[Rarebooks] fs: Our American Cousin, 1st printing

[Back Creek Books]

Greetings All,

For your consideration:
~
(No. 7360 )  Taylor, Tom (1817-1880). OUR AMERICAN COUSIN: A DRAMA, IN 3
ACTS.
(S.l.): (s.n.), 1869. First printing, Wrappers, Duodecimo, 46 pages. Very
good.
      The first printed appearance of the popular play that Lincoln was
watching when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. Laura Keene
had acquired the rights to Tom Taylor's "Our American Cousin" in 1858, and
opened it that year in her theatre in New York. The play was a great success
and Ms. Keene was very careful to protect her property. Besides the original
manuscript owned by Keene and one other manuscript copy found in the estate
of Joshua Silsbee, the play only existed in the manuscript prompt books used
by the actors until Ms. Keene finally allowed this version of the play to be
printed in 1869. Even then, despite its tragic link to Lincoln's murder, the
play retained enough popularity that Keene was careful to prominently state
on the title page that the work was "Printed, but not published." Copyright
law at the time was not very protective of dramatic works deemed to have
been "published." (See Bryan, "The Great American Myth," p. 176; Taylor,
"Our American Cousin: the Play that Changed History," p. 25.) This copy is
bound in original plain light blue wrappers over a sewn binding. Original
cast from the 1858 opening at Laura Keene's Theatre, New York, appears on
verso of title page. The last words that Lincoln heard on this earth appear
on page 37. Heel of spine has some shallow chewing along last 3/4," title
and year lightly pencilled on front cover, title penned in contemporary ink
on spine. A nice example of this scarce piece.    $2000.00
See photo: http://www.backcreekbooks.com/bookphotos/7360.jpg

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Thank you for your interest.

Best regards,

Rock Toews
Back Creek Books
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