First Edition Of Frederick Douglass’ My Bondage And My Freedom, 1855 20. DOUGLASS, Frederick. My Bondage and My Freedom. New York and Auburn, 1855. Small octavo (5-1/2 by 7-3/4 inches), original brown cloth rebacked with original spine laid down. $6500. Click for more info First edition of Douglass’ second autobiography, with three engraved plates, including the stipple-engraved frontispiece from the classic daguerreotype of Douglass, and printed extracts from his famous speeches, in original cloth. “The most influential African American of the 19th century” (ANB), Douglass was “the most powerful abolitionist speaker in the country” (Negro History). Appearing a decade after his initial, brief autobiography, My Bondage and My Freedom is the work “critics have increasingly called Douglass’ ‘true’ life story” (Lee, 99). Described by Eric Sundquist as “a classic text of the American Renaissance,” this authoritative narrative, published within five years of the Civil War, documents “Douglass’ ongoing critique of American racism… In 1855, more so than in 1845, Douglass realized that his life’s story had the power to influence social and political change for black and white Americans” (John David Smith). Bound without advertisements. Blockson 9717. Sabin 20714. Faint owner signature. Interior generally fresh with light scattered foxing, expert restoration to original cloth. February 2022 – 22 – Bauman Rare Books
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