The First Men in the Moon.
With many pictures by E. Hering.
Indianapolis: The Bowen-Merrill Company, 1901 Stock Code: 138945
True first edition, presentation copy to his science classmate
First edition, first printing, presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title "To Miss Healey with kindest regards from H. G. Wells". Elizabeth Healey was a fellow student of Wells at the Normal School (later Royal College) of Science, South Kensington, London, and a long-term friend and correspondent. The American edition of The First Men in the Moon is the true first edition in book form, preceding the London edition by one month. It is extremely rare inscribed - we can trace no copy at auction. This copy has the first state binding with "Bowen Merrill" to the foot of spine. Wells's lunar adventure was a genre-defining work, arguably the first alien dystopia, which inspired many later works and notably provided material for the second half of the famous Méliès silent film Le Voyage Dans La Lune (1902).Description
Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt, front cover with lettering and moon design in gilt, blocked in blind, rear cover with title blocked in blind. Housed in a custom blue cloth slipcase.
Illustrations
Frontispiece with tissue guard, 11 plates, title in black within red frame.
Condition
Light reading crease to spine, ends and corners a little rubbed, small superficial crack near top of front hinge but all sound and clean within. Generally a very good copy with the gilt bright on the covers.
DELIVERY
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Established in 1969, Peter Harrington is one of the leading rare book firms in the world. It is a proud member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association – along with ILAB, the PBFA and Lapada – and from shops in Mayfair and Chelsea, London, sells rare books, prints and ephemera to customers across the world.
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