EMERSON, Ralph Waldo. Essays.

First Series. London: George G. Harrap & Co. c.1910. Harrap Library edition. Small octavo. Finely bound in full brown Arts and Crafts-style calf, the covers and spine elaborately blind-tooled with stylised floral and geometric motifs in the manner of the period. Top edge gilt. Frontispiece portrait of Emerson. pp. 277. A very attractive copy with some light scattered foxing to a few leaves, occasional minor marks, and slight rubbing to extremities. The binding remains bright and exceptionally decorative, the gilt top edge fresh and the text block sound and clean.

Contains Emerson’s celebrated essays including History, Self-Reliance, Compensation, Spiritual Laws, Love, Friendship, Prudence, Heroism, The Over-Soul, Circles, Intellect, and Art. Widely regarded as one of the foundational works of American Transcendentalism, Essays: First Series introduced generations of readers to Emerson’s philosophy of individualism, self-trust, and spiritual independence. His influence extended far beyond literature, shaping the thought of writers, philosophers, and political leaders throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

A handsome example of a sought-after decorative leather binding, appealing both to collectors of Ralph Waldo Emerson, American literature, and Arts and Crafts book design.

[L4 6C ]