Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Together with the Rare Publisher’s Salesman‘s Sample by Twain, Mark (Samuel Clemens) - 1885

New York: Charles Webster, 1885. First American Edition. Octavo. First American Edition after the first British edition. Frontispiece of Huckleberry Finn and portrait (a cancel) in first state with table cloth showing, title page a cancel, 366pp., illustrated, pg. 13 with "him and another" as listed as at p. 88, pg. 57 reads "with the was", final five in 155 is lower. [together with] The original green pictorial gilt cloth prospectus, with the copyright and title page dated 1885, blank order sheets at rear, morocco and calf binding samples at front. Clean bright copies in original green pictorial gilt cloth, pale pink endpapers. Two small news clippings tipped in, one refers to the $200,000 sale of a signed copy of Twains work, the other relates to his estate and his daughter, old booksellers description mounted to upper front free endpaper, and laid in is a short typed description to the present volume by the firm Hamill and Barker of Chicago. Francis Hamill and Margery Barker were two very well known women booksellers of Chicago. They sold a rare copy of the 15th century Gutenberg Bible to the Lilly Library. They introduced Virginia Woolf to the Americans and over a thirteen year span, they also purchased manuscripts, twenty-five diaries and various letters belonging to Virginia Woolf. Francis Hamill was also the first woman president of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America. Both books show very minor wear to spine ends and corners. The inner hinges of the Huckleberry Finn have been repaired. A handsome set with the very uncommon prospectus. A superb set housed together within a custom leather backed clamshell. [BAL 3415]. First American Edition. Octavo.