"CAMERADO, THIS IS NO BOOK, WHO TOUCHES THIS TOUCHES A MAN": FIRST EDITION OF WALT WHITMAN'S COMPLETE POEMS AND PROSE, ONE OF ONLY 600 COPIES SIGNED BY WHITMAN, WITH A REMARKABLE SIGNED NOTE IN HIS HAND

WHITMAN, Walt. Complete Poems and Prose. (Camden: no publisher [printed for the author in Philadelphia by Ferguson Brothers], 1888). Quarto, original three-quarter green cloth, original brown mottled paper boards, original paper spine label, uncut. Housed in a custom chemise and clamshell box. $16,500.

First edition of the first collected edition of Whitman's works, one of only 600 copies signed by Whitman on the Leaves of Grass title page, in original cloth. With Horace Traubel's hand-written limitation notice (not present on all copies): "Edition: Six Hundred / Number Seventy-four" opposite the Leaves of Grass title page with Whitman's signature. This copy with a signed note entirely in Whitman's hand laid in quoting from Leaves of Grass: "Walt Whitman Oct: 27 '90. Camerado, this is no book, Who touches this touches a man. L of G. p. 382."

Published only four years before the poet's death, this edition was referred to by Whitman as his "big book… essentially the book, irrespective of expensive binding: it has portraits, notes, title page—all the guarantees of my personality: it is as clearly the book as anything could make it." Whitman also called it his "pet edition" going "straight from my hands into the hands of the reader: from my heart to your heart…" Issued for Whitman by the publisher, with four portraits of the author, including a photographic title page. Contains Leaves of Grass, Specimen Days and Collect, and November Boughs. Binding A, priority assumed. Myerson A2.7m. BAL 21431 (binding A). Wells & Goldsmith, 31-32.

Whitman's signature on the title page of Leaves of Grass is bold and clear. Text fine, a few very minor repairs to front free endpaper, inner hinges expertly reinforced. Some rubbing to rear board, spine label slightly chipped, as usual. An extremely good copy.