A Primary Source-Book for Melville's "Moby Dick" MELVILLE, Herman. BEALE, Thomas. The Natural History of the Sperm Whale:. its Anatomy and Physiology, Food, Spermaceti, Ambergris, Rise and Progress of the Fishery, Chase and Capture, "Cutting in" and "Trying out," Description of Ships, Boats, Men, and Instruments used in the attack; With an account of its favorite places of Resort. To Which is Added, a Sketch of a South-Sea Whaling Voyage; Embracing a description of the extent, as well as the adventures and accidents that occurred during the voyage in which the author was personally engaged. London: John Van Voorst, 1839. Full Description:
Natural History of the Sperm Whale:. its Anatomy and Physiology, Food, Spermaceti, Ambergris, Rise and Progress of the Fishery, Chase and Capture, "Cutting in" and "Trying out," Description of Ships, Boats, Men, and Instruments used in the attack; With an account of its favorite places of Resort. To Which is Added, a Sketch of a South-Sea Whaling Voyage; Embracing a description of the extent, as well as the adventures and accidents that occurred during the voyage in which the author was personally engaged.
London: John Van Voorst, 1839.
First expanded edition. The shorter, true first edition is very rare. It was published in 1835 with only 58 pages and 133 copies. This second edition, first expanded edition was an important primary technical source book for Melville while he wrote Moby Dick. Octavo (7 3/4 x 4 7/8 inches; 195 x 125 mm). 12, 393, [1, blank] pp. Half-title. With engraved frontispiece and two additional engraved plates. A few small drawing in the text.
Publisher's full purple cloth. Boards stamped and ruled in blind. Spine lettered in gilt. Uncut. Spine sunned. Board edges and corners a bit rubbed and bumped. Front hinge is starting. Text is very clean. Overall a very good copy.
"Herman Melville's copy of Thomas Beale's The Natural History of the Sperm Whale, discovered in the 1930s then owned by successive private collectors until Houghton Library acquired it in 1960, contains the closest evidence available to the lost manuscript of Moby-Dick and illuminates more fully than any other archival resource Melville's use of source materials in his writing... In scale and complexity the significance of The Natural History of the Sperm Whale to the composition of Moby-Dick surpasses that of any other source book from which Melville is known to have drawn." (Introduction to Melville's Marginalia in Thomas Beale's The Natural History of the Sperm Whale. Steven Olsen-Smith).
Sabin 4108.
HBS 69156.
$3,750.
Price: $3,750.00
Item #69156