A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers

An exceptional copy. This is the book Thoreau went to the the woods to write, and did write at Walden Pond. First edition, first issue, of Thoreau's first book. One of just a few hundred copies sold by the publisher. Several hundred additional copies were printed but remained unbound when they were returned to Thoreau. This copy is bound in brown AR (wavy) cloth. A clean & attractive copy. Advertisement for Walden present at the end. One original initial blank page. At rear there is a blank page, a publisher’s advertisements "Will Soon Be Published, Walden, or Life in the Woods. By Henry D. Thoreau" and another blank page. Boards ruled in blind and spine decoratively stamped in blind and lettered in gilt. Two small ownership bookplates of Thomas R. Taylor and Agnes Neustadt. The later was created by Frederick Spenceley, a well-known bookplate artist and wood engraver. Condition: In near fine condition, light wear to bottom edges of boards, cloth at spine ends is folded, and slightly torn at bottom, but the imprint of "Munroe & Co." is very discernible; pale yellow end-papers lightly soiled. Other pages very clean and bright. Binding tight and square. In a very attractive, custom, leather-covered, pull-top case.…