Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Various. HARPER'S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE, VOLS. 1-12. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1850.
Price: US$799.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: This set of the first 12 volumes of the influential Harper's New Monthly Magazine is bound in 3/4 crimson leather, with marbled boards and gilt spine lettering. Vol. 1 is dated 1850; vol. 12 goes through May 1856. Varying wear to these books; most show edgewear, fading of spines or rubbing, some scattered foxing; set is good overall. Volumes V and VI show heaviest fading of leather spines, all others appear deep red, these have gone to lighter brown. Significant literary contributions to these volumes includes the serialization of works by Dickens, such as "Little Dorritt" and "Bleak House," and the first appearance in print of what would become Herman Melville's epic "Moby Dick," here titled "The Town-Ho's Story" in Vol. III. This is the only portion of the story to be published prior to the book issue and the first portion to be published anywhere. Other contents include illustrations on fashion, essays on health and sanitation, travel diaries, political notes and much, much more. Each volume is approx. 800 pages, 7"x9".
Seller: Popeks Used and Rare Books, IOBA, Oneonta, NY, U.S.A.
Harper's Magazine. Harper's Monthly Magazine-First 10 Volumes I-X. Harper 1850-55, New York, 1850.
Price: US$825.00 + shipping
Description: Light rubbing to covers and spines, with a few very small chips missing. Contains many first prints of many of the American Authors of the era, including English Authors like Dickens with their first US Printings of stories. Several Dickens short stories and full length novels including Bleak House. Thackeary's the Newcomes also included as serial in several volumes., First appearance of Moby Dick in Vol. III in theThe Town-Ho's Story published before the book, In past we sold copies of this volume alone for $575.00, We also have volumes XI-LXXIX as a matching set listed in 10 volume groupings. Good-Very good in 1/2 leather and marbled boards, some
Seller: Ken's Book Haven, Coopersburg, PA, U.S.A.
Price: US$1200.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: 19.5 x 13 cm. Crown octavo. viii 463pp [6]. First American edition, first printing with 6 pages of terminal advertisements, mis-signatured "Q*" on page 361, and other points mentioned in BAL. Bound in publisher's brown blind-stamped cloth with gilt spine lettering, 2 white wove fly leaves (BAL calls this the second cloth binding). Scattered foxing throughout. Name on front free endpaper. Chipping and a closed tear to head of spine. BAL 13662.
Seller: Midway Book Store (ABAA), St. Paul, MN, U.S.A.
Melville, Herman. White Jacket; or the World in a Man-Of-War. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1850.
Price: US$2200.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition, first printing. Bound in publisher's brown cloth decorated in blind with spine lettered in gilt. Very Good or better, with fraying to spine ends and wear at corners. Former owner bookplate to front paste down, and light pencil ownership name to a preliminary blank. Sporadic foxing throughout, heaviest at the preliminary and terminal pages. A lovely copy.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Price: US$2800.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, first printing with 6pp. of publisherâs advertisements, brown cloth with Harper and Brothers New York stamped at center. In very good condition, previous ownership inscription, bookplates.
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Melville, Herman. White-Jacket; or The World in a Man-of-War. Harper and Brothers, New York, 1850.
Price: US$2800.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: Octavo, vii, [2], 10-465pp. Finely bound in three-quarter navy blue morocco, blue cloth boards. Five raised bands with gilt embellishments, title in gilt on spine. Thin gilt trim to boards, top edge gilt. Marbled endpapers. Solid text block, light wear to hinges, faint foxing to edges, near fine. Previous ownership inscription in pencil on pages 9 and 241. A first issue, with the quote from "Good Sea Captain" preceding the author's note, the author's note dated "New York March, 1850," signature "Q*" on page 36, and signature "T" not marked on page 433pp. (BAL 13662). Herman Melville (1819-1891) wrote White-Jacket based on his experience as a seaman aboard the frigate USS United States from 1843 to 1844. It is considered Melville's most political work, primarily due to his description of and commentary on flogging as punishment in the navy. The book joined an ongoing legal discussion of the practice, and Melville's detailed narrative in Chapter 33 added to public outrage. The book was released in the United States in March of 1850, and by September 28th an Act was approved by Congress stating: "Provided, That flogging in the navy, and on board vessels of commerce, be, and the same is hereby, abolished from and after the passage of this act." White-Jacket was published one year before Moby Dick, Melville's novel that was initially a commercial failure, but is now considered a vital piece of American literature.
Seller: The First Edition Rare Books, LLC, Cincinnati, OH, U.S.A.
Melville, Herman. White-Jacket. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1850.
Price: US$4750.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First American Edition, First Printing, with the publisher's ads present at the end of the book. A beautiful copy. The book is bound in the ORIGINAL publisher's brown cloth with some repair. The binding is tight with NO cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp with minor wear. The pages have some discoloration and light wear that is expected for a 150 year old book. There is NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. A superb copy housed in a custom clamshell slipcase for preservation. We buy Melville First Editions.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.