Antique James Whitcomb Riley Poetry Books; Songs O'Cheer, Songs of Summer, Farm-Rhymes
Antique James Whitcomb Riley Poetry Books; Songs O'Cheer, Songs of Summer, Farm-Rhymes
$65.00
Being a good mid-western girl, I am besotted with books and prose by James Whitcomb Riley. I have collected three books now, so it is time to post the set! They are beautiful books, two with the green and gold covers and one with the red cover and original dust jacket.
#1 - Riley Farm-Rhymes Book with Country Pictures by Will Vawter, copyright 1905 by James Whitcomb Riley. Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, New York. Red hard bound cloth cover with gold lettering outlined in black. Inscribed with all grateful esteem to the good old-fashioned people. Book includes the wisdom & humor of Mr. Riley with a particular focus on the rural life of a farmer. Black and white illustrations included. The original dust jacket, which shows quite a bit of edge wear, is included. The front leaf page is missing and there are age spots on the first few pages but really clean for the rest of the book. Binding is in tact; slightly loose. A collection of Riley news clippings and fan information is included with the book, some pasted in to front and back cover, other pieces loose inside the book. Dimensions: 7 3/4" x 5 1/4" x 3/4"
#2 - Riley Songs of Summer with Pictures by Will Vawter, copyright 1908 by James Whitcomb Riley. Press of Braunworth & Co. Bookbinders and Printers Brooklyn NY. Bobbs-Merrill Publishers. Dark green hard bound cloth cover with gold lettering and embossed illustration of young man. Inscribed to Leo O. Harris Teacher, Friend and Comrade. Book includes the wisdom & humor of Mr. Riley with a particular focus on the summer time. Black and white illustrations included. No dust jacket. The front leaf page is torn and binding is pulling away, but still in tact. Really clean pages with some age and usage wear on the bottom of some pages. The rest of the binding is in tact; slightly loose. Cover has edge and corner wear. Dimensions: 7 7/8" x 5 1/4" x 5/8"
#3 - Riley Songs O' Cheer with Pictures by Will Vawter, copyright 1905 by James Whitcomb Riley. Printed by Charles Francis Press New York. Bobbs-Merrill Publishers. Dark green hard bound cloth cover with gold lettering and embossed illustration of young man. Dedicated to Bliss Carman. Book includes the wisdom & humor of Mr. Riley with a particular focus on daily life Black and white and color illustrations included. No dust jacket. The first color illustration page with vellum covering is torn away from the binding as is another color illustration page later in the book. Binding is quite tight. Really clean pages with some age and usage wear on the bottom of some pages. Sticker indicating Mrs. C.A. Spaulding ownership affixed to back of front cover. The rest of the binding is in tact; slightly loose. Cover has edge and corner wear. Dimensions: 7 7/8" x 5 1/4" x 5/8"
Grateful for Wikipedia and this biography of the author.
James Whitcomb Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916) was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry. His poems tend to be humorous or sentimental. Of the approximately 1,000 poems Riley wrote, the majority are in dialect. His famous works include "Little Orphant Annie" and "The Raggedy Man".
Riley began his career writing verses as a sign maker and submitting poetry to newspapers. Thanks in part to poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's endorsement, he eventually earned successive jobs at Indiana newspaper publishers during the late 1870s. He gradually rose to prominence during the 1880s through his poetry reading tours. He traveled a touring circuit first in the Midwest, and then nationally, appearing either alone or with other famous talents. During this period Riley's long-term addiction to alcohol began to affect his performing abilities, and he suffered financially as a result. However, once he extricated himself from a series of poorly negotiated contracts that sought to limit his earnings, he began to accumulate wealth and eventually became a financial success.
By the 1890s, Riley had become known as a bestselling author. His children's poems were compiled into a book illustrated by Howard Chandler Christy. Titled Rhymes of Childhood, it was his most popular and sold millions of copies. As a poet, Riley achieved an uncommon level of fame during his lifetime. He was honored with annual Riley Day celebrations around the United States and was regularly called on to perform readings at national civic events. He continued to write and hold occasional poetry readings until a stroke paralyzed his right arm in 1910.
