Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$140.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: (13) PAGES WITH TWO LOOSE INISERTS. THIS IS AN UNCOMMON PROSPECTUS ADVERTISING BROCHURE BOOKLET FOR FOUR CLASSIC AMERICAN BOOKS. THE BOOKLET IS COVERED BY A STIFF PAPER GRAY JACKET WITH A PRINTED PAPER LABEL, THE BOOKLET IS STRING BOUND. THE FOUR BOOKS THAT ARE ADVERTISED INCLUDE "MOBY DICK." BY HERMAN MELVILLE THAT INCLUDES A TIPPED IN 8 3/8" X 11 1/2" PAGE WITH A B/W ENGRAVING OF CAPTAIN AHAB ON THE DECK OF HIS WHALING SHIP. TWO OTHER ENGRAVINGS BY ROCKWELL KENT ARE INCLUDED. THE SECOND BOOK IS "TALES" BY EDGAR ALLEN POE WITH AN ORNATE ILLUSTRATION OF THE TITLE PAGE BY WILLIAQM A. DWIGGINS. THE THIRD BOOK IS "TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. A PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF LIFE AT SEA" BY RICHARD HENRY DANA Jr. THE TIPPED IN PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE THE TITLE PAGE AND A MAP OF THE VOYAGE AROUND THE CAPE OF HORN AT THE SOUTHERN TIP OF SOUTH AMERICA, THE FOURTH BOOK IS "WALDEN OR LIFE IN THE WOODS" BY HENRY DAVID THOREAU THAT IS ILLUSTRATED BY RUDOLPH RUZICKA. A BEAUTIFUL ENGRAVING OF A MAN SITTING IN THE WOODS UNDER A TREE, IS TIPPED INTO THE BROCHURE. THERE ARE TWO LOOSE INSERTS, AN ORDER FORM AND A LAKESIDE PRESS NOTICE THAT THERE WILL BE NO TRADE DISCOUNTS ON THE BOOKS. THE ADVERTISING BROCHURE PORTRAYS THE QUALITY OF THE RAG PAPER AND PRINTING PROCESS FOR THE LIMITED EDITION BOOKS OF 1000 COPIES ALONG WITH THEIR PRICES RANGING FRO $15.00 TO $52.00. BY THE LAKESIDE PRESS OF R. R. DONNELLEY AND SONS OF CHICAGO, IL. ) PAGE Size: 8 3/4" x 12"
Seller: Aah Rare Chicago, Glenview, IL, U.S.A.
Price: US$140.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 9 x 12 in. Paper wraps with string tie, paper label. Text includes a plate from Moby Dick and tipped-in plates from others. Included are two original sheets, one a smaller announcement card, the other a list of the books for ordreing. Condition is VERY GOOD+ ; gray paper wraps are extremely clean with a bit of sunning at edges, minimal wear. Small closed tear to spine head. Binding tight. Text spotless. Books on books. RGR.
Seller: Andre Strong Bookseller, Blue Hill, ME, U.S.A.
Price: US$150.00 + shipping
Condition: Poor
Description: The first trade edition of the verions illustrated by Rockwell Kent and following the Lakeside Press edition. A well loved copy of this much coveted edition in black pictorial cloth with silver foil to type and illustrations on cover and spine. Frayed/rubbed through at spine ends and corners with some fabric loss, rounding at corners, and tear to rear spine crease as well. Scuffing and pigment loss to illustrations and type on covers and some marks/spots. Page ends and endpapers tanned with long gift inscription to ffep and some spots/smudges to endpapers with some moisture staining to front edges of rear endpapers. Text block fairly clean with some creasing to previously folded corners and a few stray spots/marks. Page follwing ffep torn out at base with small portion of mull showing, but binding remarkably solid. In brand new high quality facsimile jacket. 1st Printing
Seller: Lost Paddle Books, IOBA, Albany, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$175.00 + shipping
Description: Softcover brochure in very good condition. Measures 8 1/2 x 12 inches. A prospectus for four major illustrated works from the Lakeside Press including the Rockwell Kent edition of MOBY-DICK. Reproduces a full-page illustration of Captain Ahab by Kent along with pp. 140-141 which each have illustrations as well as text. The other books in the prospectus are Edgar Allan Poe's TALES with Dwiggins illustrations; Dana's TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST with Wilson illustrations; and Thoreau's WALDEN with the Ruzicka illustrations.
Seller: Kubik Fine Books Ltd., ABAA, Dayton, OH, U.S.A.
