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Watch the backstory of this particular set here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuDT8SZy6xo
 
The Works of Henry David Thoreau
Manuscript Edition
Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Co., 1906
Set No. 355 of 600
20 Volumes complete
Signed by Publisher Houghton Mifflin.
Volume I contains a tipped in, original, single-sided manuscript leaf written by Henry David Thoreau containing draft lines from “Life Without Principle”.
 
Illustrated with 103 photogravures printed on heavy stock paper, by Herbert W. Gleason. Contains 1906 map of Concord by Gleason.
 
About the Manuscript Edition:
One of a limited 600 sets with a scarce and hard to find original manuscript leaf by Thoreau, this edition is also the first to feature Thoreau’s entire Journal in 14 volumes.
 
Set No. 355 is a Good/Very Good condition example of the most desirable edition of Thoreau’s complete works.
 
Borst B 3; BAL 20145
 
 
About the tipped-in Manuscript Page:
The tipped-in page is handwritten written by Henry David Thoreau and contains draft lines finalized in his essay “Life Without Principle”. 
“Life Without Principle” was based off Thoreau’s lecture, “What Shall It Profit?”, presented by Thoreau on December 6, 1854, at the Railroad Hall in Providence, Rhode Island. Over the next few years, Thoreau edited the lecture several times before he died in 1862. The document contained in Set 355 is likely a draft of one of these versions prior to his death. 
After Thoreau’s death in 1862, the updated essay was re-titled and published as “Life Without Principle” in the October 1863 edition of The Atlantic Monthly (Volume 12, Issue, 71, pp. 484-495).
This draft page contains numerous corrections by Thoreau. 
 
This set comes from Barrow Bookstore to the next owner with a printed booklet containing  a written transcript of the draft page, plus a comparison page of the final work showing the corresponding text. 
 
Condition Notes as of July 2025:
All plates with tissue guards are present throughout. Most volumes contain uncut pages.
A few have signs of old damp stains. (No odors). 

Volume I: A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
Several small white spots over label.
Manuscript page well bound, very good.
Spine joint loosening at cover. Still well attached. Possibly from being displayed in an open position to show the manuscript. Pencil corrections on Thoreau’s written page.

II: Walden
Foxing on spine. Otherwise very good.

III: The Maine Woods
Light rippling top of buckram. Pages have been cut. Appears Cortlandt Bishop, or a later owner, read this one.

IV: Cape Cod
Uncut pages. Very good

V: Excursions
 Uncut pages. Very good.

VI: Familiar Letters 
Two small spots on cover. Several light foxing spots on inside coverboard and front endpaper. Otherwise, crisp and clean throughout. Uncut pages.

VII: Journal I 
Very light buckling on buckram at the bottom of the front cover. Could be from time of binding; no sign of water damage, just noticeable when run hand over the cover and pay close attention. Inside, Very good condition. Uncut pages.

VIII: Journal II
Very Good condition

IX: Journal III
 ~2” stain on cover near top left. This stain is hard to see except when angled under correct light. Small dot spot on top of spine label. Very good condition.

X: Journal IV
Very Good Condition. Light foxing over edges of closed pages.

XI: Journal V
 Two small stains on spine and an ~3/4” small cosmetic dent below the label. Very small (pinhead size) white mark on cover (feels like a chip in the buckram). Top of page 481 has an ~2” red scuff line.
Otherwise, very good condition.

XII: Journal VI
Several cosmetic dents on spine. Very faint three white scuff lines on cover. Very good, uncut pages.

XIII, Journal VII
Large damp stain extending from the title page through page 108, some light buckling to buckram cover. (No odor of mildew, dry). Uncut pages.

XIV: Journal VIII 
Very good. Uncut pages.

XV: Journal IX
Ver good. Uncut pages

XVI: Journal X
Very good. Uncut pages.

XVII: Journal XI 
Tissue guard lightly stuck to title page. Otherwise, very good.

XVIII: Journal XII
Light rumpling of buckram over bottom 1/3 of cover. Small
pinpoint white spot on the bottom of front cover. Large old damp stain from title page extending through page 193. Uncut pages.

XIX: Journal XIII.
Noticeable stain over spine label. ~1” x 1/2”
Damp stain over bottom of table of contents through page 153. Confined to lower right corner of pages.  Otherwise, Very good. Uncut pages.

XX: Journal XIV  
Very good. Uncut pages. Contains foldout map of Concord compiled by Gleason in 1906. 
 
 
Please contact Barrow Bookstore for further information or a scheduled zoom viewing.