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Moby Dick
by Melville, Herman
- Used
- good
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Good/N/A
- Seller
-
Albany, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Modern Library, 1926. First Edition Thus/1st Printing. Hardcover. Good/N/A. Stated First Modern Library Edition 1926. In brown leatherette variant binding with gilt to type and colophon. Rubbing/wear with some surface loss mostly along edges and ends of spine as well as corners. Some creases to cover. Previous owner's name and date '1928' to ffep and some shallow paper scarring/residue to front pastedown, likely from bookplate removal. Pages toned and binding solid.
Synopsis
Melville's classic was first published in England as three volumes titled The Whale in October 1851. Slow sales of Melville's previously books convinced Publisher L. Richard Bentley to reduce the printing to only 500 copies, and of that, only 300 sold in the first 4 months. The remaining unbound sheets were bound in a cheaper casing in 1852, and in 1853 there were still enough remaining sheets to again bind into an even cheaper edition. Melville changed the title to Moby Dick a month later, November 1851, when the American Version was published in one volume by Harper & Brothers in NY. Of the 2,951 copies printed, 125 were review copies. About 1,500 sold in 11 days, but then sales slowed to less than 300 the next year. After two years copies of the first edition were still available, and almost 300 were destroyed in the 1853 fire of Harper's warehouse. Most of the first editions have orange end-papers, although there are 2 known volumes with rare white-endpapers. Because of Nineteenth-century printing practices, and the time-lapse between when the first-editions were published and Melville became collectible, oxidized paper, bumped and chipped spines, and brittle wrappers are all common for even the most expensive and collectible of these books, which can sell from $35,000 to $100,000. Also, expect heavy wear and maybe even minor repair. Another collectible edition is the 1930 first edition illustrated by Rockwell Kent, a three-volume set published by the Lakeside Press with acetate dust jackets in an aluminum slipcase. These range in value from $9,000 to $11,000. A total of 3,215 copies of Moby-Dick were sold during Melville's life (he died in 1891). Today, Moby-Dick is considered one of the greatest American novels. -
Read More: Identifying first editions of Moby Dick
Reviews
On Mar 9 2016, a reader said:
Why would this be 600 since the original was in 1851?
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Details
- Bookseller
- Lost Paddle Books, IOBA
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- LPB006693HM
- Title
- Moby Dick
- Author
- Melville, Herman
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Good
- Jacket Condition
- N/A
- Edition
- First Edition Thus/1st Printing
- Publisher
- Modern Library
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1926
- Bookseller catalogs
- American Literature; Nautical;
Terms of Sale
Lost Paddle Books, IOBA
Books are unique in their ability to encompass lives, from the lives of their authors, to the characters or subjects they portray. They even have the capacity to take on a life of their own as they pass among us acquiring stories, artifacts and scars along the way. As such, they deserve to be treated with respect. We use only premium packaging materials and every attempt is made to be as accurate as possible in our listings. All books are supplied in protective mylar sleeves if applicable and additional photos are available on request for books offered at $50 at owner's discretion. If the book is not received as described, a return in like condition may be made within 14 days for a full refund. For CA residents: Sales tax will be processed as an additional charge. Please note that shipping rates are for an average sized book, supplemental shipping may apply if the book is heavy and/or oversize, or if there are multiple books in a shipment. Gift wrapping available upon request. PLEASE NOTE: Orders are still shipping quickly, but because of delays with the postal service due to the pandemic, please expect additional time to receive your book(s). Thank you.
About the Seller
Lost Paddle Books, IOBA
Biblio member since 2018
Albany, California
About Lost Paddle Books, IOBA
Founded by an avid collector with 30+ years experience in all facets of the book trade from bookselling and library science to publishing. We believe that books can lead to greater empathy and understanding in the world helping us open ourselves to other lives and experiences.
Additional services offered include appraisals for Bay Area residents and collection development for private individuals and institutions.
Additional services offered include appraisals for Bay Area residents and collection development for private individuals and institutions.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Colophon
- The colophon contains information about a book's publisher, the typesetting, printer, and possibly even includes a printer's...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- FFEP
- A common abbreviation for Front Free End Paper. Generally, it is the first page of a book and is part of a single sheet that...
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