Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 6

Moby Dick by Herman Melville, First Edition, Illustrated by Rockwell Kent, 1930

$4,950List Price

About the Item

Melville, Herman. Illustrated by Rockwell Kent. Moby Dick. New York: Random House, 1930. First Trade Edition with Kent Illustrations. Rebound in full leather. Housed in a matching custom archival slipcase. Presented is a first trade edition of Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Originally published in 1851 by Lakeside Press in a three volume set, this trade edition combines the three volume set into one and includes the celebrated illustrations of Rockwell Kent. Published in 1930 by Random House, this first trade edition helped establish Moby Dick as an American Classic. The book has been professionally rebound in black leather boards with silver embossed stamps decorating the cover and spine, inspired by the original boards. It is housed in a protective, archival slipcase designed to match the book’s binding. When Moby Dick was first published in 1851, the book was comparably unsuccessful. Fewer than 4,000 copies were sold and the timeless tale was overlooked. However, once the illustrated first trade edition was published in 1930 the public finally gave the novel its due. By the mid-20th century, Melville’s novel was recognized as one of the most important works in American Literature. The intricate and dramatic tale is based on a considerable amount of Melville’s research. The author spent a substantial amount of time on the whaling vessel, Acushnet, and acquired first-hand whaling experience on the ship. The historical ship, Essex, that was likewise attacked by a sperm whale in 1820 was a massive inspiration for much of Melville’s plot. Even the memorable name of the monstrous whale is derived from an historically aggressive whale off the coast of Chile named Mocha Dick that attacked unsuspecting ships. The well-researched novel still was not ready to publish until after Melville met Nathaniel Hawthorne, to whom he dedicated the book. The other author inspired Melville to rewrite his book, making the plot significantly more complex. The dark romantic novel eventually received the positive reception from readers nearly a century after it was published and is considered one of the greatest novels in American history. Condition: Overall very good condition. The 1930 book has been rebound in full leather with silver embossed decorations on the front cover and spine. The pages are also edged in silver. Internally, the pages are clean, bright, and without loss or tears. The book is housed in a protective custom archival slipcase designed to match the attractive cover of the novel.

Dimensions:
Height: 8 in (20.32 cm)Width: 6 in (15.24 cm)Depth: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Paper
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1930-1939
Date of Manufacture:
1930
Condition:
Replacements made: This book has been professionally rebound in full leather boards. Wear consistent with age and use. Overall very good condition. Internally, the pages are clean, bright, and without loss or tears.
Seller Location:
Colorado Springs, CO
Reference Number:
Seller: BK04851stDibs: LU909717157942

20th Century American Books

Materials

Leather

1 vol. Herman Melville, Moby Dick or The Whale. First Trade Edition, Limited Ed.

$3,750

H 7 in W 5.75 in D 2.125 in

Herman MELVILLE. Moby Dick. 1892 - SECOND EDITION - BOUND BY JAMIE KAMPH

Located in Hillsborough, NJ

AUTHOR: MELVILLE, Herman. TITLE: Moby-Dick. PUBLISHER: New York: United States Book Company, 1892. DESCRIPTION: SECOND EDITION. 1 vol., 7-1/2" x 5-3/8", 545pp., complete with the...

Category

Antique 1890s British Books

Materials

Leather

Herman MELVILLE. Moby Dick. 1892 - SECOND EDITION - BOUND BY JAMIE KAMPH

$6,500 / item

H 7.5 in W 5.38 in D 1 in

Gold, An Illustrated History, First Edition

By Vincent Buranelli

Located in valatie, NY

Gold, An Illustrated History by Vincent Buranelli. Maplewood: Hammond Incorporated, 1979. First edition hardcover with dust jacket. 221 pp. A book on the history and the love of gold. Illustrated are the masterworks of the Egyptians, Thracians, and Roman and Greek treasures along with masterpieces from the Renaissance. Described are the smugglers, grave robbers, sunken treasures...

Category

20th Century American Books

Materials

Paper

Gold, An Illustrated History, First Edition

$39

H 11.25 in W 8.75 in D 1 in

Moby Dick or the Whale Easton Press 1977

Located in Newtown, CT

Moby Dick or the Whale by Herman Melville published by Easton press 1977. Leather book with gold gilt edges, archival quality paper. Part of the 100 Greatest Books ever written. Go...

Category

Vintage 1970s American Modern Books

Materials

Leather, Paper

Moby Dick or the Whale Easton Press 1977

$225

H 10.25 in W 6.75 in D 175 in

The Adventures of Pinocchio, FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, illustrated by A. Mussino

Located in Middletown, NY

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi [pseud. of Carlo Lorenzini]; translated by Carol della Chiesa and illustrated by Attilio Mussino New York: Macmillan Company, 1929. F...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Books

Materials

Paper

The Adventures of Pinocchio, FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, illustrated by A. Mussino

$950

H 11.23 in W 7.88 in D 0.6 in

Odd Whims and Miscellanies by H. Repton – First Edition, 1804, illustrated

Located in Middletown, NY

London: William Miller, 1804. FIRST EDITION, 2 volumes Small 8vo.; 9 x 5 3/8 (226 x 140 mm); vol. 1: xii, [2], 171 [1 blank]; vol. 2: iv, 164, [1 blank] pp.; large paper copy. Ten h...

