Uncle Tom's Cabin or, Life Among the lowly with The Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin
Boston, 1852, London, 1853. John P. Jewett and Co./Thomas Bosworth. First Edition. Octavo. Item #024176
In two volumes. First issue with stereotyped by Hobart and Robbins. First issue points with "spilt" rather than "spiled" in Volume I, page 42, line 1 and "cathecism" rather than "catechism" in Volume II, page 74, line 5. Vol. I; Vignette title page. 312 pp. Vol. II; vignette title page, 322 pp. The Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin; Portrait frontispiece and facsimile letter present, 595 pp. 4 pp. publisher's ads. A financially strapped farmer named Arthur Shelby decides to sell two of his slaves, a loyal middle-aged man named Uncle Tom and a young boy named Harry, to a trader named Haley. The novel focuses on the character of Uncle Tom, a long-suffering black slave around whom the stories of the other characters revolve. Uncle Tom's Cabin was the best-selling novel and the second best-selling book in the 19th century America, following the Bible. Uncle Tom's Cabin had been rebound in 3/4 brown morocco over brow cloth, raised bands with compartments lettered and decorated in gilt, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, with a compliments card laid in from an early bookseller, title page with some foxing to volume one, internally nearly fresh, vol. two internally fresh, volume two with just a bit of fading to corner and spine edge of upper board, a very handsome set. The Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin had been rebound in 3/4 black polished calf over marbled paper covered boards, raised bans with compartments lettered and decorated in gilt, only a bit of light scattered foxing to frontispiece and title page. Very nice. [BAL 19343].
Price: $6,350.00