MARK TWAIN THE INNOCENTS ABROAD 1870 1st Ed Restored 3/4 Leather Original VG
$ 198.0
Description
MARK TWAIN THE INNOCENTS ABROAD 1870 1st Ed Restored 3/4 Leather Original VG. His first success, it was his first subscription book and 2nd published book. This book made Mark Twain a wealthy man. It is a first edition, but a year after the first printing. This is the “deluxe” publisher’s 3/4 leather bound edition which was a more expensive version that a person could buy of Twain’s work from the salesman in 1870. Written by Mark Twain and published by the American Publishing Company of Hartford, Connecticut; copyright 1869 This book was printed in 1870. It is a first edition, but a year after the first printing. This is the “deluxe” publisher’s 3/4 leather bound edition which was a more expensive version that a person could buy of Twain’s work from the salesman in 1870. Very few were bound this way and most of them are now in terrible shape as the old leather, tanned in an acidic process, has over time tended to fall prey to red rot, hardening and crumbling. This copy has been restored with a new leather spine that has the original, mostly intact, spine laid back on. 9 x 6 1/4 inches---651 pages + 5 pages of ads in back While not a first printing this is a very nice copy. The book has the two full page frontispiece illustrations and thirteen other full page illustrations with the text--as called for. This book, which I consider one of his most entertaining and interesting, can not only be read without worrying about the pages coming out in your hands, but it will look great on your shelf too. It is a great feeling to be able to read an original historical artifact just as Twain’s readers in 1869 would have enjoyed it--with all the illustrations. THE INNOCENTS ABROAD is Twain's 1869 first-person, semi-fictional travel narrative of his steamship journey to Europe and the Middle East in 1867. He was sent all expenses paid by the Alta California newspaper on a "Great Pleasure Excursion" on board the chartered vessel Quaker City through Europe and the Holy Land with a group of American travelers. He wrote 53 travel letters for the paper (about half of which were published) and later combined them into this book with urging from the managing director of the American Publishing Company, Elisha Bliss. It became the best selling of Twain's works during his lifetime and one of the best selling travel books of all time. His first success, it was his first subscription book and 2nd published book. This book made Mark Twain a wealthy man. It helped convince Clemens that selling “subscription” books, sold door-to-door by salesmen and not in bookshops, was the best method for an author to make money. Twain says of this book that it is a record of a “pleasure-trip”...the record of a “pic-nic” but with the real purpose being to suggest to the reader how he would be likely to see Europe and the East if he looked at them with his own eyes instead of the eyes of those who travelled in those countries before him. Twain makes no apologies for “departures from the usual style of travel-writing that may be charged against me” for he notes that he sees with impartial eyes, and writes honestly, whether wisely or not. Like all of Twain’s early subscription books, this one is heavily illustrated. There are 234 of them! They truly add to the story and are humorous in their own right. CONDITION: This book is in very good condition with some restoration. Authentic and archival materials have been used throughout--non acidic glues and pastes, nonacidic papers for reinforcing, etc. The old leather has been treated and consolidated to arrest further destruction as much as possible. The spine has been rebacked on new leather. The leather corners have been repaired as well. The edges and missing parts of the marbled paper on the boards have been repaired. The rear board was water damaged and a bit warped and this was improved although the board is still slightly bowed at the base. The textblock has been rebound and recased into the cover. The original spine caps have been retained. The original marbled endpapers have been kept, but the hinges show a slightly different marbled paper repairs. There is an old inked owner’s name on the third blank front endpaper and the same at the top of the title page, but otherwise, pages are clean with little foxing to speak of, no marks or tears, no odor. All pages and illustrations are present. The paper shows average age toning. BECAUSE MEDIA RATE SHIPPING IS FREE ON THE BOOKS I SELL, COMBINE THIS WITH OTHER ITEMS FROM MY EBAY STORE. Do not hesitate to ask any questions or ask for more pictures. Please note; free shipping for all items that cost over $350 will include insurance and signature confirmation. ALL ITEMS ARE CAREFULLY AND SECURELY PACKED TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE DANGER OF CRUSHING AND OR WATER/MOISTURE DAMAGE. ALL BOOKS ARE SHIPPED IN STURDY BOXES WITH TRACKING AND DELIVERY CONFIRMATION INCLUDED.
