Paterson, Books 1 - 5, first editions in dust jackets (1946-1958)

New York: New Directions, 1958. First Printing. Hardcover. Very good/fair. 5 volumes, uniformly bound in grayish-cream-yellow cloth, each in dust jacket. Books themselves are generally very good: Book I with some darkening and soil to covers, heavy offsetting/tanning to endpapers and text quite tanned as well; Book II is very good and clean with usual light offsetting to endpapers; Book III is very good with only light wear and toning; Book IV is very good, light corner bumping, owner's name on flyleaf; Book V is very good, light soil and offsetting. Jackets range from fair to very good: Book I has general darkening and wear, with 1.5" loss to top and bottom of spine, light wear and loss along the outer joints; Book II is good or better with general darkening, soil and light edgewear; Book III good or better with usual toning, darkening, soil, light wear to spine tips; Book IV with general darkening and soil, scattered water splatter stains to front panel, toning and light edgewear; Book V with general soil, spottiness, darkening, old tape on verso of front panel to two tears and the verso of the jacket quite spotted and foxed. Not the prettiest set, but all in jackets and a fairly attractive set of one of the great poem cycles of the 20th century, a Connolly 100 item. Most of these volumes, we believe, were limited to 1000 copies.