Poe, Edgar Allen. The Raven. Illustrated by Gustave Doré, with a commentary by Edmund C. Stedman. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1883. First Edition.
The book is presented in a large folio format, measuring 46.5 x 36 cm, and consists of 23 pages. The original binding features gilt-lettered pictorial grey cloth stamped in purple, black, and gilt, with all edges gilt. The title-page vignette is wood-engraved after Elihu Vedder, and 26 engraved plates follow Doré’s illustrations. An old ownership inscription and date are found on the flyleaf. The spine has some dulling and light rubbing to the extremities, while there is some light partial shelfwear to the fore-edges of the boards. The endpapers contain faint scattered spotting, but the rest of the contents are very clean and unmarked. Overall, this copy is in very good condition.
The Raven was Dore’s last book. Despite the date of 1884 on the title page, the New York Edition was published in 1883 at the same time as the London edition. The Raven seems to have been put together in the United States. A stunning copy, richly illustrated and a coveted item for collectors.
