A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers

Henry D. Thoreau wrote A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers as a tribute to his brother John, who died of tetanus in 1842. The two had taken the boat journey together in 1839, paddling from Concord, Massachusetts to Concord, New Hampshire and back — and the book that came from it, published in 1849, wandered far beyond the river into philosophy, Hindu scripture, friendship, and time. It was Thoreau's first book, and it arrived before the world was ready for him.

This is the limited edition Christmas 1966 printing by West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company — an annual tradition in which Westvaco, one of America's major paper manufacturers, produced beautifully designed gift books to showcase their papers. This copy is numbered 7/100 in pencil, making it one of a small run. Illustrated with period engravings on wood, with elegant marbled endpapers and a foreword by Jean A. Bradnick written for this edition. Quarter grey cloth spine over grey boards with a fly illustration stamped on the front cover. No slipcase present with this copy.

Limited Edition, numbered (this copy: 7/100)