Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie

Starting price
$ 4 000
Auction dateClassic
15.06.2023 10:00UTC -04:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
USA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 967591
Lot 43 | Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie
Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1847

LONGFELLOW, Henry Wadsworth (1807-1882). Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie. Boston: William D. Ticknor & Company, 1847.



Extremely rare first issue of Longfellow's important romance of the Expulsion of the Acadians, in original condition with drab boards and printed spine label. The earliest printed copies have Long on p. 61, line 1; "examination indicates that during the run of the first printing the reading became Lo…, due to an unknown, accidental, cause" (BAL). This is a particularly rare issue of an already rare book in original condition; RBH records only two copies of any issue, both from the 1980s.



The idea for the poem came from Nathaniel Hawthorne, who had heard a story about tragic Acadian lovers. Longfellow did meticulous research on the historical setting of the poem, which paid off, literally—it earned him record royalty payments. It was one of the first important long poems written by an American, and also had a major impact on perceptions of the history of Nova Scotia and the Acadians themselves, whom Longfellow presents as peaceful utopians being violently persecuted by the English. BAL 12089; Grolier 84.



Octavo (182 x 120mm). 4pp. ads at front dated 1 October 1847. Original drab boards with printed paper label on spine (joints cracked and chips at spine ends): modern chemise and half morocco slipcase. Provenance: C.A Whitcomb (gift inscription from brother).

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
15.06.2023
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
Email
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Shipping Postal service
Courier service
pickup by yourself
Payment methods Wire Transfer
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:30 – 17:00   
Tu 09:30 – 17:00   
We 09:30 – 17:00   
Th 09:30 – 17:00   
Fr 09:30 – 17:00   
Sa closed
Su closed

More from Creator

The original manuscript for "On the Avon"
The original manuscript for "On the Avon"
$5 000
The Courtship of Miles Standish, presentation copy
The Courtship of Miles Standish, presentation copy
$3 000
From my Arm-chair, signed
From my Arm-chair, signed
$1 000
The Hanging of the Crane
The Hanging of the Crane
$1 000
Hiawatha and The Courtship of Miles Standish, first English editions
Hiawatha and The Courtship of Miles Standish, first English editions
$1 000
A full transcript of "A Psalm of Life"
A full transcript of "A Psalm of Life"
$1 000
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
£100
To his friend and confidant, Charles Sumner
To his friend and confidant, Charles Sumner
$5 000

Related terms

× Create a Search Subscription