Early Spring in Massachusetts and Summer and Winter and Autumn-- All Four "Season" Books & Signed Presentation copies. Inscribed by Harrison Gray Otis Blake, the editor of the journals. Signed presentation copies from the editior, H.G.O. Blake: "To Sarah L. King with the affectionate regards of H.G.O. Blake, October 16, 1892." Autumn & Winter are directly inscribed and dated by Blake at the top of their title pages. With a signed/inscription by H.G.O. Blake on a slip of paper laid into Early Spring. Summer is not signed.

Thoreau, Henry David (Inscribed copies by Editor H.G.O. Blake)

Published by Houghton Mifflin Early Spring in Massachusetts (1881), Summer (1884), Winter (1888) and Autumn (1892),, 1881

About this Item

Handsomely bound in the original publisher's dark green finely woven cloth, beveled boards, with gilt lettered facsimile signatures of Thoreau on the front boards, gilt lettering on spine. Dark black endpapers. Top edges gilded. First Edition, first printings of all of Thoreau's "Season" books from his Journals. All are in very good plus condition. The hinges are tight and the books are clean and virtually unread. There is a touch of wear to the edges of the spines and little rubbing and a touch of wrinkling at the top of one or two spines; overall, they are in collector's condition, especially with such splendid presentations by the editor. The recipient, Mrs. King has signed her name, Sarah L. King, and date, Feb. 1882 and glued a colorful section of a card wishing "Happy New Year!" to the second front endpaper of "Early Spring." The volumes come with a letter of provenance and were published in small print runs; the complete set is rather scarce, especially with three of the books signed by the editor. According to BAL these four printings consisted of only 1018, 1260, 1550 and 1020 copies. A rare opportunity for the Thoreau collector. While Thoreau published only two books during his lifetime, after his death, his friend Harrison Blake edited and published sections of his journal as Early Spring in Massachusetts (1881), Summer (1884), Winter (1888) and Autumn (1892), issued by Houghton, Mifflin and Company. Blake's arrangements of the selections, Blake explained, "In reading the Journal for my own satisfaction, I had sometimes been wont to attend each day to what was written on the same day of the month in some other year. the phenomena which Thoreau noticed, so to be brought nearer to the writer by observing the same sights, sounds and have my love of nature quickened by him." All 4 volumes are first editions with the correct dates on the title and copyright pages. Seller Inventory # 1071

Bibliographic Details

Title: Early Spring in Massachusetts and Summer and...

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Early Spring in Massachusetts (1881), Summer (1884), Winter (1888) and Autumn (1892),

Publication Date: 1881

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

Signed: Signed by Author

Edition: 1st Edition.