Description
The first edition, first printing of Lives And Speeches Of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin by William D. Howells, the first Lincoln campaign biography.
Octavo, xv, [16]-406pp, [2]. Pebbled cloth, title in gilt on the spine. Notable wear to cloth at the hinges and along the spine. Pink endpapers. Complete with three engraved plates, including “Portrait of Abraham Lincoln,” “Republican Wigwam at Chicago,” and “Portrait of Hannibal Hamlin.” (Howes H-735) This work, according to Bal, is Variant A, Imprint A, with the following points present: “Near Petersburgh” footnote on page 33; lacking the “I” in importance on page 46; lacking a footnote on page 75; the “Republican Wigwam” engraving included on page 95. (BAL 9538) Lacking an errata slip. (Monaghan 44)
This biography was announced on May 19th, 1860, the day following the 1860 Republican convention in Chicago. It was first published on June 25th, 1860, as a 170 page pamphlet, bound in paper wrappers. Lincoln read this early version and made corrections for the publisher, but Howells claimed he never saw the corrections. This book edition of “Lives and Speeches” was expanded to 406 pages, and includes six additional speeches by Lincoln, a history of the 1860 convention. Variants of this text were also published in Cincinnati, Boston, Chicago, Detroit and New York. (Horrocks, p. 53-54)
