). Including a Fac-simile autobiography, variorum readings of the poems and a department of gathered leaves; Frontispiece portrait with facsimile inscription by Whitman
Whitman, Walt. Complete Writings. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London (1902). Issued under the editorial supervision of his literary executors, Richard Maurice Bucke, Thomas B. Harned and Horace L. Traubel with additional bibliographical and critical material prepared by Oscar Lovell Triggs; 10 volumes; 500 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Criticism. Cartaret Book Club, Newark (1913). An Essay; 100 copies.
Whitman, Walt. Ode ? la France. F. Bernouard, Paris (1917).
Whitman, Walt. Calamus. (Kundig, f?r) Editions du Sablier, Gen?ve (1919). Po?mes; Version nouvelle de L?on Bazalgette, avec 10 bois hors-texte dessin?s et grav?s par Frans Masereel; 650 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Thomas Bird Mosher, Portland, Maine (1919). 1855: Facsimile Edition; 100 copies printed; 50 copies on japan vellum
Whitman, Walt. Six po?mes. Les ?ditions du relieur A. J. Gonon, Paris (1919). Version nouvelle de L?on Bazalgette. Compositions ornementales par Jean Lur?at; 115 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. The sleepers. A la belle edition, Paris (1919). 250 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. The sleepers. F. Bernouard, Paris (1919). Illustr? d'un frontispice et de nombreuses grandes vignettes grav?s sur bois, de Marcel Gaillard
Whitman, Walt. Feuilles d'herbe. Mercure de France, Paris (1922). 2 volumes; 110 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Short Stories. Colubia University Press, New York (1927). edited by Thomas Ollive Mabbott with Illustrations by Allen Lewis; 155 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Eighteenth Presidency!. Tambour, Paris (1928). Voice of Walt Whitman to Each Young Man in the Nation, North, South, East and West; Introduction By Adrienne Monnier
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Limited Editions Club (1929). Illustrated with the photogravure portrait of Whitman taken in 1876 by Frank Pearsall as frontispiece; 1500 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Random House/Grabhorn Press, New York (1930). Comprising All the Poems Written By Walt Whitman Following the Arrangement; 400 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Salut au Monde. Random House, New York (1930). Illustrated with Linoleum cuts, printed in 3 colors by Vojtech Preissig; 390 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. (1935). Democratic Vistas
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Heritage Press, New York (1936). artist Rockwell Kent.
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Heritage Press / Nonesuch Press, New York / London (1936). Music By James H. Rogers; 1000 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. New York Dissected. Rufus Rockwell Wilson, New York (1936). A SHEAF OF RECENTLY DISCOVERED NEWSPAPER ARTICLES;Introduction and notes by Emory Holloway and Ralph Adimari; 750 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Doubleday, New York (1940). Selected and with an introduction by Christopher Morley; Illustrated by Lewis C. Daniel with nicely printed full-page plates, many in color
Whitman, Walt. LEAVES OF GRASS. Peter Pauper Press, Mount Vernon, New York (1945). llustrated with fifteen wood engravings by Boyd Hanna, which were printed directly from the block; 1100 copies printed.
Whitman,Walt. Whitman. JOHN VICTOR, WA (1948). His Immortal Leaves; Shawn,Ted; 350 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Walt Whitman's Blue Book. New York Public Library, New York (1968). Two Volume Set; The 1860-61 Leaves of Grass Manuscript Additions and Revisions; Volume I: Facsimile of the unique copy in the Oscar Lion Collection of the New York Public Library. Volume II: Textual Analysis by Arthur Golden.
Whitman, Walt. Hojas de hierba. Jussrez, Buenos Aires (1969). Traducci?n de Jorge Luis Borges; 2000 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Correspondence of Walt Whitman Volume VI. New York University Press (1977). A Supplement with a Composite Index
Whitman, Walt. Daybooks and Notebooks. New York University Press, New York (1978). 3 volume set; Editor-William White
Whitman, Walt. Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking. Labyrinth Editions, Torrance, California (1978). 65 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. SONG OF THE OPEN ROAD. Limited Edition Club, New York (1990). With photogravures by Aaron Siskind; 550 copies printed.
Whitman, Walt. Wrenching Times. Gwasg Gregynog, Newtown, Powys (1991). Poems from Drum-Taps; Illustrated with 8 full-page color wood engravings by Gaylord Schanilec Edited by M. Wynn Thomas; Designed by David Esslemont; 450 copies printed.