Typee, inscribed, the Bradley Martin copy - photo 1
Typee, inscribed, the Bradley Martin copy - photo 2
Typee, inscribed, the Bradley Martin copy - photo 3

Typee, inscribed, the Bradley Martin copy

Lot 115
15.06.2023 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 176 400
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 967581
Lot 115 | Typee, inscribed, the Bradley Martin copy
Estimate value
$ 80 000 – 100 000
Typee, inscribed, the Bradley Martin copy

Herman Melville, 1846

MELVILLE, Herman (1819-1891). Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life. New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1846.



The Groves-Bradley Martin copy of the first American edition of Melville's first book, a presentation copy; inscribed in the month of publication, "Mrs Tomlinson from the author March 18 1846."



Presentation copies of Melville's work are rare; only three others are recorded by RBH and of these, only the copy to his cousin Maria Peebles was dated in the month of publication. The identity of Mrs Tomlinson remains unconfirmed, however; the Melville Log suggests it is "Mrs [Theodore E.?] Tomlinson," that is, Abigail Esther Walden (1820-1907), who married Theodore Tomlinson (1817-1887) in December 1844. Mr Tomlinson was a friend of Melville's brother Gansevoort, a fellow lawyer with whom he shared an office in Albany. Recent scholarship has also suggested another possible candidate: Anna Staples Tomlinson (1806-1873), resident of Albany, New York, and wife of Oliver M. Tomlinson, a cousin of Theodore and co-manager of the "magnificent" Stanwix Hall Hotel in Albany (see Melvilliana online, "Another Mrs Tomlinson"). In his biography of Melville, Hershel Parker noted that "Gansevoort was attentive to many women married to powerful men, women somewhat older than he"—a description, perhaps, more fitting to Anna than Abigail (p.399). In any case, Mrs Tomlinson must have held some importance as her presentation from the author was given ahead of even the dedication copy to Lemuel Shaw on 19 March and the presentation to Mrs Peebles on 20 March (Melville Log, pp. 125, 207).



Typee was a resounding success, and Melville's most popular work during his lifetime. Melville returned from his adventures in the South Seas in October 1844 and wrote his debut the following spring. It was based on his desertion of the whaling ship Acushnet in 1842 and subsequent adventures through the Marquesas Islands with Richard Tobias Greene, who would inspire the main character, Toby. Harper's, much to their later regret, initially rejected Typee on the grounds that it was too incredible to be believed as an autobiographical tale. BAL 13653; Leyda Melville Log p.207.



Octavo, two volumes in one. Frontispiece map of the Marquesa Islands, 6 pages of ads at rear (numbered [v]-x) (some foxing internally). Blue publisher's cloth (spine a little faded, cloth worn at upper edge of rear joint and foot of spine); modern chemise and morocco pull-off box. Provenance: John Stuart Groves, 1881-1958 (bookplate, his sale, Parke-Bernet Galleries, 5 & 6 April 1943, lot 321) – H. Bradley Martin (his sale, Sotheby's New York, January 1990, lot 2141).



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
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
Moby-Dick
Moby-Dick
$25 000

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.