Estate / Collection: Property from the Estate of Sara Roosevelt Wilford

[MELVILLE, HERMAN]
[SMITH, J.E.A.] GREYLOCK, GODFREY. Taghconic; Or Letters and Legends about our Summer Home. Boston: Reedding & Co., 1852. First edition. Original wrappers with vignette view of Pittsfield, housed in a folding cloth clamshell case. 7 3/8 x 4 3/4 inches (19 x 12 cm); 228Rebacked with a near matching paper spine, small chips, creases and stains to wrappers, some spotting, toning and old stains to a few margins within but the text generally clean, old stitch holes at gutter.

A scarce travel guide dedicated to the "Summer Ramblers on the Berkshire Hills." Of note within the text is mention of the homes of several authors including Herman Melville who lived and wrote productively in Pittsfield, including Moby Dick, from 1850-63. The author makes the note "Adjoining the estate of Dr. Holmes is that of HERMAN MELLVILLE, who has retired thus far of the sea, where nothing can remind him of the familiar sound of ocean, save the roar of the wind among the forest trees" (p. 16). There is also a section devoted to Nathaniel Hawthorne at page 101, Melville's great friend who he first encountered in the area in 1850. Of this little guide Melville would write Hawthorne: "Among others you figure in it, & I also. But you are the most honored, being the most abused, and have the greatest space allotted to you." We trace no copy of this scarce and fragile book at auction and locate few institutional copies.