Thoreau, Henry David | It sold poorly

Property from the Workman Collection

Thoreau, Henry David

A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. Boston and Cambridge: James Munroe and Company, 1849

8vo. Fore-edge a bit spotted. Publisher's blind-stamped brown cloth, gilt spine title; cloth unworn, even at ends. Morocco, gilt, pull case.

First edition, first issue of Thoreau's first book, lacking "Author of 'Walden'" printed under author's name on title-page. This book, published at Thoreau's expense, fared poorly: of the 1000 copies printed, 706 copies were returned to the author, “to spend the next nine years in his attic bedroom, with Thoreau occasionally selling copies or distributing them to friends” (Borst).

Thoreau was not without some humour regarding the languishing copies, many unbound. “I have now a library of nearly 900 volumes, over 700 of which I wrote myself. It is not well that the author should behold the fruits of his labor, my works are piled upon one side of my chamber half as high as my head ...”

Acceptable copies are scarce and the present example is far superior to most.

REFERENCE:

BAL 20104; Borst A1.1.a