Boston: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, 1852. First Edition. Engraved portrait frontispiece of Pierce. 8vo, publisher’s original dark brown blind-stamped cloth, gilt lettered on spine. Housed in a fine morocco backed folding case. [4] ads, 144 pp. A well preserved and fresh copy with a small abrasion to the head of the spine, housed in a 1/4 red morocco clamshell box. FIRST EDITION IN THE ORIGINAL CLOTH OF THIS HAWTHORNE SCARCITY, and one of only two American presidential political biographies written by men of letters. Hawthorne was a college classmate and friend of Pierce's, and he wrote this during the presidential campaign of 1852. While professing objectivity, Hawthorne considered the work "a political biography, and as a representation of the principles and acts of a public man, intended to operate upon the minds of multitudes, during a presidential canvass.
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How to tell if a signature is genuine
Author's signatures can undoubtedly increase the value of a rare book or first edition. The more scarce the book is, the more an autograph adds to its value. But how to tell if the signature is real? Find out how you can avoid common pitfalls in identifying an author's signature.
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