Two Years Before the Mast - photo 1

Two Years Before the Mast

Lot 271
16.06.2023 10:00UTC -04:00
Classic
Sold
$ 4 410
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 967471
Lot 271 | Two Years Before the Mast
Estimate value
$ 3 000 – 5 000
[DANA, Richard Henry, Jr. (1815-1882).] Two Years Before the Mast. A Personal Narrative of Life at Sea. New York: Harper 1840.

First edition of the author's first book, first printing. A fine copy, with family provenance dating from the month of publication. Immediately upon publication in September of 1840, Dana’s work became highly popular. "Written in clear and concise prose, it appealed to a broad spectrum of readers. Dana's exotic trip to California, which was virtually unknown to Americans at the time, became the best contemporary description of the territory the United States seized just a few years later. Many people, notably Herman Melville, celebrated his account of his life as a sailor and the rigors of voyaging around Cape Horn" (Narratives of Personal Experience). It also happens to contain "the best account of the early hide trade of California" (Six Score). First printing with the dot over the "i" in the word "in" in the copyright notice and with the running head on p. 9 unbroken. This is the first state of BAL's binding b (no priority between a and b bindings, the first state lists fewer titles on the lower cover). Adams Herd 642; BAL 4434; Cowan (II), p. 62; Howes D-49; Best of the West 41; Reese, Narratives of Personal Experience 41; Six Score: The 120 Best Books on the Range Cattle Industry 28; Zamorano Eighty 26.

12mo. Original printed tan muslin (a little soiled, endpapers foxed, slight wear at extremities. Custom quarter morocco slipcase. Provenance: Charles Blanchard Dana, 1816-1906, distant cousin and contemporary of the author, namesake of the Dana Hall School in Wellesley, Mass. (ownership signature dated "Sept. 25th 1840" and stamped ex libris on front free endpaper).
Artist:Richard Henry Dana II (1815 - 1882)
Place of origin:USA
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
16.06.2023
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

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.
?>