MELVILLE, Herman (1819-1891) and Rockwell KENT, illustrator (1882-1971). Moby-Dick or the Whale. Chicago: The Lakeside Press, 1930.

Presentation copy, specially bound and inscribed by the artist with a small drawing featuring a dove, stars, and flowers: “To Thorne and Mary by Rockwell – 1933.” Thorne Donnelley (1896-1963) was the grandson of the founder of the R.R. Donnelley printing company of Chicago, whose imprint The Lakeside Press is best-known for publishing this edition of Moby-Dick with Rockwell Kent's illustrations. Donnelley was married to Mary Barnes Donnelley until 1948. The colophon notes the book was sewn by E. Dvorak, forwarded by B. J. Cronk, finished by W.H. Anson, and designed by A. de Sauty, who has also signed and dated it. Only a handful of the 1000 copies printed were specially bound in white pigskin leather. RBH records only two such deluxe copies, one selling in 1990 and one in 1944.

Three volumes, quarto. (Some offsetting from illustrations to facing text page.) Colophon (detached) signed by A. de Sauty, the designer and dated 10 November 1930. Pigskin binding, blind-stamped with whale motif on lower corner of front cover, decorated endpapers featuring whale and harpooner (some soiling and minor scuffing to volumes; vol. 1 with small chip to spine right at “Melville” and vol 2 with scratch through “Herman Melville”). Provenance: Thorne Donnelley, 1896-1963, and Mary Barnes Donnelley (authorial inscription).

Exhibited: "A Herman Melville Collection ... on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his death, from the collection of William S. Reese," Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, 1991, no. 46.