Description
Offered here is an original 1846 first edition of Poetical Remains of the Late Lucretia Maria Davidson, published by Lea & Blanchard, Philadelphia. This rare antique volume is a heartfelt tribute to one of America’s earliest literary prodigies, whose poetic brilliance was admired by Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Southey, and others.
Compiled by her mother, Margaret Miller Davidson, and accompanied by a biographical memoir by novelist Catharine Maria Sedgwick, this edition preserves the deeply emotional and mature poetry of Lucretia, written before her death from tuberculosis at just 16 years old. Her work offers a poignant lens into early American Romanticism and the experience of gifted young women in the 19th century.
This copy retains its original decorative cloth binding, featuring a gilt-stamped urn with floral motifs on the front and back boards. The spine title remains visible in gold, though the lower portion of the spine covering is missing. The boards are well attached, corners are bumped, and there is some expected foxing. A few pages have dog-eared corners. The book is complete at 248 pages (may be missing a back flyleaf).
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First edition, published 1846 by Lea & Blanchard (Philadelphia)
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Includes biographical memoir by Catharine Maria Sedgwick
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Original gilt-decorated cloth boards with urn motif
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Binding solid; some wear, foxing, and a few dog ears present
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A rare and important work in early American literary history
An excellent opportunity to own a significant and scarce piece of 19th-century American literature, ideal for collectors of women’s poetry, Romantic-era writing, and antique first editions.