Price: US$220.00 + shipping
Description: Octavo. xxxi, [1], 822, [6] pp., illus. As issued, in publisher's black cloth, lacking dust jacket. Binding rubbed and hinges a trifle loose; nevertheless, it presents fairly well. Contemporary gift inscription on the front free endpaper dated 1936, otherwise, internally clean. Three asterisks stamped beneath the imprint on the title page--a stamp seen on other, but not all copies of the Cassell edition, nevertheless likely from the publisher. This appears to be the first English edition, though the binding does not have the title stamped in gilt on the front cover as seen in other examples. Tanselle, in his A Checklist of Editions of Moby-Dick, 1851-1976, writes of the first, quarto edition of Kent's work: "The most elaborate physical presentation which had been accorded to Moby-Dick up to this time, and one of the finest examples of bookmaking to found among all the editions of his work. Kent's illustrations are now perhaps the best-known illustrations for Moby-Dick and are certainly among the most effective" (from Tanselle, No. 17). And indeed, Kent's illustration is singular and captured in this present Cassell edition (Tanselle, No. 18a) which was printed by the Lakeside Press, after a second or trade edition in a reduced-size, one-volume format (as here) was printed for Random House.
Seller: Michael Pyron, Bookseller, ABAA, Conshohocken, PA, U.S.A.
Kent, Rockwell (1882-1971). N by E.. Brewer & Warren, New York, 1930.
Price: US$345.00 + shipping
Description: Rockwell Kent had just finished illustrating his famous edition of Moby Dick for the Lakeside Press when he set out on a voyage to Greenland with a couple of friends. The were shipwrecked, but that didn't stop the adventure. This is that story, superbly written and stunningly illustrated as only Kent could. Printed by William A. Kittredge at the Lakeside Press. Another lovely piece of book design. Uncommon first edition in jacket, damned scarce in this condition. Very good in a very good dust jacket. Bound in coarse off-white cloth over boards with dark blue titles and ornaments to spin and upper board, dark blue topstain. scattered faint brown spotting to boards, rear endpaper browned along gutter, front. Jacket has some minor extremity wear, touch of fading to spine, shallow chips at spine ends and fore corner tips, and some slight surface wear. A beautiful copy overall. Hardcover. Octavo. xii, 281 pages
Seller: Back Creek Books LLC, ABAA/ILAB, Annapolis, MD, U.S.A.
Price: US$400.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 1930 Rockwell Kent illustrated Random House issue printed at the Lakeside Press. Short gift note to flyleaf and missing the jacket. Otherwise tight and unmarked in decorated boards. Please email for photos. Larger books or sets may require additional shipping charges. Books sent via US Postal
Seller: Griffin Books, Stamford, CT, U.S.A.
Price: US$450.00 + shipping
Description: Tipped in are the title pages of three of the books and Kent's illustration of Ahab on deck. Folio, publisher's wrappers with printed paper label on front panel. First edition. Very light foxing at the margins of the Ahab illustration; wrappers tanned with some light use. Order form and flyer announcing "no discount whatsoever will be allowed on these books" laid in.
Seller: Jeffrey H. Marks, Rare Books, ABAA, Rochester, NY, U.S.A.
[Kittredge, William]; Kent, Rockwell. N by E.. Random House, New York, 1930.
Price: US$850.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition, signed limited issue. A stunning presentation copy, inscribed by Rockwell Kent to William Kittredge, the director of design and typography at The Lakeside Press. Kittredge commissioned Kent to design and illustrate the iconic three-volume aluminum slip-cased 1930 Lakeside Press edition of Moby Dick, which was hailed as a triumph of Machine Age book design. Kittredge's bookplate (rather well designed, of course) on front paste down, and his business card laid in, chipped at one corner. First edition. Number 560 of a limited 900 copies signed by Kent at rear. Bound in publisher's light blue cloth with elaborate silver stamping to front cover and spine, in blue paper covered slip case with matching limitation number on title label on spine. Near Fine with light fading to spine and light general wear to slipcase.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
MELVILLE, HERMAN. MOBY DICK : Or, The Whale. Random House, New York, USA, 1930.
Price: US$850.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First trade edition with the Rockwell Kent illustrations. Preceded by a scarce 3 volume limited edition published by the Lakeside Press, Chicago with the same 280 illustrations. A previous owner's gift inscription to front free end paper, small spots of soil to bottom page edges and a trace of rubbing to silver decorations are the only faults. Book has none of the usual rubbing to rails and no fraying or tears to spine ends as is common with this binding! Overall ,with faults mentioned, a NEAR FINE crisp, tightly bound volume. Enclosed in a NEW custom cloth covered slipcase ( 1/10) decorated with a supplied vintage original postcard "Man At Mast" by Rockwell Kent contemporary to this edition, inlaid and outlined in silver ; silver lettering. While unstated, the subject matter, the illustration and the date suggests to me that this illustration may have been created by Kent for the Lakeside and subsequent Random House editions, but was rejected by the publishers. However, that is pure speculation.It does make a beautiful and appropriate addition to the slipcase. 8 of 10 of these special cases have been sold with a book or to house a collector's copy. Only 10 have been constructed by our binder. A wonderful gift for the Melville or Kent enthusiast.
