HAWTHORNE, NATHANIEL | Twice-Told Tales. First and Second Series. Boston: James Munroe and Company, 1842

The Property of a Gentleman

HAWTHORNE, NATHANIEL

Twice-Told Tales. First and Second Series. Boston: James Munroe and Company, 1842

2 vols., 8vo. Original title-page, section titles for each story, yellow coated endpapers; some spotting and staining. Publisher's black cloth (BAL binding C), boards blocked in blind, spines lettered and ornately decorated in gilt, yellow-coated endpapers; some rubbing, chips to heads and tails of spines. In black watered silk slipcase. 

Second edition, only printing (hence, first edition thus issued), first issue

The eighteen stories that originally appeared in the 1837 edition are present in vol. I, along with one new story. The twenty stories in vol. II were first collected here. Hawthorne oversaw the selection of the contents of this collection, and revised his earlier stories before they were reprinted. In the contract Hawthorne signed with Munroe, it was stipulated that no more than 1,500 copies were to be printed, but it is unlikely that even than many were issued. In 1845, the unsold copies were issued with a cancelled title-page. it would seem that Munroe gifted this copy as a New year's present.

REFERENCE:

BAL 7594; Clark A2.3.1

PROVENANCE:

Joseph Cobb (inscription reading "Joseph O. Cobb, from James Munroe, Jany 1st, 1846" to front free endpaper of each volume)