LOT #45157 |
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[Henry David Thoreau]. An original pencil manufactured by J. Thoreau & Co. Concord Mass. [c.1830s]....
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Description
[Henry David Thoreau]. An original pencil manufactured by J. Thoreau & Co. Concord Mass. [c.1830s].5 3/8 inches; stamped "John Thoreau" and with code "M." Framed (glass missing).
The Thoreau family produced pencils in Concord, Massachusetts from 1824 to 1852. Henry David Thoreau, who may have worked there during his Harvard years and after graduating in 1838, helped invent a special graphite that made Thoreau pencils popular nationwide. This success allowed the family to buy a house in Concord, and Henry attempted selling pencils to pay for publication of his first book, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (1849).
Provenance: From the William A. Strutz Library.
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Auction Info
2025 September 10 - 11 Important English and American Literature: The William A. Strutz Library, Part III, Rare Books Signature® Auction #6321 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
September, 2025
10th-11th
Wednesday-Thursday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 20
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 672
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% of the successful bid per lot.
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