Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$12500.00 + shipping
Description: Limited edition. Signed by Walt Whitman on the title page of Leaves of Grass. Additionally inscribed by Whitman's literary executor, Horace Traubell, on front free endpaper to a Philadelphia doctor, "To Norton Downs from Horace Traubell / April 1893 / In memory of Walt Whitman and gratefulness for services to him + to me." [ii], 382, 374, 140, 2 pp. With three inserted portrait plates + portrait on photo-pictorial title-page. Bound in publisher's original half green cloth and marbled sides, paper spine label (Myerson and BAL's A bindings with priority assumed). Most copies had a handwritten limitation statement by Traubell on the verso of the leaf containing the "Note at Beginning," but a few copies of the A binding did not; this is one of the ones that did not. According to Myerson it was therefore sent out before February 14, 1889, earlier than others. Presented in custom blue cloth-covered clamshell box with morocco lettering piece on spine. Very Good with two small chips to spine label, rubbing and light wear; front hinge cracked, mild toning to contents.Many pages unopened, as issued. The definitive edition of Whitman's work issued in his lifetime, published just three years before his death. It is comprised of printings of slightly altered plates of the Philadelphia, 1882, edition of Leaves of Grass; the Glasgow, 1883 edition of Specimen Days & Collect; and the 1888 second printing of November Boughs; plus, the first printings of the 1-page "Note at Beginning" and the 2-page "Note at End." Myerson A 2.7m. BAL 21431.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
WHITMAN, Walt. Complete Poems & Prose of Walt Whitman. , 1888.
Price: US$13750.00 + shipping
Description: WHITMAN, Walt. Complete Poems & Prose of Walt Whitman. Later 3/4 cloth and marbled boards, printed paper spine label. [Philadelphia: Ferguson Brothers & Co., 1888]. First edition. BAL 21431. One of 600 numbered copies. Presentation inscription on flyleaf, "Agnes Traubel from her friend the aut. & her brother Horace March 28 1889." Horace Traubel was Whitman's good friend, executor, and author of the 9-volume biography, Walt Whitman in Camden. A near fine copy of a wonderful association item housed in a custom 1/4-morocco slipcase.
Seller: G.S. MacManus Co., ABAA, Bryn Mawr, PA, U.S.A.
WHITMAN Walt. Complete Poems and Prose. , 1888.
Price: US$14500.00 + shipping
Description: "WHITMAN, Walt. Complete Poems and Prose. (Camden: no publisher [printed for the author in Philadelphia by Ferguson Brothers], 1888). Quarto, original three-quarter green cloth, original brown mottled paper boards, original paper spine label, uncut. Housed in a custom clamshell box. $14,500.First edition of the first collected edition of Whitman's works, one of only 600 copies signed by Whitman on the Leaves of Grass title page, in original cloth, presentation copy from Whitman's literary executor inscribed on the front free endpaper six months after Whitman's death, "To G. Garson Freund, Philada. Oct. 11, 1892. through Horace Traubel."Published only four years before the poet's death, this edition was referred to by Whitman as his "big book essentially the book, irrespective of expensive binding: it has portraits, notes, title pageall the guarantees of my personality: it is as clearly the book as anything could make it." Whitman also called it his "pet edition" going "straight from my hands into the hands of the reader: from my heart to your heart " Issued for Whitman by the publisher, with four portraits of the author, including a photographic title page. Contains Leaves of Grass, Specimen Days and Collect, and November Boughs. Binding A, priority assumed. Without a hand-written limitation number by Traubel on the leaf opposite the Leaves of Grass title page, as is sometimes the case in copies in this binding. Myerson A2.7m. BAL 21431 (binding A). Wells & Goldsmith, 31-32. Bookplate of the recipient. In addition to being a close friend of Whitman, Horace Traubel, who presented this copy, served as his literary executor and biographer; he is considered one of the leading forces in insuring Whitman's stature as a great American poet.Interior generally fine, text block and inner paper hinges expertly reinforced, light wear to extremities of original binding. An extremely good copy."
Seller: Bauman Rare Books, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
Price: US$27500.00 + shipping
Description: Extremely scarce, highly important Author's Edition of the landmark Whitman magnum opus in its original binding. A fine, tight copy. A superb investment. Number 37 of only 600 copies signed by Walt Whitman. .
Seller: Mystery Pier Books, Inc.,ABAA, ILAB, ABA, West Hollywood, CA, U.S.A.