First trade edition of Rockwell Kent's iconic illustrations, in the original dust jacket
Publisher and Year: New York: Random House, 1930
Edition: First trade edition, first printing of Rockwell Kent's black-and-white wood block illustrations, in the original dust jacket illustrated in black and blue (lacking the author's name, as called for). This first trade edition was released after the initial 3-volume limited edition of 1,000 copies (Chicago: The Lakeside Press).
Condition and Description: Octavo, publisher’s black cloth decorated and lettered in silver, 823 pp. Silver stamping remains bright. Bump to the top corner of the rear and front board. Modest handling marks and surface wear to the boards otherwise. Spine ends a little pushed. Tight hinges and binding. Book plate to the front paste down. No other prior owner markings. Pages clean, with only an occasional minor imperfection. The original dust jacket is rubbed and toned (most heavily to the spine), with some loss to the extremities, joints, and corners; some splitting to the folds; creasing to the bottom-right corner of the front panel; and light staining to the "B" on the front panel. The printed design of the jacket remains largely unaffected from the wear. A presentable example of one of the most famous illustrated books of the twentieth century.
By the 1920s, Melville’s critical fortunes were turning. Long undervalued, a growing circle of modernists, including D. H. Lawrence, Lewis Mumford, and Carl Van Doren, saw in him a precursor to their own themes and concerns. Raymond Weaver’s 1921 biography contributed to the growing interest in Melville, spurring new reprints of his works. Rockwell Kent’s illustrations for Moby Dickamplified this revival by giving Melville's world a stark, elemental aesthetic. His illustrations resonated with readers, and the major success of the edition helped bring the novel from the academy to the cultural mainstream.
Inventory ID: 684 - 629 - 285
First trade edition of Rockwell Kent's iconic illustrations, in the original dust jacket
Publisher and Year: New York: Random House, 1930
Edition: First trade edition, first printing of Rockwell Kent's black-and-white wood block illustrations, in the original dust jacket illustrated in black and blue (lacking the author's name, as called for). This first trade edition was released after the initial 3-volume limited edition of 1,000 copies (Chicago: The Lakeside Press).
Condition and Description: Octavo, publisher’s black cloth decorated and lettered in silver, 823 pp. Silver stamping remains bright. Bump to the top corner of the rear and front board. Modest handling marks and surface wear to the boards otherwise. Spine ends a little pushed. Tight hinges and binding. Book plate to the front paste down. No other prior owner markings. Pages clean, with only an occasional minor imperfection. The original dust jacket is rubbed and toned (most heavily to the spine), with some loss to the extremities, joints, and corners; some splitting to the folds; creasing to the bottom-right corner of the front panel; and light staining to the "B" on the front panel. The printed design of the jacket remains largely unaffected from the wear. A presentable example of one of the most famous illustrated books of the twentieth century.
By the 1920s, Melville’s critical fortunes were turning. Long undervalued, a growing circle of modernists, including D. H. Lawrence, Lewis Mumford, and Carl Van Doren, saw in him a precursor to their own themes and concerns. Raymond Weaver’s 1921 biography contributed to the growing interest in Melville, spurring new reprints of his works. Rockwell Kent’s illustrations for Moby Dickamplified this revival by giving Melville's world a stark, elemental aesthetic. His illustrations resonated with readers, and the major success of the edition helped bring the novel from the academy to the cultural mainstream.
Inventory ID: 684 - 629 - 285
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