A First Edition First Printing of 1855 My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass with an introduction by Dr. James M'Cune Smith. We were excited to find this exceptional piece of Black American History which was Douglass's 2nd autobiography. No missing or loose pages. We will describe condition in detail below. Please view all of our photos. The book measures 8" X 5 3/8" with 464 pages. Full octavo.
This second book is the scarcest, of the author's three autobiographical narratives. The book is divided into sections describing his years in slavery and his years as a freedman. Here, he tells of his mother, who "was the only one of all the slaves and colored people in Tuckahoe" who could read, and how she inspired his thirst for knowledge.
I am including another piece I found that helped describe this book perfectly. It was in a newer reprint from 2003 a forward written by John John Stauffer. He describes this much better than I can. ""My Bondage and My Freedom," [is] a deep meditation on the meaning of slavery, race, and freedom, and on the power of faith and literacy, as well as a portrait of an individual and a nation a few years before the Civil War. As his narrative unfolds, Frederick Douglass—abolitionist, journalist, orator, and one of the most powerful voices to emerge from the American civil rights movement—transforms himself from slave to fugitive to reformer, leaving behind a legacy of social, intellectual, and political thought." "The most influential African American of the 19th century" (ANB), Douglass was "the most powerful abolitionist speaker in the country" (Negro History). Throughout his life, "Douglass understood that the struggle for emancipation and equality demanded forceful, persistent, and unyielding agitation. And he recognized that African Americans must play a conspicuous role in that struggle".
That summed it up better than I could. The book shows its age with rubbing and bumping on the green cloth embossed cover. It was either an old library copy or someone marked the spine for their personal library with a number and the letter "D" for the author's last name. The gilt title on the spine is heavily faded. All 3 engraved plates are present including the one of Douglass at the Frontis of the book with a tissue separation. The title page and first few pages are heavily tanned with some foxing. The rest of the book is cleaner than I would have expected of a book of this age. We provided photos inside the book so you can see that the heavy foxing and tanning is concentrated at the front few pages. There is a tiny foil sticker inside the front cover that reads "Lockwood - 411 Broadway, New York" Might have been an old bookshop or simply the prior owners tagging. There is a name in pencil on the first page opposite the front board looks like DL Sanford. The pages are do not appear to be chipped on the ends. The front hinge is cracked. Top and bottom of spine are bumped. THERE ARE NO ODORS.
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