[Literature] Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, et al. Poems of The "Old South"

Boston: Published by Old South Fair Committee, 1879. Deluxe autograph edition, signed and/or inscribed by each contributing poet, including Longfellow, Holmes, Julia Ward Howe, John Greenleaf Whittier, Edward Everett Hale, and James Freeman Clarke. Presentation copy, inscribed to Roy Arthur Hunt, a descendant of the Old South Church's first Pastor, Reverend Thomas Thacher: "To Roy Arthur Hunt, a descendant of Reverend Thomas Thacher the first Pastor of the Old South Church. Born in England, May 1, 1620. Installed as Pastor of Old South, February 16, 1670. Died in Boston, October 15, 1678." With engraved frontispiece and illustrations. Finely bound in full crushed brown levant, decorated in gilt with green and red morocco floral onlay; top edge gilt, other edges trimmed; gilt floral dentelles; moiré silk endleaves and doublures; by (John) Grabau; armorial book-plate of Roy Arthur Hunt on verso of front free endpaper; publisher's red cloth and spine bound in at rear; in patterned paper-covered slip case.

Rare deluxe autograph edition of this collection of the work of America's most prominent poets of the period, signed by each contributor: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Julia Ward Howe, John Greenleaf Whittier, Edward Everett Hale, and James Freeman Clarke.

Published to help raise funds for the preservation of Boston's historic Old South Church, two years after the trade edition was issued (BAL 9134). It is estimated that less than 100 copies of this edition were produced, and has been considered the rarest limited signed edition of nineteenth century American literature.

A lovely copy in a fine John Grabau (1878-1948) binding.

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

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Darren Winston

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Darren Winston, Senior Vice President at Freeman’s, has served as Head of Department for Books & Manuscripts, Philadelphia, since 2018. He has been a trustee of the Rosenbach Museum and Library since 2022, is a member of The Manuscript Society, The Bibliographical Society of America, and Philadelphia’s Philobiblon Club.

Raised in northern New Jersey, Darren moved to New York City in 1988 and began his career there as a bookseller in 1995. He spent the next 18 years selling to private clients and at East Coast book fairs. In 2003 he moved with his young family to Sharon, Connecticut where, in 2009, he opened his own bookshop. Darren Winston, Bookseller offered rare and vintage books, prints, fine art, and more, and hosted over 50 book signings and art shows. He was a trustee and, later, Board President, of the Sharon Historical Society, and for six years a trustee of Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Darren has hosted the radio program "Darren Winston's Book Report" for NPR-affiliate WHDD since 2009, appeared in the 2014 book-themed documentary The Paper Trail, and in 2024 he joined Antiques Roadshow as a books and manuscripts appraiser. From 1999 to 2005, Darren was the buyer and consultant to the Fine and Rare Books Department at Asprey, the British luxury goods company, at its New York headquarters. While there he spearheaded various in-store events including readings by Salman Rushdie and Dominick Dunne.

In 1993, Darren was hired as a Creative Consultant to Columbia Records, where he assisted in the repackaging of their 12-record Aerosmith back catalogue. He later sold his extensive collection of Aerosmith memorabilia, which he began amassing at the age of 14, directly to the band.

Darren now lives on the Main Line, outside Philadelphia, with his wife, two children, and dog. The family travels frequently to his wife's native England and Scotland. When not bookselling, he plays guitar in Pumped, an Aerosmith tribute band. Darren also appears on the top-rated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow.

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[Literature] Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, et al. Poems of The "Old South"

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Books and Manuscripts

[Literature] Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, et al. Poems of The "Old South"

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