1882 Rare Book - The Poetical Works of Henry W. Longfellow, Illustrated

A richly ornamented Victorian edition gathering the poetic voice of Longfellow in one of the era’s most striking decorative bindings. Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Edited, with a critical memoir, by William Michael Rossetti. Illustrated by Thomas Seccombe. Title: The Poetical Works of Henry W. Longfellow. Publisher: London, Ward, Lock, & Co., Warwick House, [circa 1882]. Language: Text in English. Size: 7.5 x 5 inches. Pages: xvi-658 pages + publisher’s catalogue. Binding: Very good original publisher’s blue decorative cloth binding elaborately stamped in black and gilt to the front board and spine, with ornate Victorian panel designs and central oval medallion. Minor rubbing and wear to extremities and spine ends. All edges gilt. Under a protective, removable mylar cover. Content: Very good content with scattered foxing, chiefly to preliminary leaves and occasionally throughout. A charming 1882 gift inscription from “Mr. & Mrs. Bailey” appears at the back of the frontispiece. Inner hinges sound and the volume remains solid and attractive. Illustrations: Illustrated throughout by Thomas Seccombe with numerous black-and-white engraved illustrations and ornamental decorative page borders. Complete. Estimate: (USD 150–200). The book: This handsome Victorian edition of Longfellow’s collected poetry was issued as part of “Moxon’s Popular Poets,” a celebrated series known for its richly decorative bindings and accessible editions of major English-language poets. The striking cobalt-blue cloth, lavishly blocked in gilt and black, exemplifies the aesthetic refinement of late nineteenth-century publisher’s bindings. Included are many of Longfellow’s best-loved works, among them Evangeline, The Song of Hiawatha, and The Golden Legend, accompanied by numerous illustrations that enhance the romantic and narrative qualities of the poems. Particularly appealing is the presence of Evangeline, Longfellow’s famous poem inspired by the Acadian expulsion — a work that continues to resonate deeply with readers interested in Acadian history and Atlantic Canada. The author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) was one of the most celebrated American poets of the nineteenth century. A member of the Fireside Poets, he achieved enormous international popularity through narrative and lyrical works such as Paul Revere’s Ride, The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline. His poetry, marked by musical language and accessible themes, helped shape American literary identity during the Victorian era. The editor: William Michael Rossetti (1829–1919), brother of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite circle, was an influential critic, editor, and literary scholar. His editorial work helped preserve and popularize many important Victorian writers and poets.