Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$200.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Very good, in three quarter forest green morocco. 307 pages, "grove" on page 101, all other third printing points present. Page 163 misnumbered as 463. Foxing throughout, major on some pages, but contents still fully legible. Binding worn, but volume still square and fully intact.
Seller: James Graham, Bookseller, ABAA, Palm Desert, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$325.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: John Murray, London, 1846 "Narrative of a Four Months Residence of the Natives of a Valley of The Marquesas Islands or A Peep at Polynesian Life" by Herman Melville. First edition, second issue of author's first book with p. 19 line 1 reading 'Pomare'. 285 pp. With map on p. xvii. Lacks half-title and ads. Custom leather binding with gilt lettering and marbled end-sheets. Measures 7.325 in. x 5 in. x 1 in. -- Melville's first book, preceding the American edition, titled TYPEE, of the same year. Largely based upon the author's experience living in the Marquesas after he deserted from the whaler Acushnet in 1842.
Seller: Rare Books Honolulu, Honolulu, HI, U.S.A.
Price: US$350.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 301pp. octavo half leather bound, tight binding. Marbled boards lightly worn, corners starting to bump, blind stamped on front board. Interior clean throughout.
Seller: COLLINS BOOKS, Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
Price: US$400.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: first edition second issue, octavo, xvi, map, [1] – 285 pp., bound in later 19th century ½ calf and cloth boards, black leather spine label, some wear and scuffing to extremities of binding, Glasgow bookseller’s label on front pastedown, later ownership signature, some light foxing to front and rear endpapers, else a good copy. BAL 13652, p. 19, line 1: Pomare The works of Herman Melville are among the classics of the South Seas. This was Melville's first work and was published simultaneously in New York and London--one of the first books so issued. John Murray was the first to recognize Melville and obtained the prior rights of publication. Not only was this English edition of, what is now better known as, Typee, issued earlier than the American, it contains passages deleted from the latter “to meet American squeamishness.”---Wilson.
Seller: Michael Brown, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
Price: US$750.00 + shipping
Description: Revised edition, third printing, mixed state (p. 101, l. 3 from bottom reading "grove" as in fourth printing). Map. pp. xiv, 149, [1]; [4], [151]-307, [1, blank] pp., + 9 pp. ads paged [xv]-xxiii. 8vo. The revised edition of Melville's first book, with the sequel "The Story of Toby" on pp. 293-307. Issued as part I in Wiley & Putnam's "Library of American Books". BAL 13654 Publisher's blue cloth. Spine faded and worn at ends, foxing to endleaves Map. pp. xiv, 149, [1]; [4], [151]-307, [1, blank] pp., + 9 pp. ads paged [xv]-xxiii. 8vo Revised edition, third printing, mixed state (p. 101, l. 3 from bottom reading "grove" as in fourth printing).
Seller: James Cummins Bookseller, ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$788.00 + shipping
Description: small 8vo [18 x 12.5 cm]; xvi, 285 pp, map frontis. bound in modern quarter tan morocco leather, gilt rules on spine, gilt title lettering on black leather label, marbled boards, signature on half-title and on verso map, near fine, attractive copy. BAL 13652, the first state. Day 51 (Pacific Islands Literature, 100 Basic Books) states that the first edition was issued first in London, and later issued in New York, entitled 'Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life', with some passages omitted. This is the first of Melville's books, and with the exception of Moby Dick, is the most widely read. 'Melville was the first author of genius to use the South Seas as material and most of those who followed say the region through his eyes and adopted his patterns' (Day). Hill p. 196 cites the 1847 London edition. Taylor 176. A picture of this book is available on request.
Seller: Horizon Books, Toronto, ON, Canada
Price: US$850.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, first issue (p. 19, l. 1 reads "Pomarea"). Map at p. [xvii]. [iii]-xvi, [ii], 285, [1] pp., terminal catalogue not present (no priority given by BAL), lacking half-title. 1 vols. 8vo. First edition of Melville's first work. BAL 13652 Rebound in contemporary blue cloth, leather label. Spine faded and worn along ends and rear joint Map at p. [xvii]. [iii]-xvi, [ii], 285, [1] pp., terminal catalogue not present (no priority given by BAL), lacking half-title. 1 vols. 8vo First edition, first issue (p. 19, l. 1 reads "Pomarea").
