Moby Dick – Herman Melville (Rockwell Kent illus.)

Moby Dick. By Herman Melville. Chicago: Lakeside Press, 1930, First Illustrated Edition.

The first illustrated edition of Melville’s classic work, and one of the finest examples of illustrator Rockwell Kent’s works. In three volumes, it is one of 1,000 large paper copies. Lacking publisher’s aluminum silver slipcase. Light scuffing and nicking, minor surface wear. Near Fine.

Rockwell Kent’s “Moby Dick” is one of four books which the Lakeside Press, under the direction of William A. Kittredge, had in hand for four or five years. It was the purpose of these books to demonstrate the fullest possibilities of fine American printing. Rockwell Kent became absorbed in his task of illustrating this classic, and did a series of beautiful drawings for full-page, half-page, quarter-page, and tail-pieces, 275 in all. As these came from his pen, it was obvious that the press could not do anything but make a magnificent book to measure up to the illustrations, and a beautiful type page was planned and executed in the three volume cloth binding large paper edition. (PW, Sept. 20, 1930)