The Life of George Washington.

IRVING, Washington.

$6,500.00

Item Number: 129307

New York: G. P. Putnam & Co., 1855-59.

First edition of Irving’s monumental biography of George Washington. Quarto, bound in half crushed red levant with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, illustrated with 47 hand-colored plates including tissue-guarded frontispiece to each volume. One of one hundred and ten numbered copies of the quarto edition, this is number forty-five. In near fine condition. An attractive example of this rare work.

Irving planned his “monumental” Life of Washington as early as 1825, but did not complete the biography until the final years of his life. “This triumph of scholarship crowned an erratic career… which served in many ways to consolidate the culture of the United States and Europe” (Hart, 192). “A popular work; being Irving’s it could not be otherwise” (Sabin 35189).