SIX NEW - ENGLAND AUTHORS. Hawthorne, Emerson, Longfellow, Whittier, Holmes and Lowell.
Boston: 1897. 1st Edition. The album is divided into sections, each section devoted to one of these 6 iconic American poets & authors. First, affixed to the page, is an original silver gelatin portrait photograph of each taken at that time, except for Whittier's photo is an albumen taken at an earlier time as he had died in 1892, Lowell's is also an albumen as he died in 1891; and Holmes is also an albumen. Next is a description of their place of birth and a photograph of the home they were born in and grew up in. Some historical details are provided of what life was like when they were growing up. Next are photos of their "get-a-ways" where they did much of their writing (that were preserved as historical landmarks) and the specific poems or stories that were written there by them. There are also some details of their personal lives. Included are photographs of homes in Salem, MA, where Hawthorn grew up, that were built in the 17th C - houses of witchcraft fame - including the "House of Seven Gables"; a photo of "Custom House", Salem, where Hawthorne was appointed Collector of the Port in 1846; a photograph of "The Old Wayside Inn", built in the late 1600s, a tavern that Longfellow made famous in his "Tales of the Wayside Inn"; a photo of Emerson's grave in "Sleepy Hollow", just a few feet away from the graves of the Alcotts, Hawthorne, and Thoreau. All-in-all, there are 32 tipped-in photographic images, both albumen & silver gelatin, one per leaf, recto only. Images preceded by a printed caption sheet. Landscape format: 7-1/4" x 8-5/8". Period brown full leather binding, with gilt stamped title lettering to front cover, with both covers having a perimeter rule to the edges. Floral patterned-paper eps. TEG. General wear & scuffing to binding. Later poi to preliminary blank. Front hinge cracked. Withal, a Very Good copy. Photographs have aged well, generally Very Good. Item #51153
A rare testimonial publication celebrating these 6 New England authors... not found on OCLC, nor in the NUC. No records of this book on RBH.
Given the lack of any institutional record, or sales record, for this volume, we posit it’s publication was done privately, in very limited numbers.
Price: $1,500.00