Riley's chief legacy was his influence in fostering the creation of a Midwestern cultural identity and his contributions to the Golden Age of Indiana Literature. With other writers of his era, he helped create a caricature of Midwesterners and formed a literary community that produced works rivaling the established eastern literati. There are many memorials dedicated to Riley, including the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children.
Sold as a Set of 3
#1 - Riley Farm-Rhymes Book with Country Pictures by Will Vawter, copyright 1905 by James Whitcomb Riley. Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, New York. Red hard bound cloth cover with gold lettering outlined in black. Inscribed with all grateful esteem to the good old-fashioned people. Book includes the wisdom & humor of Mr. Riley with a particular focus on the rural life of a farmer. Black and white illustrations included. The original dust jacket, which shows quite a bit of edge wear, is included. The front leaf page is missing and there are age spots on the first few pages but really clean for the rest of the book. Binding is in tact; slightly loose. A collection of Riley news clippings and fan information is included with the book, some pasted in to front and back cover, other pieces loose inside the book. Dimensions: 7 3/4" x 5 1/4" x 3/4"
#2 - Riley Songs of Summer with Pictures by Will Vawter, copyright 1908 by James Whitcomb Riley. Press of Braunworth & Co. Bookbinders and Printers Brooklyn NY. Bobbs-Merrill Publishers. Dark green hard bound cloth cover with gold lettering and embossed illustration of young man. Inscribed to Leo O. Harris Teacher, Friend and Comrade. Book includes the wisdom & humor of Mr. Riley with a particular focus on the summer time. Black and white illustrations included. No dust jacket. The front leaf page is torn and binding is pulling away, but still in tact. Really clean pages with some age and usage wear on the bottom of some pages. The rest of the binding is in tact; slightly loose. Cover has edge and corner wear. Dimensions: 7 7/8" x 5 1/4" x 5/8"
#3 - Riley Songs O' Cheer with Pictures by Will Vawter, copyright 1905 by James Whitcomb Riley. Printed by Charles Francis Press New York. Bobbs-Merrill Publishers. Dark green hard bound cloth cover with gold lettering and embossed illustration of young man. Dedicated to Bliss Carman. Book includes the wisdom & humor of Mr. Riley with a particular focus on daily life Black and white and color illustrations included. No dust jacket. The first color illustration page with vellum covering is torn away from the binding as is another color illustration page later in the book. Binding is quite tight. Really clean pages with some age and usage wear on the bottom of some pages. Sticker indicating Mrs. C.A. Spaulding ownership affixed to back of front cover. The rest of the binding is in tact; slightly loose. Cover has edge and corner wear. Dimensions: 7 7/8" x 5 1/4" x 5/8"
Grateful for Wikipedia and this biography of the author.
James Whitcomb Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916) was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry. His poems tend to be humorous or sentimental. Of the approximately 1,000 poems Riley wrote, the majority are in dialect. His famous works include "Little Orphant Annie" and "The Raggedy Man".
Riley began his career writing verses as a sign maker and submitting poetry to newspapers. Thanks in part to poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's endorsement, he eventually earned successive jobs at Indiana newspaper publishers during the late 1870s. He gradually rose to prominence during the 1880s through his poetry reading tours. He traveled a touring circuit first in the Midwest, and then nationally, appearing either alone or with other famous talents. During this period Riley's long-term addiction to alcohol began to affect his performing abilities, and he suffered financially as a result. However, once he extricated himself from a series of poorly negotiated contracts that sought to limit his earnings, he began to accumulate wealth and eventually became a financial success.
By the 1890s, Riley had become known as a bestselling author. His children's poems were compiled into a book illustrated by Howard Chandler Christy. Titled Rhymes of Childhood, it was his most popular and sold millions of copies. As a poet, Riley achieved an uncommon level of fame during his lifetime. He was honored with annual Riley Day celebrations around the United States and was regularly called on to perform readings at national civic events. He continued to write and hold occasional poetry readings until a stroke paralyzed his right arm in 1910.
Riley's chief legacy was his influence in fostering the creation of a Midwestern cultural identity and his contributions to the Golden Age of Indiana Literature. With other writers of his era, he helped create a caricature of Midwesterners and formed a literary community that produced works rivaling the established eastern literati. There are many memorials dedicated to Riley, including the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children.
Sold as a Set of 3