1930 Exquisite First Edition - MOBY DICK or The Whale by Melville, illustrated by Rockwell Kent.

 

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(Description)

Title: MOBY DICK or THE WHALE.
Publisher: New York, Random House, 1930. First one volume illustrated edition by Rockwell Kent.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5 " X 6 ".
Pages: xxxi-822 pages.
Binding: Attractive and near fine full morocco leather binding, finely bound with 5 ribs, gilt decorated spine and titles, a wonderful Pequod on lower corner of front cover (hinges fine, unsigned binding, slightly scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. Upper edge gilt. A rare find in such a nice binding!
Content: Near fine content (bright, tight and clean, ex-libris of WWII US Navy Commodore Robert Patterson on the first endpaper - as shown, many unopened pages - as shown). 
Illustrations: Complete with the wonderful black&white pen, brush, and ink drawings by Rockwell Kent.

Estimate: (USD 1500 - USD 2000)

The book: An exceptional first one-volume illustrated edition of Herman Melville's masterpiece - Moby Dick. This stunning edition is augmented by the evocative and atmospheric illustrations of Rockwell Kent, making this a very sought-after edition of the classic seafaring tale. The binding features the Pequod, the ship featured in the story, in gilt in the lower corner of the front cover. This, combined with the full morocco leather, makes for a truly unique and appealing edition of this classic work. The book carries a particularly interesting provenance, having belonged to WWII US Navy Commodore Robert Patterson. This connection lends the book a particularly compelling historical resonance.

The author: Herman Melville (1819–1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. His best known works include "Typee" (1846), a romantic account of his experiences in Polynesian life, and his masterpiece "Moby-Dick" (1851).

The illustrator: Rockwell Kent (1882–1971) was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, and writer. Known for his distinctive style of black-and-white illustration, Kent's stark, yet beautiful images perfectly capture the epic and tragic story of Captain Ahab and his obsessive pursuit of the great white whale.