1886 Scarce First Henry Sandham Illustrated Edition - Lenore by Edgar Allan Poe
Author: Edgar Allan Poe. Illustrated by H. Sandham.
Title: Lenore.
Publisher: Boston, Estes and Lauriat, 1886. First Henry Sandham Illustrated Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8 x 6.5 inches.
Pages: [unpaginated].
Binding: Attractive and near-fine original publisher’s full green cloth binding, richly and unusually decorated in black and gilt. The upper board is framed with multiple ornamental rules and floral borders, with a large central panel of stylized daisies surrounding a gilt female figure in a circular medallion. Above, the title Lenore is strikingly rendered in large flowing gilt lettering entwined with delicate floral ornament. Spine simply and elegantly lettered LENORE vertically in gilt. Rear board plain. Only very light rubbing and minor wear to the extremities, chiefly at the corners and spine ends, as shown. Hinges sound and binding firm. All edges gilt. Protected in a removable mylar cover. A particularly handsome and exceptionally well-preserved example of late nineteenth-century decorative publisher’s cloth.
Content: Near fine content, bright, tight and remarkably clean throughout, with only very light age toning and occasional negligible spotting consistent with age, as shown. Pages and illustrations remain fresh and well preserved, with strong impressions and generous margins.
Illustrations: Illustrated throughout with full-page engraved plates by H. Sandham, drawn and engraved under the supervision of George T. Andrew. The illustrations are deeply atmospheric, rendered in a dramatic tonal style that complements Poe’s mournful verse.
Estimate: (USD 450–500).
The book: Lenore is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most haunting shorter poems, a meditation on death, loss, and the defiance of conventional mourning. This 1886 illustrated edition transforms the poem into a true visual object in which text and image are inseparable. The design of the binding, with its rich symbolism and refined ornamentation, reflects the late Victorian fascination with mourning, beauty, and spiritual transcendence. Issued as a standalone volume, this edition was clearly intended as a gift book, and remains one of the most visually striking nineteenth-century presentations of Poe’s work.
The author: Edgar Allan Poe remains one of the most influential figures in American literature, renowned for his poetry and tales of the macabre, psychological intensity, and formal innovation. His exploration of grief, beauty, and the afterlife reached one of its purest expressions in Lenore, a poem that distills his lifelong preoccupation with loss into a brief yet powerful lyric.
The illustrator: Henry Sandham was a prominent nineteenth-century illustrator and engraver, known for his expressive line work and ability to convey emotion through subtle gradations of light and shadow. His illustrations for Lenore are particularly notable for their dreamlike quality and symbolic resonance, aligning closely with Poe’s themes of mourning, transcendence, and spiritual longing. Under the supervision of master engraver George T. Andrew, the plates in this volume achieve a high level of technical and artistic refinement.