Boston: Published by Old South Fair Committee, 1879. Deluxe autograph edition, signed and/or inscribed by each contributing poet, including Longfellow, Holmes, Julia Ward Howe, John Greenleaf Whittier, Edward Everett Hale, and James Freeman Clarke. Presentation copy, inscribed to Roy Arthur Hunt, a descendant of the Old South Church's first Pastor, Reverend Thomas Thacher: "To Roy Arthur Hunt, a descendant of Reverend Thomas Thacher the first Pastor of the Old South Church. Born in England, May 1, 1620. Installed as Pastor of Old South, February 16, 1670. Died in Boston, October 15, 1678." With engraved frontispiece and illustrations. Finely bound in full crushed brown levant, decorated in gilt with green and red morocco floral onlay; top edge gilt, other edges trimmed; gilt floral dentelles; moiré silk endleaves and doublures; by (John) Grabau; armorial book-plate of Roy Arthur Hunt on verso of front free endpaper; publisher's red cloth and spine bound in at rear; in patterned paper-covered slip case.

Rare deluxe autograph edition of this collection of the work of America's most prominent poets of the period, signed by each contributor: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Julia Ward Howe, John Greenleaf Whittier, Edward Everett Hale, and James Freeman Clarke. 

Published to help raise funds for the preservation of Boston's historic Old South Church, two years after the trade edition was issued (BAL 9134). It is estimated that less than 100 copies of this edition were produced, and has been considered the rarest limited signed edition of nineteenth century American literature.

A lovely copy in a fine John Grabau (1878-1948) binding.