Excursions.

Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1863. 8vo (7.5” x 4.75”), original green blind-stamped cloth, gilt lettering at spine, bottom edge gilt. Frontis., [5], 7, 319 pp. Early gift or ownership inscription(s) on free endpaper, “William A. Wilson Dec. 25th 1863 Emily H. Philbrook.” Housed in a later red cloth box.

First edition. One of 1588 copies printed, of which 1500 were bound. A posthumous collection of Thoreau’s essays, including “Natural History of Massachusetts”; “A Walk to Wachusett”; “The Landlord”; “A Winter Walk”; “The Succession of Forest Trees”; “Walking”; “Autumnal Fruits”; “Wild Apples”; and “Night and Moonlight.” The essay “Walking” is among the most important proto-environmentalist essays. Excursions was collected from various sources by Thoreau’s sister, Sophia E. Thoreau and was published the year after the author’s death. Included is a eulogy delivered at his funeral by Emerson, here serving as a preface. Following his sojourn at Walden Pond, Thoreau took a series of trips, touring Cape Cod on foot late in 1849, spending a week in Canada in 1850, and in 1853 undertaking the second of his trips to Maine. Four of his posthumous books derive in part from these expeditions: Excursions (1863), The Maine Woods (1864), Cape Cod (1865), and A Yankee in Canada (1866).

REFERENCES: BAL 20111; Borst A3.1.a

CONDITION: Good, corners bumped, some separation to cloth at spine edges, gilt lettering at spine still bright, one signature partly sprung but firmly attached, bit of dampstaining and other small stains to fore-margins, but contents generally clean and bright.