“HOW ALL HIS PAGES GLOW WITH CREATIVE FIRE!” (BALZAC): RARE FIRST ISSUE OF COOPER’S CLASSIC THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, UNCUT IN ORIGINAL BOARDS—THE BRADLEY MARTIN COPY

COOPER, James Fenimore. The Last of the Mohicans; A Narrative of 1757. By the author of “The Pioneers” Philadelphia: H.C. Carey & I. Lea, 1826. Two volumes. Octavo, original tan paper-covered boards neatly respined, remnants of original paper spine labels laid down, uncut. Housed in custom cloth chemises and full morocco pull-off case.

Scarce first edition, first issue of Cooper’s classic tale, one of the highlights of early American literature. Very rare uncut in original boards. The Bradley Martin copy, with his bookplates.

“This is the most famous of the Leatherstocking Tales, and the first in which the scout Natty Bumppo was made the symbol of all that was wise, heroic and romantic in the lives and characters of the white men who made the American wilderness their home… The novel glorified for many generations of readers, in England, France, Russia, and at home, some aspects of American life that were unique to our cultural history” (Grolier American 100 34). “The real triumph of Cooper is the variety of his invention, the power with which, isolating his few characters in the wilderness, he contrives to fill their existences, at least for the time being, with enough actions, desires, fears, victories, defeats, sentiments, thoughts to make the barren frontier seem a splendid stage” (DAB). First issue, with page 89 misnumbered 93, Chapter XVI numbered XIV in Volume I (page 243), and page vii correctly numbered (in some copies it is numbered “vi”; BAL states that “examination suggests that the folio was correctly set and the ‘i’ may have dropped out during the printing,” the sequence of states has not been established). State B of Volume II (sequence of states not determined) with “a book” in the fifth line of the copyright notice. Without final blank in Volume I. Spiller & Blackburn 7. BAL 3833. Several bookplates, including that of H. Bradley Martin, who amassed one of the world’s finest book collections, prominently featuring American, English and French literature, as well as important American historical documents and fine ornithological books. The sale of his 10,000-volume collection spanned two years, 1989-90, and the quantity and quality of his holdings led to comparisons with such earlier collectors as Robert Hoe and J.P. Morgan. Also includes the owner signature of bibliographer Wilberforce Eames (in both volumes) and the bookplates of doctor and renowned collector George Clinton Fairchild Williams, and Chicago collector Harold Greenhill—many of whose books were bought by Bradley Martin—and Mildred Greenhill.

Only light expected age browning, a few marginal tears not affecting legibility. An exceptional copy, uncut in original boards, with very distinguished provenance.