San Francisco: Arion Press, 1992. First Arion Press edition, number 23 of 200 numbered copies, signed by Ginsberg. ¶ A handsome edition of Ginsberg's Kaddish, with two additional related poems and an introduction by Helen Vendler. Printed note from the publishers about the "somewhat unusual binding" laid in. ¶ From...
Wrentham (Mass.): Printed and sold by the Author, 1801. First edition. American Bibliography 641. An anthology of English and American verse and prose, which includes Phillip Freneau's "The Indian Student; or the Force of Nature" and John Maxcy's "Charge Delivered by the President to the Graduates of Rhode-Island College." From...
New York: Published by James Eastburn, Literary Rooms, 1821. First edition. BAL 8512. ¶ A vision poem about the final day of retribution, read by James Hillhouse (1789-1841) at the anniversary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society in 1812. This was an early work by the New York poet, predating...
Boston: Ticknor and Co., 1886. First edition. BAL 9622, first binding with “Ticknor & Co.” imprint on the spine. ¶ A scarce edition of Howells' Poems of 1873, but in a more elaborate format - similar to a gift book - and with the addition of three previously uncollected poems...
Philadelphia: Printed for Mathew Carey, 1794. First edition. Evans 27145; Sabin 33813; Stoddard & Whitesell 476. One of several poems by Humphreys (1752-1818), a founding member of the Hartford Wits, promoting America and advocating to its citizens a positive message for advancement of the new nation. Humphreys was a colonel...
(San Mateo, Calif.: The Quercus Press), 1940. First edition, one of 250 copies, of which 200 were for sale. Broomfield A30. A fine rendering of two unusually mellow poems by Robinson Jeffers that were inspired by a family visit to Kelmscott Manor in 1929, as described in the excerpt from...
Philadelphia: T. B. Peterson & Brothers, (1869). Second edition, with the addition of one unpublished ballad. BAL 11556. ¶ The second edition in book form of Hans Breitmann’s Ballads, Leland’s immensely popular humorous verse about the German-American, Hans Breitmann, who is full of fooling and philosophy and beer. There were.....
Cambridge: Published by John Owen, 1845. First edition. BAL 12075; American Imprints 45-3949. ¶ An anthology of 50 poems from lessor celebrated poets - poetical waifs - compiled by Longfellow and introduced with his poem entitled "Proem." The interesting assortment of poets includes Jones Very, Harriet Martineau, Philip Freneau, Henry...
Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1858. First American edition, first printing. BAL 12122. ¶ Longfellow's famous account of the story of Miles Standish, told in verse. Neat ownership signature of Mary S. Dwight, dated October 1858, on the title-page.
New York: George P. Putnam, 1853. Second edition, second printing. Sabin 42808. ¶ The first book by Anne C. Lynch, later Anne C. Lynch Botta (1815-1891), a minor but important figure in the New York literary scene, circa 1850-1880. She was a friend and supporter of many writers, editors and...
New York: Phoenix Book Shop, 1973. First edition, one of 26 lettered copies (of 126 copies). ¶ Number 17 in the Phoenix Book Shop's oblong octavo series. ¶ From the inventory of Burton Weiss, Bookseller.
New York: Adlard & Saunders, 1838. First edition. BAL 14355; American Imprints 51776. ¶ The first book by George Pope Morris (1802-1864), the influential Knickerbocker literary figure, which includes his famous poem “The Oak,” the first line of which is “Woodman, spare that tree!” See Merle Johnson, You Know These.....
Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1890. First edition. BAL 14664. ¶ A collection of over 100 poems, lyrics and sonnets.
Richmond: Printed by Samuel Pleasants, 1798. First edition. Stoddard & Whitesell 610; Hill, American Plays, 194; Evans 34159; Sabin 51316. The first book by William Munford (1775-1825), a collection of verse, prose and one play. Munford was a native of Virginia and the son of Revolutionary War soldier and dramatist...
No place, no publisher, 1853. First edition. The only published volume of poetry by Andrews Norton (1786-1853), man of letters and conservative theologian from Cambridge, Mass., a slender volume of 16 poems. It was privately printed posthumously by Norton's family, and this copy bears a family inscription. Presentation on the...
Philadelphia: Published by Edward Earle; Baltimore: Edward J. Coale, 1810. First edition. Stoddard & Whitesell 924; American Imprints 21334; BAL volume 5, page 251 (Key). A substantial and varied collection of poetry and translations by John Shaw, a physician who traveled extensively before accepting a teaching position at the University...
Philadelphia: Joseph Healy; Boston: Weeks, Jordan; New York: John S. Taylor, 1838. First edition. BAL 21710, binding A; American Imprints 53638. ¶ An early and substantial collection of over 50 poems by John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1891). The first part contains 24 of his memorable abolitionist poems, collected for the first...
San Francisco: The Book Club of California, 1925. First edition, one of 600 copies designed and printed by John Henry Nash. ¶ An impressive selection from over 100 contemporary California poets, e.g.: George Sterling, Robinson Jeffers, Stephen Rose Benét, Ina Coolbrith, Yone Noguchi, Xavier Martinez, Sara Bard Field and Charles...
San Francisco: A. M. Robertson, 1916. First edition. BAL 18767; Mattila A12. A selection of Sterling's best poetry to date. Inscribed by Sterling on the front free endpaper to his wife, Carrie: "Dear Carrie: / Just a / few unnatural [?] sonnets. / George. / San Francisco, July 5, 1916." ¶ Printed by the Philopolis Press in San Francisco.
San Francisco: The Book Club of California, 1920. Second edition, one of 350 copies printed by Taylor & Taylor. Mattila A20; BAL 18791. This is first edition of Lilith as finely produced by Taylor & Taylor for the Book Club of California.
San Francisco: A. M. Robertson, 1915. First edition, one of 525 copies. BAL 18762; Mattila A8. ¶ Sterling's famous ode that celebrated the opening of the exposition that celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal. Handsomely printed and bound in the manner of the Kelmscott Press by Taylor & Taylor...
New York: Boni & Liveright, 1926. First edition. BAL 18834; Mattila A31. A charming portrait of the young Robinson Jeffers by his fellow poet, friend and devotee, George Sterling.
San Francisco: A. M. Robertson, 1921. First edition. BAL 18797; Mattila A25. ¶ An early presentation copy: "For / Ida Brenda Gregg / these songs of California / and Dreamland, with / all good wishes. / George Sterling. / San Francisco, Dec. 6th, 1921." The earliest presentations copies noted in BAL and Mattila are dated December 6 and 8.
N.p.: n.p., n.d. [but San Francisco, 1926]. First edition, one of 150 copies. BAL 18827; Mattila A29. ¶ A narrative poem that H. L. Mencken rejected as "unfit" for his magazine subscribers because of its "lesbian" leanings. There was apparently some discussion of the Grabhorns printing it for Sterling, but...
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1879. First edition. BAL 7873 (Hayne). ¶ The first collected edition of the poems of Frank O. Ticknor (1822-1874), a widely read Georgia poet and friend and contemporary of fellow Southern poet Paul Hayne, who praises Ticknor's poetry in the introduction. The editor was Kate Mason...