The Virginian rides into print... and history

In 1902, Macmillan issued this notice about the publication of a new novel. I wonder if they foresaw how important this book would become in American literature?


The Virginian, by Owen Wister (1902) was the first serious fictional work about the cowboy on the American frontier. The cowboy myth originated in this work--the strong, silent type who gets the girl, kills the bad guys, and doles out his brand of justice in the Wild West. It set the standard for the genre of Western fiction.

Of the three book reviews listed, the Chicago American was the only one that speculated on its importance to future generations of readers:
"In The Virginian, he [Wister] has put forth a book that will be remembered and read with interest for many years hence."
This press release from Macmillan is printed on a single sheet, folded in half to a size about 4 X 6 inches. Other titles are advertised inside and on the back, but aside from The Virginian, the only other noteworthy book is one that President Theodore Roosevelt co-authored: The Deer Family, an initial volume in Macmillan's The American Sportsman's Library series.



It's also interesting to note that in 1902, a first printing of The Virginian, fresh off the press would set you back $1.50. Today, a thousand times that figure would be a starting point for obtaining a decent copy. And you could spend upwards of a thousand more. That's in the $2500 neighborhood.

Fans of The Virginian, Wister, or cowboys and the West will find something of interest on the Wister page at cowboypoetry.com.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to open a book

Image
Cataloging books the other day, I came across an 1890s multivolume set called Messages and Papers of the Presidents . Inside one of the volumes was a slip of printed paper with a bookbinder's message: How to Open a Book . The set was published by the Government Printing Office, so they are the likely source of this piece of paper, which reprints a passage from a publication titled, Modern Bookbinding . No other bibliographical detail is included for that title, but I have found a magazine from that era, Modern Bookbinding and Their Designers . No clue, though, as to the author of this particular piece. You might wonder (I did) why there would be a need for instructions to open a book. And if you put those instructions inside the book, doesn't that defeat the purpose somewhat? Opening a book is not as easy as you might think. At least if you read these instructions and try to follow them. Here's the gist of it in the opening run-on sentence: Hold the book with its back on a
Read more

A Bookaholic and Bibliophile in Ukraine

Image
A favorite piece in my Bibliophemera collection is an unused postcard illustrated by Ukrainian artists Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv. It features two interesting, whimsical creatures embracing each other while maintaining engagement with their books. Cat-like and bird-like, one in high heels and one barefoot, one with a long tail and prominent ears and one with tail feathers and no visible ears, both with beaks, and both with books. They can’t put their books down even in this intimate moment. Appropriately, they are labeled Bookaholic and Bibliophile. Might they even be an imaginative rendering of the artists themselves? Romana and Andriy were both born in Lviv, Ukraine in 1984 and continue to live and work there. The illustration on the postcard is a fitting depiction of their artistic lives where books and their illustrations comprise their passion for illustration, book design, and writing. Together, they started Art Studio Agrafka in Lviv where they have produced award-win
Read more

Henry Altemus Company - Philadelphia

Image
Having recently corresponded with Frank DeFreitas over at Antiquarian Holographica about certain historical sites in Philadelphia, I guess the Philly force was with me yesterday when I was out scouting for books. I found a decent copy of The Story of Young Benjamin Franklin , by Wayne Whipple (Henry Altemus Company, Philadelphia, 1916). Whipple wrote a series of children's books portraying famous Americans such as Washington, Lincoln, and Franklin. He also wrote about American icons such as the Liberty Bell and the American Flag. I might have passed on the Franklin book if not for what was tucked inside as a bookmark--a contemporary brochure from the publisher, Henry Altemus. There's a little character at the top of the first page, standing next to a row of books and with a book in hand, he exclaims, An Altemus book and nothing to do until tomorrow. Oh, joy! The brochure opens up into a front-and-back listing for Altemus' 20th Century Books for Boys and Girls. One side lis
Read more