COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Eye Candy #3 - Part Two

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COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Eye Candy #3 - Part Two

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1dlphcoracl
Editat: abr. 4, 2020, 11:20 pm

Leaves of Grass (LOG) is a charter member of Private Press Royalty, a work repeatedly published by a large number of private presses over the years, always to pleasing effect. Frankly, I cannot think of a fine or private press edition of LOG that is unattractive, regardless of price. Other works that have been treated as royally by private presses are The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Hamlet, Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales, the Fables of Aesop, Dante's The Divine Comedy, The Book of Psalms/The Psalms of David, The Golden Asse of Lucius Apuleius, and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

This is certainly befitting the most startlingly original and important poem in the American canon. In her introduction to the Arion Press edition of Leaves of Grass, noted critic Helen Vendler, the Porter University Professor Emerita at Harvard University describes the 1854 first edition as "the most liberating event in the poetic history of the United States" and "the most famous book of verse in American literature." Whitman's poem perfectly captures the brashness, nervous energy, and youthful exuberance of a nation just past 75 years old as it expands westward into unchartered territory, simultaneously freeing itself from the shackles of the Old World while defining a New World for the second half of the 19th century.

Below are photographs of most of the fine and private press editions of Leaves of Grass, from the least expensive to most costly with typical cost listed for each edition. Many of these editions have been described in great detail and extensively photographed by Chris Adamson on his Books and Vines website. Links to these beautifully written and photographed articles will be provided below for interested LT FPF members to explore further.

Doubleday, Doran & Co. (1940). Cost: $50 to $125.




Folio Society (2010 edition). Cost: $90 to $125.




Limited Editions Club (1929). Cost:$150 to $250. The second book published by the LEC.




Limited Editions Club (1942). Cost: $1,000 to $1,250 for a nice copy. Illustrated with
landmark photographs by Edward Weston.






Random House/Grabhorn Press (1930). Cost: $3,500 to $4,000 for a NF to fine copy.




Arion Press (2014). Cost: Don't ask. See link below for recent price at a PBA Galleries auction held
on 02/06/2020.

https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/508/lot/168320/Leaves-of-G...





Below are the links to Chris Adamson's splendid Books and Vines articles for specific editions of Leaves of Grass:

1. LEC (1929), Peter Pauper Press (1950) and Doubleday, Doran & Co. (1940):
https://booksandvines.com/2014/08/21/leaves-of-grass-by-walt-whitman-limited-edi...

2. LEC (1942) with Edward Weston photographs:
https://booksandvines.com/2012/05/10/leaves-of-grass-by-walt-whitman-photographs...

3. Arion Press (2014) and Random House/Grabhorn Press (1930):
https://booksandvines.com/2014/06/02/leaves-of-grass-by-walter-whitman-arion-pre...

Bottom line:

Many wonderful editions of Leaves of Grass are available in an extremely wide price range. If you are not totally averse to poetry in all forms and do not have a beautiful edition of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass in your personal library:

"SHAME ON YOU!!"

2EclecticIndulgence
Editat: abr. 5, 2020, 1:27 am

Which The Golden Asse edition would you recommend? I know there is an LEC and a FS LE (Q.Blake illustrated), but that's all that I'm aware of.

ETA: I have the FS Leaves of Grass, but shame on me - I have yet to read it. Seems like a good spring choice...

3kdweber
abr. 5, 2020, 2:18 am

>1 dlphcoracl: What about the Heritage Press limited edition bound in Morocco and signed by the illustrator, Rockwell Kent?

4kdweber
abr. 5, 2020, 2:22 am

Everyone needs at least two copies of Leaves of Grass to cover both the first 1855 edition (e.g. the 1929 LEC or FS editions) or the last edition (e.g. the HP edition).

5dlphcoracl
abr. 5, 2020, 7:14 am

>3 kdweber:

The special edition of the Heritage Press/Nonesuch Press Leaves of Grass with Rockwell Kent illustrations, published in 1936/1937, certainly qualifies for inclusion. For an edition of 1000 copies it is surprisingly scarce in the secondary market.

6dlphcoracl
abr. 5, 2020, 7:46 am

>2 EclecticIndulgence:

Cost aside, the Ashendene Press edition.

The Golden Asse was also published by the Golden Cockerel Press (1923), very early in the GCP history before they illustrated their books with wood engravings, and the Chiswick Press for George Bell and Sons (1904).