The Early Poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Aesthetic Binding), 1890 📜🇺🇸🎄

This volume is a top-shelf example of American decorative bookmaking, containing the early poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Published in 1890 by Houghton, Mifflin, and Company and printed at the prestigious Riverside Press.

The book is a later printing of a collected work, but its significance is tied to its material status as an object of 19th Century American art and culture. A personal Christmas inscription from 1905 establishes a direct, 120 year-old human connection to the item. This volume is a strategic investment for collectors prioritizing aesthetic quality and verifiable history.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object📖✍️✨

The core content features Longfellow’s foundational poetry, including “Voices of the Night,” “Ballads and Other Poems,” and the controversial “Poems on Slavery.” This compilation was designed to be a definitive edition of his initial poetic output.

The highly ornate, gilt-stamped cloth cover is the most valuable feature. The design embodies the Aesthetic Movement, characterized by intricate detailing and a central medallion featuring a winged figure. This binding represents the era's taste for European-inspired, fine American design. The interior boasts high-quality paper, a frontispiece portrait, and decorative endpapers, all hallmarks of The Riverside Press.

3. About the Author✍️🏛️

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) was the first American poet to achieve global recognition. A scholar who taught at Harvard, his accessible, musical poetry earned him immense popularity in the 19th Century.

His inclusion of abolitionist works like “Poems on Slavery” in the 1840s demonstrates his commitment to political discourse. This 1890 edition continues his legacy, presenting his early work to a new generation that sought to define a sophisticated American cultural identity. His work, though sometimes criticized for sentimentality, shaped American self-image for a century.

4. Historical/Political Era Context🌍🕰️📜

This book was published in 1890, situating its creation in the midst of the American Gilded Age. This period, marked by industrial expansion and unprecedented personal wealth, drove a demand for cultured acquisitions.

Publishers like Houghton, Mifflin and Company responded by producing these elaborately designed, collectible editions of classic authors. The high-quality printing by The Riverside Press reflects the era’s desire to rival the fine printing of European houses. This book is a physical artifact of Late-Victorian American culture, serving as both a status symbol and a source of literary enrichment.

5. The Ideal Collector💡🧐🏛️

This volume is an essential component for a curator of American Aesthetic Movement Book Design. The value resides in the material culture and the artistry of the binding.

It is the ideal acquisition for a collector who appreciates the pedigree of The Riverside Press and the history of American fine printing. This book belongs in a personal collection focused on the convergence of 19th Century American literature and decorative arts.

6. Value & Rarity💎✨🏛️

The item is 135 years old (published in 1890). Its market value is based on the highly preserved condition of the decorative binding. The rarity of this volume lies in the survival rate of this specific 1890 issue with a clean interior and a clear, dated inscription.

This is a material artifact of 19th Century publishing that has survived the environmental stressors of over a century. The combination of a top-tier publisher, a definitive American author, and a personal 1905 inscription elevates its status in the collector market.

7. Condition🔎📚✨

This is a transparent and factual condition report based on direct visual analysis.

• Positive Qualities:

  • The decorative cloth binding is tight and the gilt stamping is mostly bright and legible.

  • The interior text block is notably clean with no major foxing or chemical burns.

  • The endpapers feature the original floral pattern and are fully intact.

  • The 1905 inscription is clear and well-preserved on the front flyleaf.

• Imperfections:

  • The front flyleaf contains several price/notation markings ("75," "50," "50") in pencil or faint ink.

  • Minor rubbing and slight fading are visible along the spine and board edges, consistent with its 135 year age.

  • The top and bottom of the spine cloth show very minor fraying.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features🤓📜🤩

• Longfellow's poem "The Spanish Student," which is included in this volume, was his only major drama.

• The Riverside Press was legendary for its book production, and its logo, featuring a seated figure and the motto "bien ou rien" (well or nothing), is a symbol of its commitment to quality.

• The inscription is dated December 1905, meaning the book was given as a Christmas gift 15 years after its publication date.

9. Supporting Information🏷️📦💰

• Title: The Early Poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

• Author/Maker: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

• Year: 1890

• Publisher/Foundry: Houghton, Mifflin, and Company / The Riverside Press

• Place of Origin: Boston and New York, USA

• Format/Binding: Decorative Gilt-Stamped Cloth, Hardcover

• Edition: Later Printing, Copyright 1884

• Rarity: Collectible Decorative Edition

• Handwritten Inscriptions (Verbatim Transcription):

  • "Merry Christmas"

  • "To Harry Wilson"

  • "From Grandma"

  • "Dec 1905"