This listing is for a very early bound printing of "A Visit From St. Nicholas," dated 1834. Institutional association copy. Published only eleven years after the poem was written, this is one of the very first books to carry the complete and unabridged version of the poem, including the old English and Dutch parlance (thro', Dunder, Blixen, etc.).
Extremely rare in this date, the book is a collection of prose and poetry used in schools for speech exercises. While anthologies were instrumental in putting the poem in front of mature audiences, elocution books introduced it to children and was a strong contributor to the growing awareness of the poem. The poem has no author attribution and called "Christmas Times," one of several alternate titles used in these early printings. It is interesting to note that the editor actually recognized St. Nicholas as "Santa Claus" via a footnote to the poem--pretty amazing since it would be many years before the Dutch, German, and English personages would be combined to form the iconic American Santa Claus.
The book measures 4.5 x 7.5 inches and contains 504 pages. Construction is a hardcover, brown leather over boards. At 192 years old, it is in very good condition overall. The hinges have been reinforced from the inside and the label has been replaced. Pages show foxing, notably at the beginning and end of the book and on the cardstock graphic pages. The text pages remain surprisingly clean and binding is tight.
As indicated in the inscription, this is an institutional association copy once owned by Charles E. Shultz, a student at Yale College (Yale University). The inscription reads, “Charles E. Shultz of Kentucky, Class of ’45 in Yale Coll,” at the top of the title page. "A Visit From St. Nicholas" is found on page 359. On consignment from a lifelong Christmas collector. Shipped Priority/Insured. Thanks for looking!
Please CLICK HERE for more vintage Christmas books
Thanks for looking!