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Farm Legends, by Will Carleton, (RARE, First Edition, Illustrated), 1875 🚜🇺🇸🌾

Name: Farm Legends, by Will Carleton, (RARE, First Edition, Illustrated), 1875 🚜🇺🇸🌾
Brand: Wall Antiques
Price: 75.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$75.00

Sale Sold out

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This is a First Edition of Farm Legends by the celebrated American poet Will Carleton.

Published by Harper & Brothers in 1875, this volume is a tangible piece of American literary history, featuring a decorative gilt-stamped binding and period illustrations.

The book is a premier acquisition for any serious collector of fine and historically significant first editions, representing a major cultural moment in post-Civil War America.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨

Farm Legends is a collection of narrative poems that portray the lives, struggles, and values of rural American farmers. Carleton's poems capture the essence of 19th-century farm life, depicting the hard work, family bonds, and community spirit that characterized this way of living.

Through his storytelling, Carleton explores themes of love, loss, perseverance, and the connection to the land, often using dialect and colloquial language to create authentic and relatable characters. The collection celebrates the dignity and resilience of farm families, offering a sentimental glimpse into a meaningful aspect of American heritage.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️✨

Will Carleton (1845-1912) was an American poet known for his narrative poems that celebrated rural life and the experiences of ordinary people. His achievements include gaining widespread popularity for his accessible and emotionally resonant poetry, which resonated with a large audience seeking to connect with their roots and values.

Carleton's use of dialect and his focus on everyday themes made his work relatable and engaging, earning him the title of "Poet of the American People". His poetry played a notable role in shaping American cultural identity and preserving the memory of a past way of life.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

Published in 1875, this book belongs to the post-Civil War era in America, a time of rapid social change. As the country transitioned from an agrarian to an industrial society, sentimental poetry that celebrated rural life and its values, such as Carleton's, became immensely popular.

The book’s aesthetic appeal as a well-bound and handsomely printed volume makes it a prime example of American bookmaking from the period.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This First Edition, First Printing of Farm Legends is a core acquisition for a collector building a focused library on 19th-century American poetry and Americana. It is a perfect fit for a literary historian who appreciates the intersection of a prolific poet’s work with the aesthetic and literary appeal of post-Civil War publishing.

First editions from this period by a major publisher like Harper & Brothers are rare and highly sought after by collectors of Americana, New England fiction, or regional dialect literature. The personal inscription, "Christmas 1882," provides a small, personal piece of provenance that adds a unique history to this specific copy.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This First Edition, First Printing of Farm Legends is a genuinely scarce asset.

The book is 150 years old, having survived over a century of history. Its value is overwhelmingly driven by its market scarcity, its historical importance, and its status as a true first edition from a major publisher. This is a premium asset for a discerning collector.

The book’s decorative gilt binding is a charming example of late-Victorian publishing aesthetics. The presence of a personal inscription adds a unique layer of provenance and history to this specific copy. This non-replicable asset holds value that far exceeds a standard reprint.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This book is a used hardcover edition with a decorative cloth binding.

Binding: The binding shows visible wear consistent with its age, including rubbing, scuffing, and discoloration. The gilt stamping shows some fading but remains largely discernible.
Pages: The pages are age-toned, with some foxing and light marks.
Structural Integrity: One page from a chapter is detached from the spine, as depicted in the photos.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

Will Carleton gained widespread popularity for his accessible and emotionally resonant poetry.
Carleton's use of dialect and his focus on everyday themes made his work relatable and engaging.
The book's decorative gilt binding is a charming example of late-Victorian publishing aesthetics.
The personal inscription, "Christmas 1882," provides a small, personal piece of provenance that adds a unique history to this specific copy.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