Under the Greenwood Tree. A Rural Painting of the Dutch School. LATER ISSUE OF HARDY'S FIRST BOOK PUBLISHED IN THE US

8vo., First US Edition [Later Issue]; original pictorial mustard cloth blocked and lettered in black, backstrip lettered in gilt and black, very neatly rebacked with old backstrip laid down, original printed endpapers wholly preserved, covers very lightly age-soiled (but every detail of the blocking bright and clear), corners very lightly bruised without material damage, a remarkably bright, clean copy. HARDY'S FIRST BOOK PUBLISHED IN THE US AND THE SECOND EDITION OF THE WORK OVERALL. Hardy's second novel 'Under the Greenwood Tree' was first published by Tinsley in 1872, one of the 'best press-noticed' books sold by that publisher. Under the terms of Tinsley's new agreement with Holt of New York it was then issued by the latter in their popular 'Leisure House' series in June 1873, the first of Hardy's works to be so issued in the US. His first novel 'Desperate Remedies' (1871) did not appear in the series until March 1874. From the series catalogue present on the front endpapers it is clear that this is a later issue (at least 1881 since the list includes 'A Laodician'). Most volumes in the 'Leisure Hour' series were severally reissued with updated endpapers. This copy has been expertly rebacked. The original, elaborately blocked, backstrip is virtually complete with just a few millimetres missing at extreme head and tail. The original endpapers, which carry a detailed catalogue of the 'Leisure Hour' series catalogue printed in red, are all complete and virtually unmarked. The top edge is mildly dust-soiled but this does not extend to the text, which also shows practically no trace of the usual foxing and spotting. A NOTABLE COPY AND A RARE SURVIVAL. See Purdy, p.8 et seq. NCBEL III 981.