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The Water Witch or The Skimmer of the Seas
by Cooper, James Fenimore
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Stevenson, Maryland, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Three volumes. Half titles, colophon leaf in vol. 3 (a little spotting, damp staining in vol 3). Contemporary quarter green morocco gilt and marbled boards (rubbed at extremities). A very good, unrestored set.
Rare true first edition of Cooper's pirate romance. This nautical novel set in 17th-century New York was first published in a small edition in Dresden, where the author had settled in 1826. London and Philadelphia editions soon followed.
Cooper had attempted to have the work printed in Rome. The tale of the abduction of a woman by the mysterious pirate captain of the Water-Witch, who is actually a woman in disguise, was deemed "wholly unfit" by the Papal censors. The Water Witch was "the only genuine continental first" of all his novels (Spiller and Blackburn). This book, in both its content and its publication history, demonstrates the truly international scope of Cooper's career.
Provenance: Christie's New York, 21 September 1994, lot 56.
BAL 3845; Spiller and Blackburn pp. 6-7 and 62.
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Details
- Bookseller
- 19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 32820749
- Title
- The Water Witch or The Skimmer of the Seas
- Author
- Cooper, James Fenimore
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Walther
- Place of Publication
- Dresden
- Date Published
- 1830
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Note
- May be a multi-volume set and require additional postage.
Terms of Sale
19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop
Biblio member since 2011
Stevenson, Maryland
About 19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop
Important books, manuscripts, and photographs representing mankind's greatest achievements.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Colophon
- The colophon contains information about a book's publisher, the typesetting, printer, and possibly even includes a printer's...
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Marbled boards
- ...
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