Seller: James Cummins Bookseller, ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$950.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Original black morocco leather with raised bands and rulling and gilt lettering on spine. Black pebbled cloth boards. The spine has chipping to the crown and the leather is starting to split but is still presentable. The book appears to have been extensively touched up with black coloring. Half title page has top inch replaced with modern paper. Dedication page has pink ink marginalia which reads "The next year after 'Typee' appeared, Mr. Melville married Judge Shaw's daughter. The book is dedicated to Lemuel Shaw. Two volumes in one, as issued. 19th century penciled marginalia on several pages. Sporadic foxing as is not uncommon. 307pp. Page 163 misnumbered as 463. Size: 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall
Seller: Ziern-Hanon Galleries, Frontenac, MO, U.S.A.
Price: US$975.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Original red cloth, the covers blindstamped with the publisher's insignia, and the spine stamped in gilt, reading "Colonial and Home Library/Vol/XV/Melville's Marquesas Islands/Murray. FIRST EDITION. BAL's "second issue" (though more likely a state) with the reading "Pomare" in line one of page 19. Binding variant B. Expertly rebacked, preserving most of the original spine (but for 1/4" at the foot, a small chip at the center, and 1/4-3/4" at the head) and the original endpapers. Complete with half-title, map on page xviii, and 16pp. of ads dated "June 1846." Internally very clean. With the bookplate of John Rutter on the front pastedown. A bright, very good copy of the true first edition of Melville's first book, preceding the American edition, published later that years as "Typee."
Seller: Clarel Rare Books, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$1170.00 + shipping
Description: 1st Edition. Soft cover. First Edition of Melville's first book, preceding the American edition of the same year, which appeared a month later under its more familiar title, TYPEE. This London edition was set directly from Melville's manuscript. The New York, Wiley & Putnam US edition was set from proof sheets of the Murray edition. The bibliography of the Murray edition of 4048 copies is complex [2,500 in wrappers, priced half a crown, & five shillings for cloth], as noted in BAL with various issue point attending & no satisfactory publication sequence yet established. 8vo, xvi, (xvii-xviii), 285. This copy is the BAL First Edition, Second Issue, bound in contemporary half tree calf, gilt over contemporary marbled paper covered boards, the spine neatly laid down, with map on p.xviii; bound without catalogue & with 'Pomare' for 'Pomarea', p.19, line 1: originally released as vol. XV in Murray's Home and Colonial Library series. BAL 13652. 'Melville was the first author of genius to use the South Seas as material and most of those who followed saw the region through his eyes and adopted his patterns' Day 51 [Pacific Islands Literature, 100 Basic Books]. A very good copy.
Seller: TBCL The Book Collector's Library, Montreal, QC, Canada
Price: US$1250.00 + shipping
Description: Contemporary half calf leather with matching corners and marbled boards and endpapers, gilt-ruled spine with two matching gilt-lettered black morocco spine labels; xviii, 285 pages, no terminal ads with the half-title page present. BAL 13652: First Issue of page 19. Illustrated with a map at page xviii with an additional copy of the map on old paper tipped in before the title page. First printing of Melville's first book, issued in an edition of 4,048 copies and preceding the American edition, titled TYPEE, of the same year. Largely based upon the author's experience living in the Marquesas after he deserted from the whaler Acushnet in 1842. Other than MOBY DICK, the most widely read of Melville's novels. Text very clean, free from foxing; rubbing and light edgewear to the binding. Very Good to Near Fine
Seller: Charles Agvent, est. 1987, ABAA, ILAB, Fleetwood, PA, U.S.A.
