Poems by Ichabod Charles Wright
Printed for Private Circulation | Nottingham, J. Bell | 1873 | First Edition
Extremely Scarce | Handsome Gilt Binding | Local Nottingham Interest
 
Features:
 
Privately Printed First Edition (no publisher stated, as printed solely for private circulation)
Printed in Nottingham by J. Bell shortly after Wright’s death in 1871
Original Blue Cloth Binding with ornate gilt titles and decorations to spine and front board
Yellow endpapers and pastedowns
82 pages, cleanly printed
Measures approximately 17.8 × 11.6 × 1 cm, and weighs just 138 grams
 
Condition:
 
The blue cloth boards and spine are intact and robust for a book of this age (over 150 years old), with some marks on the cover and heavier rubbing near the bottom of the spine. Light fading to the spine cloth. The gilt on the front board and spine remains bright and attractive.
 
Internally, the pages are in a neat condition and clean for their age, with just the occasional small mark and very light creases on only a couple of pages. Light tanning, more pronounced on the half-title and final pages. On the front free endpaper, there is a small pencil inscription; otherwise, no other writing or markings. There is a very slight and partial crack in the gutter next to the half-title and a minor opening between pages 34 and 35; however, the pages are all securely bound, with no loose or missing pages.
 
Author Highlights:

Ichabod Charles Wright (1795–1871) was a Nottingham-born poet, classical scholar, translator, and banker. Best known for his English verse translations of Dante's Divine Comedy, he also published original poetry later in life. A former student of Oxford and member of Lincoln’s Inn, Wright’s literary accomplishments are often overshadowed by his academic rigour and civic service. His work reflects both religious and classical themes, with this posthumously printed volume including intimate later poems such as Eternity (October 1871).
 
Rarity & Market Notes:
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This first and only edition was privately printed and not sold commercially. As of the time of listing, no other physical copies of this book are currently available for sale online or in major institutional catalogues. This rarity makes it of strong interest to collectors of private press books, 19th-century poetry, and Nottingham-related literary figures.