Moby Dick

Moby Dick by Herman Melville, First edition, First printing, $18,000

Harper & Brothers, 1851. First edition, one of only 3,000 copies. Nearly all of the unsold copies of this original edition were destroyed by a warehouse fire three years later, making the surviving copies exceedingly rare.

Bound in full tan calf leather, with high raised bands and red and gold leather labels on the spine. Original yellow endpapers and new endpapers, bound without ads at rear. "N.C. Mechanic Association Portland"  ownership stamp evidenced three small one inch oval stamps on the title page, and pages 1, 11, and 25. No other of the typical public library markings such as lending cards or dates of checkout, etc. Two 1.5" x 1" pieces missing from the fore-edge of xxi and xxiii in the 'Extracts' section at the beginning of the book before the novel begins. Text missing from the piece on page xxi, no text affected on page xxiii - which has received a paper repair. The textblock is rather evenly age-toned, with scattered instances of foxing and staining, much better than usually found. A collectible copy of one of the greatest literary masterpieces in a fine leather binding. [ Please check back for more photos.]