Seller: THE USUAL SUSPECTS (IOBA), St. Catharines, ON, Canada
Price: US$1122.34 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: FIRST TRADE ROCKWELL KENT EDITION. 8vo. (7.4 x 5.8 inches). Illustrated by Rockwell Kent with woodcuts throughout the text, with full-page plates, chapter head- and tailpieces, other smaller cuts in the text. Finely bound in recent full black morocco, spine with five raised bands. Red title label. The compartments ruled, decorated and lettered in gilt. Single ruled gilt border on boards. Top edge gilt. Published in the same year by the Lakeside Press of Chicago in a large format, three-volume, limited edition, this trade edition proved immensely popular. It has been credited with contributing greatly to the rediscovery of Moby Dick as a classic. A fine copy.
Seller: Paul Foster. - ABA & PBFA Member., London, United Kingdom
Herman Melville. Moby Dick Volume II Only. The Lakeside Press, Chicago, 1930.
Price: US$1250.00 + shipping
Description: Limited edition, one of only 1,000 copies. Volume Two only. Measures approximately 12" x 8.75", with 279 numbered pages. This volume is in very good condition. Moderate sun-fading to the spine. Moderate surface wear to the boards. Textblock is bright and well preserved. "Moby Dick or The Whale" by Herman Melville is told through the narrative of Ishmael a sailor on board a whaling ship whose captain is seeking vengeance against Moby Dick, the giant sperm whale who crippled him on the ship's previous voyage. This book was a commercial failure and out of print at the time of the authors death in 1891. Its reputation as a "Great American Novel" was established in the 20th century after the 1919 centennial of the author's birth. Please view the many other rare titles available for purchase at our store. We are always interested in purchasing individual or collections of fine books. Inventory #(N9-124).
Seller: Ernestoic Books, Clarence, NY, U.S.A.
Herman Melville. Moby Dick Volume I Only. The Lakeside Press, Chicago, 1930.
Price: US$1250.00 + shipping
Description: Limited edition, one of only 1,000 copies. Volume One only. Measures approximately 12" x 8.75", with 279 numbered pages. This volume is in very good condition. Moderate sun-fading to the spine. Moderate surface wear to the boards. Textblock is bright and well preserved. "Moby Dick or The Whale" by Herman Melville is told through the narrative of Ishmael a sailor on board a whaling ship whose captain is seeking vengeance against Moby Dick, the giant sperm whale who crippled him on the ship's previous voyage. This book was a commercial failure and out of print at the time of the authors death in 1891. Its reputation as a "Great American Novel" was established in the 20th century after the 1919 centennial of the author's birth. Please view the many other rare titles available for purchase at our store. We are always interested in purchasing individual or collections of fine books. Inventory #(N9-39).
Seller: Ernestoic Books, Clarence, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$1410.94 + shipping
Description: First edition with these illustrations. Trade issue. Beautifully bound by Stephen Conway in full black leather with titles in gilt to the upper board and spine. Hand sewn endbands. All edges gilt. Original publisher's cloth bound in at the rear. With 272 woodcut illustrations throughout the text by Rockwell Kent. A fine copy, the binding square and firm, the contents clean and bright throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. First produced as a three volume limited Lakeside Press edition of 1,000 copies before being published as a one volume trade edition by Random House, Rockwell's stark, dramatic visual take on Moby Dick brought the (then relatively obscure) classic American novel firmly into the 20th century and quickly reinvigorated interest in Melville's work; the Rockwell edition is even now often hailed as the definitive Moby Dick. Further details and images for any of the items listed are available on request. Lucius Books welcomes direct contact with our customers.
Seller: LUCIUS BOOKS (ABA, ILAB, PBFA), York, United Kingdom
Melville, Herman. Moby Dick, or, The Whale. Random House, New York, 1930.
