[Literature] (Whitman, Walt) Leaves of Grass with Sands at Seventy & A Backward Glance O'er Travel'd Roads

Scarce Signed Birthday Edition of Leaves of Grass

(Philadelphia, 1889). Special limited 70th birthday edition, one of only 300 copies printed and signed by Whitman, on title-page. 12mo. 404, 18 pp. Illustrated with a mounted frontispiece photograph of Whitman, Hollyer engraving of Whitman facing p. 29, and portraits facing pp. 132, 214, 296, (383); additionally with an original contemporary photograph of Whitman's tomb laid in. Publisher's full black leatherette (Myerson's Binding C), stamped in gilt, joints rubbed and dry, with a small split at bottom rear of same, spine ends worn, extremities rubbed; all edges gilt; contemporary ownership signature of Theodore B. Schneiderman, dated October 29, 1890 at top of title-page; in quarter green levant fall-down-back box. Myerson A2.7n; BAL 21435; Wells and Goldsmith, pp. 32-33

A scarce and handsome copy of Walt Whitman's 70th birthday edition of Leaves of Grass, one of only 300 copies that were published and distributed during his birthday celebration on May 31, 1889. "To-day, finishing my 70th year, the fancy comes for celebrating it by a special, complete, final utterance, in one handy volume, of L. of G., with their Annex, and Backward Glance--and for stamping and sprinkling all with portraits and facial photos, such as they actually were, taken from life, different stages. Doubtless, anyhow, the volume is more A PERSON than a book. And for testimony to all, (and good measure,) I here with pen and ink append my name: Walt Whitman."