Rev. William Cook. The Olive Grove: Poems. Salem: [privately printed by the author], 1853. First edition....

Description

Twelvemo. 26 pages. Six plates and numerous decorations, engraved and printed by the author. Original printed yellow wrappers. Backstrip frayed a bit with some toning to the edges of the pages. One page number corrected in ink (by the author?). Remarkably fine, untrimmed copy housed in a custom green cloth clamshell case. The author was a penniless clergyman and tutor who supplemented his income by selling his pamphlets of religious poetry and prose on the streets of Salem, Massachusetts.

The author was a penniless clergyman and tutor who supplemented his income by selling his pamphlets of religious poetry and prose on the streets of Salem, Massachusetts. Not only was he the author, but the illustrator, engraver, printer, publisher and distributor as well. Accompanying Cook's poem is a small pamphlet, apparently one in a series entitled "The Ploughboy's Harrow", this being listed as "Number Three", self-published by Cook in 1860. The pamphlet is string bound and printed in Cook's typical crude style. The four pages contain Cook's remarks made at a meeting "for the discussion of Home Education held at the First Baptist Church, Salem, November 16 and 28, 1859" and an original poem entitled "The Schoolhouse". Bound within are two original engravings, one titled "The Broad Street Classic Scene Salem" and "A District Schoolhouse Central St. South Danvers". Sabin 16297.