[Whitman, Walt- Fine, Inscribed by Horace Traubel, Whitman's Close Friend and Secretary to Will Innes] November Boughs

Philadelphia: David McKay Company, 1888. First edition, Third Printing. First edition, Third Printing. 8vo. 140pp. + 1p advertisements. The scarce and important "Third Printing," produced by Whitman for the sole purpose of distribution to his personal friends. Original publisher's dark green smooth woven cloth, beveled boards with two gilt circular swirl decorates and lettering on cover and spine, in gilt. This copy inscribed on the front free endpaper by Horace Traubel, the author's close friend and confident who handled all of his affairs, especially near the end where he would stay by Whitman's bed, and certainly following his death, gifting a number of his "extra" volumes to friends and family members. Written first by Traubel, and following by his granddaughter Gertrude Traubel who later received the volume: "To Will Innes, With loyal feelings, Horace Traubel, 1896." And below, written by Gertrude Traubel, "And which he [Will Innes] gave to Gertrude Traubel on Sunday afternoon, December 17, -1967-" Will Innes was a friend of the Traubel family, and gave a significant portion of his library to his granddaughter, Gertrude, in 1967, who became a great advocate and enthusiast of Whitman. Whitman originally intended to publish these sheets bound with Good-Bye My Fancy (1891), but his illness prevented him from realizing this plan. It seems probable, however, that after Whitman's death his executors had these sheets and the remainder of Good-Bye My Fancy bound in uniform, but separate, bindings" (BAL). This is the third printing, with "melee" on page 6, and "in the least," on page 11 (Myerson). Several extant copies of this third printing bear notes in Traubel's hand indicating that it was made by Whitman "for his personal friends and never put on the market." From the Whitman Archive: "He had the book bound in the same deep red cloth that November Boughs had appeared in (fig. 83), also binding up some in deep green (fig. 84) to give to his friends, so that even in this final volume, he was still balancing his reds and greens, as he had done his whole life." And, in another book which was also presentation by Traubel, he states: "...This edition of November Boughs. bound in green was designed by Walt Whitman for his friends, not for the market, and was never anywhere put on sale." A wonderful Presentation of an important special edition put out by Whitman in his last years. In fine condition.