Inscribed first edition, first issue, second printing (before publication) of this transcendentalist approach to the Great Man theory of history — an important copy, early among Emerson's inscriptions.
Very good plus.
Price: $10,000.00
"Nature seems to exist for the excellent. The world is upheld by the veracity of good men: they make the earth wholesome."
The Transcendentalist belief in the inherent goodness of the world and the importance of individualism is reflected in Ralph Waldo Emerson's REPRESENTATIVE MEN. Emerson, a leading light of the Transcendentalist movement, found fertile ground in the Great Man theory of history, which focuses on how the works and lives of prominent individuals affected the world around them. Emerson's six REPRESENTATIVE MEN – Plato, Emanuel Swedenborg, Michel de Montaigne, Shakespeare, Napoleon, and Goethe – are those whose biographies he finds "teach us the qualities of primary nature, – admit us to the constitution of things."
This copy is inscribed by Emerson to Elizabeth Davis Bancroft, a noted epistolary writer of the Victorian period whose reflections on English society via correspondence were published after her death. George Bancroft, Elizabeth's husband, was in fact one of the driving forces of the Great Man theory; his "fervently nationalistic interpretation of American history," concerned with justifying the divine providence of US exceptionalism, relied heavily on this framework to guide his narratives (Cheng, 3). Mrs. and Mr. Bancroft were good friends of Emerson and his wife, whose company Elizabeth remarks upon several times in her letters. Most copies signed by Emerson that appear on the market today are much later inscriptions than this, from the year of publication in one of his early books.
Read more: Blanck, Bibliography of American Literature (BAL), item 5219; Eileen K. Cheng, The Plain and Noble Garb of Truth.
Boston: Phillips, Sampson and Company, 1850. 7.5'' x 4.5''. Original blind-stamped brown cloth with gilt spine lettering. Yellow endpapers. 286 pages, with [2] pages of ads to rear, collated complete. Inscribed by Emerson to front flyleaf, "Mrs. Bancroft / with affectionate regards" dated Feb. 8 1850 in Concord. Tiny blind-embossed bookseller seal to corners of front flyleaf and first blank. Binding expertly rebacked with original spine laid down. Boards with a few small areas of rubbing. A bit of toning to endpapers. Interior quite clan and bright. Sharp.
We work hard to meet our ethical responsibility to describe our material accurately. All items are guaranteed as described and may be returned for any reason within 30 days. Please notify us before mailing a return.
We guarantee the authenticity of our items. All materials are original (meaning not facsimiles or reproductions) unless otherwise noted. First editions (meaning first edition, first printing) are explicitly stated. TPM is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and upholds their Code of Ethics.
All photographs are of the actual item for sale. We're happy to provide additional images on request.
All domestic orders ship gratis. For orders under $250, free USPS media mail shipping is included; orders $250 and over ship USPS Priority. International orders over $500 also ship gratis. Expedited, overnight, as well as other carriers (UPS, Fed-Ex, etc.), may carry additional costs beyond quoted rates. All orders receive tracking information and a direct contact in case of any questions.
International buyers are responsible for any customs, taxes, and related import fees. Please note that we are unable to accomodate requests to misrepresent, misdeclare, or otherwise falsify customs documents when shipping internationally. We appreciate your understanding.
We accept all major credit cards, Paypal, Venmo, check, money order, and bank wire. We are happy to bill institutional buyers' needs. Sales tax will be added to applicable purchases. Items subject to prior sale.
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, please contact us. We prioritize our long-term relationships far above any individual purchase, and we want you to love your item as much as we loved cataloguing it.
Type Punch Matrix is a rare book firm founded by Rebecca Romney and Brian Cassidy.
Read more about TPM.
