Various (Avery, Samuel P. (Editor); Carroll, Lewis et al.)

The Harp of a Thousand Strings, or, Laughter for a Lifetime

New York, NY, USA: Dick & Fitzgerald, 1858. First Edition. Hardcover. Samuel P(utnam) Avery (1822-1904) was a talented wood and copper engraver and was employed by leading publishers to provide illustrations for their productions. His collection of 17,775 etchings and lithographs was donated to the New York Public Library. Dick & Fitzgerald, founded by William Brisbane Dick (1827-1901) and Lawrence R. Fitzgerald (1826-1881), was a successful publisher of music books and more, including this anthology. Illustrated with wood-engraved title vignettes and numerous wood-engravings throughout the text, this book became one of the most popular collections of humor writing of the 19th century. It was reprinted several times since 1858, but the first printing includes “Novelty and Romancement,” written by the canonical British author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) Lewis Carroll (1832-1898). This story, the first published work of Charles Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, was originally published in The Train: A First-Class Magazine in March of 1856. The uncredited and unauthorized reprinting of this story was corrected in later printings, and the story was posthumously published on its own in 1925. All of the stories included within are uncredited. The last dozen pages or so are the other offerings of the publisher listed for order. Hardcover without dust jacket, as issued: first edition, first printing, as indicated by the presence of “Novelty and Romancement,” (pp. 188-194). In relatively good-to-near-fine condition with significant age-toning to pageblock, endpapers, and pastedowns; a previous owner's calligraphic signature is present in upper right corner of front endpaper in brown ink, possibly reading "J.C. Hamill" though difficult to discern; moderate rubbing to the edges of front, back covers and spine with mild chipping/peeling to cloth in some small areas; mild-to-moderate bumping to the corners of same; small section of pages (169-171, 188-189) are torn/chipped along gutter near bottom edge from wear to binding. Good-Near Fine. [Item #7713]

Price: $200.00