MOBY DICK, or The Whale by [Kent, Rockwell, Illus.] Melville Herman - 1930

New York: Random House, 1930. The First Trade Edition of Rockwell Kent's famously illustrated classic. With beautiful reproductions of Rockwell Kent's artwork, which originally appeared in the now very scarce Lakeside Press Limited Edition. 8vo, very handsomely bound in Bath, England by the Period Binders in three-quarter dark-blue crushed morocco over navy cloth-covered boards, the corner pieces and turnovers gilt ruled, the spine with raised bands creating compartments, four of which are decorated with a gilt tooled spouting whale, the remaining two gilt lettered, t.e.g. Preserved and bound in at the end of the book are the publisher's original silver-decorated black cloth covers. xxxi, 822, + epilogue pp. A very attractive copy of this great illustrated novel. The binding is in very fine condition and preserves the original cloth within, the text is fresh and clean. THE FIRST TRADE EDITION OF THIS CLASSIC WORK, ILLUSTRATED BY ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST FAMOUS ARTISTS, Herman Melville’s classic nineteenth century whaling story and Rockwell Kent’s definitively twentieth century artistic style might strike one at first as an odd juxtaposition. The end-product speaks for itself however and this truly handsome book has become a classic in it own right. Fantastically rendered, it ranks among the finest of illustrated novels.
"As Queequeg and I are now fairly embarked in this business of whaling," Melville's narrator begins, "and as this business of whaling has somehow come to be regarded among landsmen as a rather unpoetical and disreputable pursuit; therefore, I am all anxiety to convince ye, ye landsmen, of the injustice hereby done to us hunters of whales." Melville points out the historical accomplishments of whalers ("Often, adventures which Vancouver dedicates three chapters to, these men accounted unworthy of being set down in the ship's common log") and the traditional homage paid to whales ("In one of the mighty triumphs given to a Roman general upon his entering the world's capital, the bones of a whale, brought all the way from the Syrian Coast, were the most conspicuous object in the cymballed procession"), and in general does a fine job of vindicating his profession.
"Oh, the rare old Whale, mid storm and gale
In his ocean home will be
A giant in might, where might is right,
And king of the boundless sea."
Rockwell Kent’s vivid and artistic illustrations make this one of the most attractive editions of Melville’s classic American novel.