Price: US$1276.35 + shipping
Description: TYPEE : First edition, second issue of author's first book, without the terminal catalogue and with p. 19 line 1 reading 'Pomare'. With map on p. [xvii]. 8vo. xvi, ii, 285 [pp]. OMOO : 1849 reprinted edition. 8vo. xiii, 321 [pp]. In 1841 Melville sailed to the Pacific on board the 'Acushnet', which gave him much of the material for 'Moby Dick'. He deserted the ship when it reached the Marquesas Islands., was captured by cannibals, with whom he lived with for four months, and wrote about them eventually in 'Typee'. Escaping in an Australian whaler, the 'Lucy Ann', he was put ashore at Tahiti as one of the mutinous crew and later made the Society Islands the subject of his second book, 'Omoo'. Recently rebound pair are in matching 1/4 green calf, raised ribs on spine, matching green marble paper covered boards, burgundy and gilt title labels, yellow end papers. Name to head of both title pages. Typee is 5 mm taller and wider than Omoo. A Very Good condition bright pair, nicely bound with slight age darkening to page edges and with the odd blemish to a couple of pages. Member of the P.B.F.A. PACIFIC (Oceania)
Seller: Little Stour Books PBFA Member, Canterbury, United Kingdom
Price: US$4500.00 + shipping
Description: First editions of Melville's first two novels: Typee in first issue, p.19 l.1 reading "Pomarea"; Omoo with signature P present on p. 209 (BAL state A). Map printed on p. [xviii] of first work; frontispiece chart in second work. Pp. [xviii], 285, [1, imprint]; [xiv], 321, [1, imprint]. Bound without ads. 2 vols. 8vo. 'Typee' & 'Omoo' in First Issue. Melville's first novel was based upon his experiences living in the Marquesas after he deserted from the whaler Acushnet in 1842. Published in England under the title Narrative of a Four Months' Residence, and in America shortly thereafter, Typee gained Melville an international reputation that was further cemented by Omoo. BAL 13652 & 13655; for Bowron, cf. Ramsden, London Bookbinders, p. 41; Packer, Bookbinders of Victorian London, p. 21 Nineteenth century half green calf and marbled boards, gilt spines, by Bowron, period spine labels. Front joint of Omoo a bit tender, else fine. Green cloth clamshell box Map printed on p. [xviii] of first work; frontispiece chart in second work. Pp. [xviii], 285, [1, imprint]; [xiv], 321, [1, imprint]. Bound without ads. 2 vols. 8vo First editions of Melville's first two novels: Typee in first issue, p.19 l.1 reading "Pomarea"; Omoo with signature P present on p. 209 (BAL state A).
Seller: James Cummins Bookseller, ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$6000.00 + shipping
Description: 8vo. Map at p. [xvii]. xvi, [2], 285, [1] pp., + 16 pp. catalogue dated March 1846 (BAL "B" variant, no priority), with half-title. Publisher's red cloth (BAL variant B), covers stamped in blind, spine titled in gilt. An exceptional copy, with just a trace of wear to front board fore-edge and rear joint, small chip from tail end of spine A fine first edition in publisher's cloth of Melville's first book, preceding the American edition of the same year, which appeared a month later under its now more familiar title, TYPEE. This London edition was set from Melville's manuscript, whereas the New York Wiley & Putnam edition was set from proof sheets of the Murray edition. "Murray's first printing consisted of 4,048 copies (2,500 of them in wrappers), priced at five shillings in cloth and half a crown in wrappers; the book became a profitable one for Murray, with further printings required, but Melville's earnings did not go up with increased sales, since Murray had purchased the copyright from Melville for £100 . " (Howe Library).Recent scholarship (v. Thomas Tanselle, The Writings of Herman Melville, vol. I, p. 307) has cast doubt on Blanck's characterization of the two states of sheet C as "issues," and Blanck himself admits that "no wholly satisfactory publication sequence has been established for the London issues of this book ."REFERENCE: BAL 13652 First edition, second state of C2 (p. 19, l. 1 reads "Pomare").
Seller: Bull's Head Rare Books, ABAA, ILAB, Lebanon, NJ, U.S.A.
Price: US$7500.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, second state of C2 (p. 19, l. 1 reads "Pomare"). Map at p. [xvii]. xvi, [ii], 285, [1] pp., + 16 pp. terminal catalogue dated March 1846 (BAl "B" variant, no priority), with half-title. 1 vols. 8vo. Fine first edition in publisher's cloth of Melville's first book. A fine first edition in publisher's cloth of Melville's first book, preceding the American edition of the same year, which appeared a month later under its now more familiar title, TYPEE. This London edition was set from Melville's manuscript, whereas the New York Wiley & Putnam edition was set from proof sheets of the Murray edition. "Murray's first printing consisted of 4,048 copies (2,500 of them in wrappers), priced at five shillings in cloth and half a crown in wrappers; the book became a profitable one for Murray, with further printings required, but Melville's earnings did not go up with increased sales, since Murray had purchased the copyright from Melville for £100 . " (Howe Library). Recent scholarship (v. Thomas Tanselle, The Writings of Herman Melville, vol. I, p. 307) has cast doubt on Blanck's characterization of the two states of sheet C as "issues," and Blanck himself admits that "no wholly satisfactory publication sequence has been established for the London issues of this book . " BAL 13652 Publisher's red cloth (BAL variant B), covers stamped in blind, spine titled in gilt. An exceptionally fine copy, with just a trace of wear to front board fore-edge and small chip from tail end of spine Map at p. [xvii]. xvi, [ii], 285, [1] pp., + 16 pp. terminal catalogue dated March 1846 (BAl "B" variant, no priority), with half-title. 1 vols. 8vo First edition, second state of C2 (p. 19, l. 1 reads "Pomare").
Seller: James Cummins Bookseller, ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.