Herman Melville at 200: Call Me Ishmael

Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Herman Melville [1819-1891]. As canonical in American and world literature as his compatriot, Walt Whitman [1819-1892], Melville's wondrous novel, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, was published in London in October 1851, and a month later in New York. The London edition was simply titled, The Whale; it also lacked the book's Epilogue, which is essential to the story's understanding. 

It was at Arrowhead, his farmstead in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, that Melville wrote Moby-Dick, and other such classics as Bartleby, the Scrivener. From his second-floor study, Melville had a view onto Mount Greylock, the tallest peak in the state, which he noted reminded him of a great white sperm whale breaching the ocean surface. Nathaniel Hawthorne was a nearby resident in the Berkshires, and he and Melville first met on August 5, 1850 during a literary gathering.

Hawthorne is perhaps the one contemporary who best apprehended the true merit of Moby-Dick, and Melville famously dedicated the book to his newfound friend: "In token of my admiration for his genius, this book is inscribed to Nathaniel Hawthorne." Melville, however, did not have an equivalent reception from the reading public during his lifetime. It was not until the 1920s, after his critical (re)discovery, that his literary reputation began to grow into what it is today. Rockwell Kent's compelling illustrations for a 1930 edition of Moby-Dick also helped fuel renewed interest in Melville.

The illustrations above are from the Arion Press deluxe edition of 1979. The project was designed by Andrew Hoyem, and printed by letterpress in an edition of 250. It features 100 engravings by renowned artist Barry Moser, as well as a bespoke typeface, Leviathan, that was used for the initials of each chapter (Charles Bigelow and Kris Holmes designed the capitals).

Arion Press has been called the last "full-service letterpress" in the country, replete with type foundry and book bindery. One copy of Arion's Moby-Dick was auctioned last year at Sotheby's for nearly $14,000 (from actor & bibliophile Robin William's estate). First editions of the original London and New York imprints are relatively scarce and even more expensive. Two useful Melville guides from leading antiquarian booksellers are "Collecting Herman Melville," by William S. Reese, and "A Checklist of Herman Melville's First and Major Editions," by Kevin MacDonnell.