THE POETICAL WORKS OF JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL
Boston: James R. Osgood & Company, 1876. Household Edition. Hardcover. Publisher's gilt-decorated green cloth in red cloth dustwrapper with gilt-lettered red morocco spine labels. Presentation copy INSCRIBED on the front blank from the author to John Owen, the publisher of Lowell's CONVERSATIONS ON SOME OF THE OLD POETS: "To/Mr. John Owen/with the author's regards./16th May, 1877." Tipped to the front endpaper is an AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED from the author to the publisher regarding the terms of publication of the above volume, written from Elmwood, 18th Feby. 1876. In full: "Dear Mr. Ticknor, I return you the contracts. I think that hitherto there has been a specific statement of the number of copies to which the author is entitled, which I do not find in these. If the new contract is in the same terms as that you have made with Mr. Longfellow (with the exception, of course, of the amount to be paid), I am ready to sign it, as I told you, though my friends think that I should have held out for a larger sum. But that I leave as before to your own judgment of what is fair to both sides. Very truly yours, J. R. Lowell." An interesting insight into the negotiation process between a major 19th century author and his publisher. From the William Harris Arnold and Frank Maier collections, with bookplates of both on the front pastedown along with bookplates of Thomas Wallace and Henry Andrews Ingraham. This copy sold at the auction of Arnold's books in 1901 and again in the sale of Wallace's library in 1920. Both sales describe the dustwrapper as being present and while it is certainly contemporary to the period, we cannot be certain that it was issued by the publisher. The ink in the letter is dark and clear. The covers are bright and the dustwrapper has only minor wear at the spine tips with wear to the labels. Close to Fine in a Near Fine dustwrapper. Item #020933
In addition to publishing Lowell, John Owen was a schoolmate and lifelong friend of Longfellow as well as the publisher of his first works. His other friends included Nathaniel Hawthorne and Franklin Pierce.
Price: $1,500.00