Edgar Allan Poe

Poe, Edgar Allan

The Raven and Other Poems [and:] Tales. New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1845

2 vols. bound in 1, 8vo. Raven: half title, "Wiley and Putnam's Library of American Books", name of stereotyper T. B. Smith on the title verso. Tales: third printing with three-line copyright. Three quarter blue morocco gilt, t.e.g., by Riviere & Son; binder's endsheets with foxing, text with slight toning and a few stray traces of foxing.

First editions of both titles, comprising "The most important volume of poetry that had been issued up to that time in America..." (Grolier American, 56).

A choice set of the major books published during Poe’s lifetime, BAL’s “reissue B”, issued by Wiley and Putnam in April 1846, comprising the first edition sheets of The Raven and The Tales in either second or third printing (here in BAL’s third printing, distinguishable by the three-line copyright notice). Students all over the world know of the title poem, and many know others as well: "The Conqueror Worm," "Eulalie," "Leonore," "To Helen," etc.

BAL notes that “impressions from the plates of several pages vary in an anomalous way. For instance, the first three letters of the last three lines of p. 160 appear both battered and intact within the three printings.” This copy has slight battering to “I” and "o" on p. 160, while the "v" is intact. The E in the running head on p. 187 is broken here (as in most copies of all printings. BAL cautions, “It is possible that the printings designated below as second and third are in fact two states of the same printing.” This copy is textually complete in both books, including the integral ads; the volume has been rebound without the separate gatherings of advertisements that followed the text.

REFERENCES

BAL 16146, 16147; Heartman & Canny 92-94, 97-108; Grolier American, 56