IMPORTANT 1922 STANDARD EDITION OF MELVILLE’S WORKS, INCLUDING THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF BILLY BUDD

MELVILLE, Herman. The Works of Herman Melville. London: Constable, 1922-24. 16 volumes. Octavo, full 20th-century blue morocco, raised bands, gilt spine decorations, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. $20,000.

Extremely important limited Standard edition of the works of Herman Melville, copy number 10 of 750 sets, featuring the first publication of his Billy Budd and the first book publication of many other works, handsomely bound in blue morocco with anchor motifs.

When Melville died in 1891, his obituary in the New York Times noted somewhat ironically that "he has died an absolutely forgotten man… In its kind this speedy oblivion by which a once famous man so long survived his fame is almost unique, and it is not easily explicable." Perhaps almost as unique, if more explicable, was the resurgence of his reputation in the early 20th century. The publication of this Standard Edition of Melville's work was a key component of that resurgence, and featured the important first publication of the novella Billy Budd, which had been discovered in Melville's papers in 1919 by his biographer Raymond Weaver; it was quickly hailed as a masterpiece by figures such as D.H. Lawrence. In addition to the first publication in any form of Billy Budd, Volume XIII contains the first book publications of numerous works, including "The Cincinnati," "Daniel Orme," "Jack Gentian," "The Two Temples" and "Under the Rose." Volume XVI contains the first publication in any form of the "Author's Note," "Miscellaneous Poems" and "At the Hostelry." BAL 1360, 13682 (Billy Budd), 13683 (Poems).

Contents very clean and fresh save for a small area of spotting to the upper margin of a few leaves at the back of volume I; spines evenly toned. A handsome copy of this significant edition.