Price: US$1785.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Small Octavo. It was this Rockwell Kent edition which put Moby Dick in the consciousness of America and the world. The reputation of what is arguably the greatest American novel was not established until the printing of this edition, published by Random House in 1930, 80 years after Melville began writing it. Melville began work on Moby Dick in 1850 and the work was published in 1851 to mixed reviews. Only 500 copies were printed in Britain and 2,915 in America. Neither sold out and three years later 1st Edition copies were still available. And thus, Moby Dick was relegated to the dust bin of obscurity. Enter ROCKWELL KENT, one of the most sought-after illustrators of the first half of the 20th century, with a world-wide following. Kent's illustrations were reprinted with permission from the Lakeside Press, which had just produced its own three-volume edition of the seminal classic. Kent's 280 woodcut Art Deco illustrations, coupled with a superb production by Random House, helped create THE consummate edition of Moby Dick and launched Melville's novel to iconic status. xxxi, [1], 822, [1] [Epilogue, Colophon] [2] pp. Very Good in a Very Good- dust jacket. Bound in black cloth over boards with titles and lavish illustration stamped in silver on front and spine. Square tight binding. Clean interior. Spine lightly rubbed, affecting some of the silver. The notoriously fragile dust jacket in nicer condition than many, with moderate edge wear, age toning and rubbing to spine. Both flaps with some closed separation at the folds, the longer at the front fore edge, extend about 3/4 of the length. Presents handsomely in archival mylar. A lovely and quite desirable copy of one of the greatest literary editions published in the 20th century.
Seller: Vintage Books and Fine Art, Oxford, MD, U.S.A.
Kent, Rockwell. Spirit Spout" Print from Moby Dick. R.R. Donnelley & Sons Chicago 1930, 1930.
Price: US$1950.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: A possibly unique inscribed print by Rockwell Kent titled the "The Spirit Spout.Ó Image size is 7 7/8" x 5 1/2".Sheet size is 10" x 7.5". An illustration for the famous Lakeside Press (Chicago) version of Melville's Moby Dick (1930). The print is signed in pencil by the artist on the front lower right, "Rockwell Kent," and is inscribed "To Mary Sahula - from her friend." Writing on the back of the frame says this is a woodblock print. This is a mistake, rather it is a print made from Kent's original pen and ink drawing. The writing also says it is from an edition of 90, but the is also incorrect. No such issue is mentioned in Dan Burne Jones' Catalogue. More likely it is one of the very small number of proof prints Kent received from the Lakeside Press. Mary Sahula was the sister of Chicago / Detroit artist, Ignate Sahula-Dyck, who inherited the print from Mary. Ignate Sahula-Dycke's mother descended from the Flemish painter van Dyck. CONDITION: Image is bright. Toning from mat. Otherwise in fine condition.
Seller: Different Drummer Books, Niantic, CT, U.S.A.
Melville, Herman; Kent, Rockwell. MOBY DICK. Random House, New York, 1930.
Price: US$2000.00 + shipping
Description: First printing of the Rockwell-Kent illustrated trade edition, with Melville's name omitted from the front cover in lieu of Kent's, a work that many consider Kent's masterpiece. A fine balance of philosophy and comedy like DON QUIXOTE but with epic Miltonic undertones, MOBY DICK was not only Melville's most ambitious work to date, but became one of his biggest flops. By his death in 1891, the book was out of print, and would have to wait until the 1920s for a critical resurrection, one solidified in no small part by this edition, beautifully illustrated by Rockwell Kent. Approached in 1926 by R.R. Donnelly to illustrate a classic of American literature for his Lakeside Press, Kent (very much in need of money) gladly accepted the commission, but eschewed more obvious choices in favor of the still relatively unpopular MOBY DICK. It proved to be an astute choice. Kent's art deco-influenced images perfectly captured Melville's tone and the Lakeside edition promptly sold out. Random House then quickly brought out this trade edition which also proved enormously popular and helped cement both the book's reputation and popularity. An uncommonly nice example of arguably the best known edition of this American classic. 7" x 5.25" Original black cloth, stamped in silver with Kent-designed titles and art. In matching original dust jacket. xxxi, [1], 822, [6]pp, with 275 reproductions of Kent's illustrations. Book bright and clean, with gilt strong and just touches of shelfwear. Contemporary bookseller label to rear pastedown. Jacket lightly worn with spine toned and some tape reinforcement mostly to underside. Still, better than usually seen and presents well. Overall, sound and clean.
Seller: Type Punch Matrix, Silver Spring, MD, U.S.A.
