[Clemens, Samuel L.] | First American edition, one of 200 in the half brown morocco binding

Property from the Library of John M. Schiff

[Clemens, Samuel L.]

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Hartford: The American Publishing Company, 1876

4to (212 x 163 mm). Half-title, frontispiece and 159 wood-engraved text illustrations by True Williams and others, 4 pages of publisher's advertisements at end; stray spots and soiling. Original half brown morocco over brown cloth, spine in 6 compartments, second and fourth lettered in gilt, others with repeat blindstamped motif, boards ruled in gilt, all edges gilt; boards and extremities lightly rubbed. Housed in a quarter morocco slipcase with folding chemise.

First American edition, first printing of the text with points, in the scarce original half brown morocco binding. According to the publisher's stock book only 200 copies were bound in half morocco, and were printed concurrently with the cloth- and sheep-bound copies of the first edition.

"The irresponsibility, the love of odd adventure, and the sense of natural justice as opposed to the village code, which characterize the heroes of this book and its sequel Huckleberry Finn, presented a sharp contrast to the Sunday School or rags-to-riches literature which was then the common fare doled out to children... these books let fresh air into the minds of parents who had shut the door on their own childhood, and they will be classics the world over as long as there are boys" (Grolier American 79).

REFERENCE:

BAL 3369; Grolier American 79