1859 New Ed POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES Vol 1 Ellis UNCUT UNOPENED PAGES Hawaii Tahiti
$ 52.8
Description
1859 New Ed POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES Vol 1 Ellis UNCUT UNOPENED PAGES Hawaii Tahiti. It is "A New Edition, Enlarged and Improved", published in London by Henry G. Bohn. This is anORIGINAL printing, not a reprint. This implies thatTHIS BOOK HAS NEVER BEEN READ. Many of theUNCUT, UNREAD pages remain unopened and cannot be fully inspected. You are bidding on Volume 1 of POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES During a Residence of Nearly Eight Years in the Society and Sandwich Islands by William Ellis, 1859. It is "A New Edition, Enlarged and Improved", published in London by Henry G. Bohn. The 'Society Islands' are now part of what we call French Polynesia (including Tahiti), while 'Sandwich Islands' is the original European name for the Hawaiian Islands. This is an ORIGINAL printing, not a reprint. It includes a couple of plates, a map, and some wood engravings. This book is an important 19th-century account of missionary life and culture in the South Pacific. But the really remarkable thing about this volume is that the pages are uncut and unopened. This means the text is in its original, as-issued state and portions of the text have never been handled or read. As was sometimes done in the 19th century, the pages were not cut at the top page edge, and in at least some cases also not along the long edge, so they are not properly separated (see pics). The pages would need to be cut open - by the bookbinder or the ultimate buyer - to be fully read. This implies that THIS BOOK HAS NEVER BEEN READ. Condition: · The cover is good for this vintage and the binding is sound, though it does have general age-related wear, some discoloration and grime. · Spine is good, with bright gold-embossed printing. · The long edge of the front cover in particular is bent inward as though some weight had long stressed it, perhaps with the influence of some moisture. · The first few leaves have some moisture staining at the corners. · The front endpaper bears a faded signature, presumably of a former owner (see pics). · Interior appears clean overall, with little to no foxing observed. · Many of the UNCUT, UNREAD pages remain unopened and cannot be fully inspected. Size: The book measures about 7" by 4½" and is xvi + 414 numbered pages in length.
