"A book should serve as the axe for the frozen sea within us."
— Franz Kafka
Oliver Goldsmith | First Editions
1728 - 1774
Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Irish novelist, playwright and poet, who is best known for his novelThe Vicar of Wakefield (1766), his pastoral poem The Deserted Village (1770), and his plays The Good-Natur'd Man (1768) and She Stoops to Conquer (1771, first performed in 1773). He is thought to have written the classic children's tale The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes (1765).Goldsmith's work was often influenced by the events occurring around him; for example, in the 1760s, Goldsmith witnessed the demolition of an ancient village and destruction of its farms. This was to clear land, making way for a wealthy man's garden. Subsequently, Goldsmith produced the poem The Deserted Village, published in 1770, which expresses a fear that the destruction of villages and the conversion of land from productive agriculture to ornamental landscape gardens would ruin the peasantry. As such, he should be considered an important writer in environmentalist studies, alongside writers such as John Clare.
See below our stock of Oliver Goldsmith First Editions, fine bindings, sets, and signed copies.
Results 1 - 7 (of 7)
Poems by Goldsmith and Parnell.
London: Shakespeare Printing Office, 1804. FINE BEWICK ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Octavo, pp. xxvii, 68. With five full page woodcuts and numerous vignettes by Thomas and John Bewick. Elegantly bound in later red half Morocco over marbled boards, gilt titles and tooling to spine. Speckled edges. Some occasional light spotting, some near..... More
The Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith. The Globe Edition, with Biographical Introduction by Professor Masson.
London: Macmillan and Co., 1889. [Literary Works]. FINE PRIZE BINDING. Octavo (18 x 13cm), pp.[2] lxii; 695 [3]. With a wood engraved frontispiece. Contemporary red full morocco by BICKERS for Ladies' College Guernsey, with raised bands, gilt titles and elaborate gilt decoration to spine, and large armorial gilt stamp of..... More
The Vicar of Wakefield.
London: George G. Harrap and Company, Limited, 1929. First Rackham Edition. 4to. With 12 illustrations in colour. Publisher's original blue cloth with gilt titles and floral decoration to, top edge gilt, illustrated end papers. Some edgespotting, very light wear to covers, few marks to upper, bookplate 'Winifred E. Briggs'. A...... More
The Vicar of Wakefield. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
London: George G. Harrap and Company Limited, 1929. FIRST RACKHAM EDITION. Large 8vo., pp. 232. Publisher's dark grey cloth with gilt titles and gilt decoration to spine and upper. Near fine in very good dust-wrapper, dusty and showing small tears. With 12 coloured plates and several other illustrations. Shows extremely..... More
The Vicar of Wakefield.
London: Macmillan and Co., 1915. [Illustrated Classic] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED, a later impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[4]; xxxvi; 305; [3]. With numerous wood engravings by Thomson, including a frontispiece. Contemporary lilac half calf by RIVIERE, with raised bands, gilt titles and decorations to spine, and blue cloth over..... More
History of Greece, Abridged, for the Use of Schools.
London: Printed for J. Brambles [etc.], 1807. NEW EDITION. Duodecimo, pp. viii, 269 [3]. With a frontispiece engraving of the death of Alexander the Great. In contemporary half brown calf with gilt titles to spine and marbled boards. Black ink ownership inscription to front free end-paper. Lightly browned throughout; wear..... More
The Citizen of the World; or Letters from a Chinese Philosopher, Residing in London, to His Friends in the East.
London: Printed for N. Newbury, 1762. FIRST COLLECTED EDITION. In two volumes. Foolscap octavo, pp.viii, 286 [2]; pp.[2], 238 [16]. In contemporary mottled calf boards, recently re-backed to style with raised bands and gilt titles to original red labels to spines. Armorial bookplates of the De Burghs, Earls of Clanricarde..... More
Results 1 - 7 (of 7)