Price: US$2300.00 + shipping
Description: The first trade edition of what is widely regarded as the definitive edition of Moby Dick. Indeed, if not for this particular edition it is likely no one would know this book today. Melville's great novel was not well received when published in 1851, and it (and he) languished in relative obscurity through the rest of the 19th century. Rockwell Kent was a superstar in the late 1920s world of fine illustrated editions. He produced these nearly 300 illustrations for a lavish edition that was printed in three volumes by The Lakeside Press in 1930. His inspiration came from his immersion in Melville's text as he worked over a period of years. The result was the closest thing to a Kent-Melville collaboration as was possible. Random House got permission to reprint Lakeside's Kent-illustrated edition, and this handsome single volume trade edition was the result. Kent's illustrations had generated a lot of attention, so this was a coup for the trade publisher. Their eagerness to reprint Kent's designs led to an embarrassing blunder, however, as Random House chief Bennett Cerf recalled: "We were so excited about it, we forgot to put Herman Melville's name on the cover, so our edition of Moby Dick, to the vast amusement of everybody (The New Yorker spotted it), said only: 'Moby Dick, illustrated by Rockwell Kent.'" (Cerf. At Random, p. 72). The accidental slight to Herman aside, Random House and Kent did a great job on this trade edition. Not only was Kent was a a brilliant illustrator, he was also a master at integrated design of the whole book. Everything about this edition is pleasing, from the superbly reproduced illustrations and the simple typography, to its agreeable heft and perfect fit in the hands. Its slight chunkiness even subtly evokes its subject. In short, this a great book in every sense--literarily, visually, and tactually. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Bound in black cloth over boards with titles and illustration stamped in silver on spine and upper board. Some shallow bumps at spine ends. Jacket has a bit of chipping at spine ends. Overall a much better copy than normally found. Hardcover. Duodecimo. xxxii, 825 pages
Seller: Back Creek Books LLC, ABAA/ILAB, Annapolis, MD, U.S.A.
Price: US$3750.00 + shipping
Description: Thick octavo (18.5cm); black cloth, with titling and decorations stamped in silver on spine and front cover; dustjacket; xxxii,822,[8]pp; illus. Tipped onto the front endpaper is a drypoint illustration of a whaling ship at sea (measuring 5.25" x 6 6/8"), signed "Albert V. Sielke 30" in plate, and "A.V. Sielke 30" in pencil directly below. Base of spine gently nudged, else a fresh, Fine copy, with the decorative elements entirely unrubbed. Dustjacket shows some trivial wear, three tiny tears, and minute loss to upper corner tips, else a bright, fresh, copy, without toning or loss of color; Near Fine. First trade edition of Melville's novel illustrated by Rockwell Kent, following the three-volume Lakeside Press edition published the same year. One of the most iconic illustrated books of the 20th century, and a highpoint of Art Deco design and typography. A superior copy of a book that is almost always found well-worn. Tanselle, A Checklist of Editions of Moby Dick (1922-1951), No.18.
Seller: Captain Ahab's Rare Books, ABAA, Stephenson, VA, U.S.A.
Herman Melville, illus. Rockwell Kent. Moby Dick. Lakeside Press, Chicago, 1930.
Price: US$3848.02 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: Easily the most beautiful edition of Melvilles masterpiece, the great work of American literature that is Moby Dick. This, however, is also one of the best examples of illustration of the 20th century, full with Rockwell Kents masterful and stylish Art Deco images in black and white. Published in 1930 by Lakeside Press, Chicago, this is the luxury limited edition (1,000 copies) produced in three large, hardback volumes. The condition is very good, aside from a slight water damage to the second and third volumes (several leaves are slightly damp-stained at the upper corner or margin). The damp-stained pages are in vol. II: 70-103 (margin, very slightly), 179-246 (upper corner), 255-270 (upper corner, very slightly); and in vol. III: 1-8 (upper corner, very slightly), 21-52 (upper corner), 129-212 (upper corner), 223-282 (upper corner). More images are available upon request.
Seller: CASSIUS&Co., London, United Kingdom
Melville, Herman; Kent, Rockwell [Illustrations]. Moby Dick. The Lakeside Press, New York, 1930.
Price: US$18500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition thus, limited to 1,000 copies. Three volumes in publisher's acetate jackets, in aluminum slipcase. Presentation copy signed by Rockwell Kent on the front free end paper of Volume I, "Inscribed with affectionate friendship to Putzie - Rockwell Kent, 1950." Volumes II and III bear Rockwell Kent-illustrated bookplates of Marie Luise Hinrichs. Near Fine. Narrow strips of sunning to spine cloth at ends, light rubbing to cloth at extremities and light abrasions to black topstains. Pages toned and with offsetting from illustrations. Acetate wrappers are wrinkled and shrunken with age, as is typical, and show a bit of chipping and edge wear, with some separation starting between the acetate and a paper flap on both volumes II and III; acetate on volume II with light staining. Aluminum slipcase is lightly worn, bumped at top and bottom edge. A stunning presentation copy, inscribed by Kent, and with bookplates designed by him as well.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.