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Sailing Alone Around the World by Captain Joshua Slocum (RARE, First Edition, Second Printing), 1900 🌎 ⛵🗺️

Name: Sailing Alone Around the World by Captain Joshua Slocum (RARE, First Edition, Second Printing), 1900 🌎 ⛵🗺️
Brand: Wall Antiques
Price: 1950.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$1,950.00

Sale Sold out

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This is a cornerstone work of American adventure literature. Sailing Alone Around the World is Captain Joshua Slocum's autobiographical account of his historic three-year solo voyage around the globe. As a rare illustrated first edition, second printing from 1900, this volume is a highly sought-after artifact for collectors of maritime literature and first-person adventure narratives.

This particular copy is made even more special by the presence of a bookplate and personal inscription, linking it to a specific bookseller and a previous owner.

This edition is a tangible connection to the legendary seaman who completed a solo circumnavigation in the late 19th century. The book is not merely a travelogue; it is a monument to a pioneering spirit and a record of a historic achievement.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨

Sailing Alone Around the World is a masterpiece of maritime literature, blending a thrilling adventure narrative with a personal and often humorous memoir. The book chronicles Slocum's three-year, 46,000-mile journey aboard his 36-foot sloop, Spray.

The narrative is celebrated for its casual, engaging style and its detailed, firsthand account of a voyage considered impossible at the time. The book’s contents include detailed descriptions of Slocum’s encounters with pirates, storms, and the vast, solitary beauty of the open ocean.

The book is an essential primary source for any scholar or dedicated reader of adventure literature. It is widely considered to be a cultural time capsule, capturing the ideals of self-reliance, ingenuity, and a deep appreciation for the sea.

The physical book itself has beautiful illustrations by Thomas Fogarty and George Varian which provide a rich visual accompaniment to the thrilling narrative.

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

Captain Joshua Slocum (1844-1909) was a Canadian-American seaman, adventurer, and author. Born in Nova Scotia, he spent his life at sea, becoming a master mariner at the age of 16. In 1895, at the age of 51, he departed from Boston in the reconstructed sloop Spray on his historic voyage. He returned in 1898, completing the first-ever solo circumnavigation of the globe. His journey and subsequent book earned him a place as a folk hero and a literary pioneer.

Slocum’s legacy is rooted in his remarkable achievement and his gift for storytelling. His book showcases a powerful and engaging voice, filled with dry wit and an unflappable spirit. He was not a trained writer, but his prose is celebrated for its directness and authenticity.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

Published in 1900, this book is an artifact of the late Victorian era and the dawn of a new century. The book’s publication reflects a widespread fascination with exploration and adventure, a desire to understand a world that was becoming increasingly interconnected by new technologies. It was a time of great interest in American history and a desire to document the lives of those who had built the nation.

The book is a "time capsule" of late 19th-century American literary and social thought. It captures the spirit of an era when individual achievement and self-reliance were highly valued. It serves as an important record of the transitional period between the rugged individualism of the frontier and the modern era of organized society.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This book is intended for a curator of American adventure literature, a scholar of maritime history, or a private collector of first-person narratives.

It is an ideal acquisition for an individual who values a book's dual significance as a historical document and a physical artifact of its time. This is a perfect fit for a collection that cherishes the intimate story behind an adventurer's life.

The book is an essential piece for building a library that tells the story of American ingenuity and perseverance. It is not just for display, but for a reader who is serious about understanding the lives and creative journeys of America's greatest adventurers.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

As a rare first edition, second printing, this book represents a genuinely scarce, non-replicable asset.

First printings of classic adventure books are highly sought after and difficult to find in good condition due to being heavily read and loved. This early second printing, published in the same year as the first, is also a genuine rarity on the market.

The book is a unique window into the history of maritime adventure and publishing. The price is a direct reflection of the book's scarcity, its historical significance, and its condition for an item of its age.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This volume is a handsome survivor from the turn of the century, showing honest and authentic wear consistent with its age.

The original decorative cloth cover shows some rubbing and scuffing, particularly along the edges and on the spine.
The binding remains solid and tight, though it shows some signs of use and age.
The pages have some expected toning and light foxing throughout, a natural process for paper from this period, which gives it authenticity.
The pages are free from any major tears or stains, and the interior text block is clean.
The book is free of any detached or loose pages. There is a decorative bookplate and a personal inscription, which adds a unique layer of history.

8. Translation of Inscriptions/Ephemera (Conditional) ✍️📜🔤

This book contains two exceptional features that add a rich history to its journey through time. The first is a beautifully designed bookplate from a well-known bookseller. The second is a personal inscription to a previous owner, which documents its journey from a commercial bookseller to a private library.

The inscriptions read: "[Bookplate] Paul Elder & Co. San Francisco" and "Herbert Johnson From J. C. Bancroft".
The bookplate from "Paul Elder & Co. San Francisco" establishes that this volume was sold by this famous bookseller, a San Francisco institution known for its high-quality publications.
The inscription to "Herbert Johnson" from "J. C. Bancroft" documents its sale or gifting to a specific person.

9. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

The Spray, the sloop Slocum sailed around the world, was originally a derelict oyster boat that Slocum rebuilt himself.
The journey took him three years, from 1895 to 1898, and was a solo effort, a monumental feat that remains an inspiration to sailors to this day.
The book was a massive bestseller in its time and remains a classic of adventure literature. It has been continually in print since 1889.
In an effort to defend his ship from indigenous Yahgan Indians near Tierra del Fuego, Slocum sprinkled tacks on the deck and was later awakened by their yelps of pain.
Slocum did not know how to swim, which was a common sentiment among mariners at the time.