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Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Autograph Poem Signed....
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Description
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Autograph Poem Signed. Four pages on four irregularly trimmed leaves, and two of which have been conjoined, 4 7/8 x 13 5/8 inches, 5 x 6 1/4 inches, and 5 x 7 1/8 inches; Boston; October 1, 1858. Holmes writes out his poem, "The Last Leaf," inspired by Thomas Melvill, one of the last surviving patriots involved in the Boston Tea Party and Revolutionary War.Written in eight six-line stanzas, the poem reads in part: "I saw him once before / As he passed by the door / And again / The pavement stones resound / As he totters o'er the ground...They say that in his prime, / Ere the pruning-knife of Time / Cut him down...But now he walks the streets / And he looks at all he meets / Sad and wan, / And he shakes his feeble head / That it seems as if he said, / "They are gone."...And if I should live to be / The last leaf upon the tree / In the spring, - / let them smile, as I do now / At the old forsaken bough / Where I cling." Signed, "Oliver Wendell Holmes."
Together with:
Thomas Melvill Document Signed. One partially printed page, 9 5/8 x 5 inches; Port of Boston and Charlestown, Massachusetts; July 31, 1807. Import certificate no. 25939 for a case of claret carried on the American vessel, Betsy Brown. Signed, "T. Melvill" as inspector. With secretarial signature from Benjamin Lincoln as collector.
Nicknamed "the last of the cocked hats," Melvill was known for his distinctive appearance, wearing traditional colonial attire long after it had gone out of fashion. Having observed Melvill walk through the streets of Boston, Holmes was moved by the image of the elderly man from a bygone era crossing through a crowd of later generations. Holmes remarked that Melvill reminded him of "a withered leaf which had held to its stem through the storms of autumn and winter, and finds himself still clinging to its bough while the new growths of spring are bursting their buds and spreading their foliage all around it."
Condition: Holmes document has flattened folds with a few separations at the margins; one at the bottom right margin on leaf one is reinforced by tape on verso, and one at the top right margin on third leaf affecting text. Prior full separation at bottom margin of page 1, reattached with tape on verso but lined up poorly, affecting text. Originally written on four leaves, with pages 1 and 3 now conjoined with tape. Pages 2 and 4 were also previously conjoined with tape but separated, with the bottom of page 2 still adhered to the verso of page 4. Tear at top right margin of page 1 and a tear at bottom left margin are reinforced by tape on verso. Additional small tear at upper margin of page one, not reinforced. Adhesive staining to recto from tape on versos, including across the first name in the signature, but not affecting legibility of text. Mounting remnants along right margin of pages 1 and 3 and the left margins of pages 2 and 4; likely from being tipped into a book for presentation. Loss of upper left corner to pages 1 and 2. Prior ownership name at top right margin of page 1 and prior ownership label affixed at the bottom margin of page 3. Pencil notations on recto and verso of page 1. All pages trimmed. Melvill document has flattened folds and light offset toning.
Reference: Oliver Wendell Holmes. The Last Leaf. Eldritch Press, 2003. Accessed via Ibiblio.
Auction Info
2025 March 28 Historical Manuscripts Including Texana Signature® Auction #6316 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
March, 2025
28th
Friday
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