Hawthorne, Nathaniel

8vo (181 x 115mm.), first edition, one of 2500 copies, William Gosse's copy with his bookplate and 15-line autograph note on front endpaper about editions of this work  ,("This is the genuine and | extremely rare first edition..."), title-page printed in red and black, 4-page publisher's advertisement bound between front endpapers, publisher's brown cloth, spine gilt-lettered, covers elaborately stamped in blind, brown cloth folding case and matching slipcase, some minor browning to text leaves, a few rust marks, tiny nicks at head and base of the spine (top of the spine possibly neatly repaired), some slight further wear to edges and covers

The writer and novelist Sir Edmund Gosse (1849--1928), with his bookplate and autograph notes on front endpaper

The bulk of Gosse's library was sold at Sotheby's in three sales between July 1929 and February 1929. Gosse's American literary connections were always important to him, and he was Century Magazine's first London agent from 1881 onwards. At the invitation of his friend W.D. Howells Gosse gave the prestigious Lowell lectures in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1884.  A measure of Gosse's stature in America at the time is that at the first lecture, entitled "Poetry at the death of Shakespeare", all 850 seats were filled and 150 people were turned away (see Oxford DNB)

BAL 7600; Grolier American 59

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, when appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A good association copy in the publisher's cloth of the first edition of  Hawthorne's most acclaimed book.