The Raven

New York: Harper and Brothers, 1884. 1st Thus . Hardcover. Good/No Jacket. Elephant Folio - over 15 - 23" tall. Gustave Doré. The Raven- one of the most famous American poems, written by Edgar Allan Poe, and first published in 1845. Illustrated by the French artist Gustave Doré, with commentary by Edmund C. Stedman. This is the first American edition, published by Harper & Brothers, New York, 1884. Elephant folio 14" by 18". Original grey cloth boards with beveled edges, all edges gilt, black stamped title, bearing a door and smoke on the front cover behind a large angel with gilt-stamped wings. Composed of commentary, followed by The Poem, followed by alternating pages of text lines and corresponding full page illustration. Includes 26 engravings by Gustave Dore, the preeminent French engraver. All engravings are present. Gift inscription on title page to Zenaida Talbot (1892-1979) from her father Dr. C. Hart Merriam. Clinton Hart Merriam (1855 - 1942) was an American zoologist, mammalogist, ornithologist, entomologist, ecologist, ethnographer, geographer, naturalist and physician. He was commonly known as the 'father of mammalogy'. Condition: Good. Boards are lightly soiled, corners are bumped and rubbed. Small areas of foxing throughout. Half-title page has a small picture of Poe laid in. Front endpaper has shadow of previous bookplate. The first illustration ("Nevermore") is loose from binding, but is present. All pages have a 7 ½" long, 1 ½" high waterstain on the bottom right edge. Several pages have a crease, but none of the illustrations do. Illustrations are on a heavier paper than the text. Front and rear hinges starting. Front joint is split 2 ½" at the top front, and 1" at bottom front. A few pages have a closed 1 ¼" tear. Open ¼" tear on text page with "Doubting, dreaming dreams."