ART NOUVEAU IN GILT & COLOR

Harte, Bret (1836-1902)

Her Letter His Answer and Her Last Letter

Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1905. First Edition, First Printing.
A GILDED MASTERPIECE OF AMERICAN ILLUSTRATION.
A lavish 1905 Art Nouveau gift edition of Bret Harte's famous courtship poems, featuring the illustrative work of Arthur I. Keller. This First Edition copy is particularly collectible as it retains the original glassine wrapper and the remnants of the publisher's box, preserving the intricate gilt binding.

Key Features:
+++ Visuals: A tour-de-force of early 20th-century book production. The volume features 9 full-color plates with lettered tissue guards, 30 duotone plates (yellow and black), and 6 black-and-white plates. Every text page is adorned with small line decorations highlighted with gilt accents.
+++ Binding: Bound in green and white patterned cloth with green titles and a striking black and gilt pictorial inlay. Top edge gilt (TEG). Decorative endpapers featuring quill motifs.
+++ Bibliographic: First Edition with the specific printing point identified in BAL 7541 (Index reads: 'In Short, Sir').
+++ Provenance: Includes the rare original glassine dust jacket (tattered) and the bottom shell of the original publisher's box.

Condition: Very Good Plus -- The binding is tight and square with brilliant gilt on the cover. Text block is clean with light, even age-toning. Minimal shelf handling wear.
The original glassine wrapper is present but wrinkled with minor tears. The publisher's box is present but in poor condition (split corners, lid detached), serving primarily to have protected the book for the last century. Dimensions: 9 inches tall /  7-98 [2] pages

Historical Significance --
While Bret Harte is best remembered for his gritty tales of the California Gold Rush, this volume represents the height of the 'Golden Age of American Illustration' and the turn-of-the-century Gift Book market.

Houghton Mifflin spared no expense on the production, utilizing heavy coated paper, multiple printing processes (color, duotone, and gilt), and commissioning Arthur I. Keller, one of the era's most respected illustrators. Keller's romanticized, high-society depictions provide a stark, elegant contrast to the rugged Western themes usually associated with Harte.

Keywords: Bret Harte, Arthur I. Keller, American Illustration, Art Nouveau, Gilt Binding, Poetry, Western Americana, First Edition, BAL 7541, Decorative Binding.

Item #21490

Price: $65.00