The Confidence-Man - photo 1

The Confidence-Man

Lot 136
15.06.2023 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 11 970
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 967684
Lot 136 | The Confidence-Man
Estimate value
$ 5 000 – 8 000
The Confidence-Man

Herman Melville, 1857

MELVILLE, Herman (1819-1891). The Confidence-Man. London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, & Roberts, 1857.



A very fine copy of the rare first English edition of Melville's final novel. William Reese wrote on the rarity of the English edition of The Confidence-Man along with Hawthorne's involvement in its publication, noting that "it is not the American sheets with a cancel leaf, but an entirely new setting of type, and was evidently produced by the English publisher Longman, Brown, Green, Longman's and Roberts. Hawthorne made arrangements for its English publication on Melville's behalf" (Reese). The English edition was possibly issued simultaneously with the American—BAL has a question mark on this point. Rare at auction: RBH only records three copies. BAL 13671 (B endpapers, “Books on Rural Sports,” no priority); Reese Melville 28.



Octavo (170 x 100mm). Brown coated end papers imprinted with publisher's ads, p. 24 of terminal catalogue dated March 1855. Original orange blind-stamped cloth, gilt-stamped spine (a little very minor rubbing and soiling); modern clamshell box. Provenance: Alfred Stourton (ownership inscription to front endpaper, possibly Alfred Joseph Stourton, 1829-1893, 20th Baron Stourton, 24th Baron Segrave, 23rd Baron Mowbray).

Artist:Herman Melville (1819 - 1891)
Auction house category:Printed books
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
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
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 Piazza Tales
The Piazza Tales
$100
Moby-Dick
Moby-Dick
$100
Battle-Pieces
Battle-Pieces
$100
Israel Potter and Benito Cereno in Putnam's Monthly
Israel Potter and Benito Cereno in Putnam's Monthly
$3 000
Criticism on Art by William Hazlitt
Criticism on Art by William Hazlitt
$7 000
Typee, inscribed, the Bradley Martin copy
Typee, inscribed, the Bradley Martin copy
$80 000
Narrative of a Four Months' Residence Among the Natives, a family copy
Narrative of a Four Months' Residence Among the Natives, a family copy
$100
The Piazza Tales, inscribed by Allan Melville
The Piazza Tales, inscribed by Allan Melville
$3 500

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.