Category

Antique Early 19th Century English Books

Materials

Gold Leaf

Odd Whims and Miscellanies by H. Repton – First Edition, 1804, illustrated

$2,250 / set

H 8.9 in W 5.52 in D 1.97 in

The Rhinegold and The Valkyrie Illustrated by A Rackham First Edition

By Wagner

Located in Dallas, TX

Presenting a fabulous first edition book, namely, The Rhinegold and The Valkyrie Illustrated by A Rackham First Edition. The Rhinegol...

Category

Early 20th Century American Bohemian Books

Materials

Paper

The Rhinegold and The Valkyrie Illustrated by A Rackham First Edition

$1,175

H 10 in W 7.5 in D 1.75 in

Oscar Wilde, the Sphinx, First Edition, 1894, Illustrated by Charles Rickets

Located in Hillsborough, NJ

AUTHOR: WILDE, Oscar. TITLE: The Sphinx. PUBLISHER: London: Elkin Mathews & John Lane at The Sign of The Bodley Head, 1894. DESCRIPTION: FIRST EDITION. 1 vol., 8-1/2" x 7",...

Category

Antique 1890s British Books

Materials

Leather

Oscar Wilde, the Sphinx, First Edition, 1894, Illustrated by Charles Rickets

$11,000

H 8.5 in W 7 in D 0.5 in

The Bookplates Marks of Rockwell Kent; With a preface by the Artist, SIGNED

Located in Middletown, NY

New York: Random House, 1929. FIRST LIMITED EDITION / SIGNED Small 8vo, 7 1/4 x5 inches (180 x128 mm), 80 pp. Printed on special Japan paper, each sheet French-folded. Blue cloth bi...

Category

Early 20th Century American Books

Materials

Paper

The Bookplates Marks of Rockwell Kent; With a preface by the Artist, SIGNED

$275

H 7.25 in W 5 in D 0.5 in

Surtees, Handley Cross, First Illustrated Edition in the Original 17 Parts 1853

Located in Hillsborough, NJ

Author: SURTEES, Robert Smith. Title: Handley Cross; or Mr. Jorrocks's Hunt. Publsiher: London: Bradbury and Evans, 1853-54. First Illustrated Edition In The Original 17 Parts, 17 hand-coloured etched plates by John Leech...

Category

Antique 1850s British Books

Materials

Paper

Surtees, Handley Cross, First Illustrated Edition in the Original 17 Parts 1853

$2,250

H 9 in W 6 in D 0.25 in

More From This Seller

View All

Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Illustrated by R. Kent, First Trade Edition Thus

By Rockwell Kent

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick. New York: Random House, 1930. Illustrated by Rockwell Kent. First trade edition (thus). Octavo. Original publisher’s pictorial black front cloth board, s...

Category

Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Books

Materials

Fabric, Paper

Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Illustrated by R. Kent, First Trade Edition Thus

$4,250

N by E by Rockwell Kent, First Trade Edition in Dust Jacket, 1930

By Rockwell Kent

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Kent, Rockwell. N by E. New York: Brewer & Warren, 1930. Printed by Lakeside Press, Chicago. First trade edition. In the publisher's original beige cloth boards, embossed in navy blu...

Category

Vintage 1930s American Arts and Crafts Books

Materials

Paper

N by E by Rockwell Kent, First Trade Edition in Dust Jacket, 1930

$550

The Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, Illustrated by Rockwell Kent, Easton Press

By Rockwell Kent, Walt Whitman

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Whitman, Walt. The Leaves of Grass. Norwalk: Easton Press, 1977. The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written. Collector's Edition. Illustrations by Rockwell Kent. Bound in original full gree...

Category

Vintage 1970s American Modern Books

Materials

Leather, Silk, Paper

The Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, Illustrated by Rockwell Kent, Easton Press

$250

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Illustrated, Facsimile First Edition, 1914

By Charles Dickens

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. New York: H. S. Nichols, 1914. First Facsimile Edition. Octavo. In the publisher's original red cloth boards, blind stamped on front and back, gi...

Category

Vintage 1910s American Victorian Books

Materials

Fabric, Paper

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Illustrated, Facsimile First Edition, 1914

$650

Little America by Richard E. Byrd, First Edition, 1930

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Byrd, Richard E., Little America: Aerial Exploration in the Antarctic, The Flight to the South Pole. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1930. First edition. Octavo. Presented in quarter royal blue Moroccan leather and cloth binding, with gilt titles and stamps to the spine, and a new archival slipcase. Presented is the first edition printing of Richard E. Byrd's book, Little America: Aerial Exploration in the Antarctic, The Flight to the South Pole. It was published in New York by G. P. Putnam’s Sons in 1930. The book has been handsomely rebound in quarter royal blue Moroccan leather and cloth binding, with gilt titles and stamps to the spine, and a new archival slipcase. Rear admiral Richard E. Byrd (1888-1957) was an American naval officer and recipient of the United States Medal of Honor. Byrd was also known as a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer...

Category

Vintage 1930s American Books

Materials

Leather, Paper

Little America by Richard E. Byrd, First Edition, 1930

$950

Skyward by Richard E. Byrd, First Edition, 1931

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Byrd, Richard E. Skyward. New York: Blue Ribbon Books, 1931. Octavo. First edition, eleventh printing. In original hardcover boards and original pictorial dust jacket. Presented in a new archival slipcase. This is a 1931 first edition, eleventh printing of Richard Byrd’s Skyward. The book was published in New York by Blue Ribbon Books in 1931. This is the eleventh printing of Skyward, which was first published in 1928. The book is presented in its original hardcover boards and pictorial dust jacket, with a new archival slipcase. Rear admiral Richard E. Byrd (1888-1957) is celebrated as a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer...

Category