Sam Slick's Wise Saws, Haliburton, c.1870s–80s Hurst & Blackett Standard Library
 
Title & Bibliographic Details
Title: Sam Slick's Wise Saws and Modern Instances; or, What He Said, Did, or Invented
Author: Thomas Chandler Haliburton
Publisher: Hurst and Blackett, Publishers, Successors to Henry Colburn, 13, Great Marlborough Street, London
Edition: New Edition
Series: Hurst & Blackett's Standard Library of Cheap Editions of Popular Modern Works
Printer: John Childs and Son, Printers
Date: c.1870s–80s
Format: Octavo
Pagination: 349 numbered pages, plus 4 pp. of publisher's catalogue at the rear
Dimensions: Approximately 19.4 × 13.3 × 2.6 cm
Weight: Approximately 485 grams
 
Historical & Bibliographic Context
Thomas Chandler Haliburton was a Nova Scotian writer, judge and politician best known for creating the fictional Yankee clockmaker Sam Slick, who first appeared in The Clockmaker, published in Halifax in 1836 after the sketches had appeared in the Novascotian. Sam Slick became one of the most recognisable comic figures of nineteenth-century North American literature.
Sam Slick's Wise Saws and Modern Instances was first published by Hurst & Blackett in two volumes in 1853, followed by a second English edition in 1854. It gathers humorous and satirical sketches in which Sam Slick offers observations, anecdotes and "wise saws" on people, society and everyday life.
This copy is a later New Edition, issued as Volume VII of Hurst & Blackett's Standard Library, the publisher's series of inexpensive single-volume editions of popular modern works, issued with illustrations and uniform bindings.
The publisher's catalogue bound into this copy lists the Standard Library through XLIII, Hannah. As Hannah dates from 1871, these catalogue leaves must post-date 1871. The title-page imprint still describes Hurst & Blackett as "Publishers, Successors to Henry Colburn", rather than using the later "Limited" form. The evidence therefore supports a date in the later nineteenth century, most cautiously c.1870s–80s, rather than the earlier 1860 date sometimes attributed to this Standard Library volume.
 
About The Author
Thomas Chandler Haliburton (1796–1865) was a Nova Scotian judge, politician and author, creator of Sam Slick.
 
Edition / Illustrations
This is the New Edition of Sam Slick's Wise Saws and Modern Instances, issued as Volume VII of Hurst & Blackett's Standard Library. The title page retains the publisher's early form, "HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, SUCCESSORS TO HENRY COLBURN, 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET."
The volume has an engraved frontispiece, "THE HOUSE WITHOUT HOPE", after John Leech, engraved by J. Saddler, with tissue guard. It also retains four pages of original publisher's advertisements listing titles in the Standard Library, continuing through XLIII, Hannah.
The original publisher's binding is green cloth, with blind-stamped decoration to the boards and gilt decoration and lettering to the spine, which is lettered "SAM SLICK'S WISE SAWS" and "Hurst & Blackett's Standard Library".
 
Condition
Exterior: No dust jacket, as issued. Original green cloth binding over the boards and spine, with blind-stamped decoration to the boards and gilt decoration and lettering to the spine. The binding remains intact and robust, with light overall wear. There are a few very small marks, very light rubbing at the edges, soft bumping and rubbing to the corners, and a couple of creases to the rear board.
Interior: The page edges remain slightly untrimmed, giving the volume an attractive original character. Pages are lightly tanned. There is no pen or pencil annotation present. Very light foxing is confined principally to the endpapers, frontispiece and title page. Elsewhere the pages are predominantly neat and clean, with only the occasional very small mark and some larger marks to the lower margin of a few pages. These marks do not affect the text.
The pages are predominantly uncreased. There is the occasional very small edge tear, associated mainly with the slightly untrimmed edges, none of which affects the text. All pages are secure. There is a very light and partial crack in the gutter between a couple of pages. The tissue guard protecting the frontispiece is partially loose but remains attached.
Overall, a very good and attractive example of this later Standard Library edition, with the original binding, frontispiece and publisher's catalogue retained.
 
Completeness
The book has been carefully checked throughout.
All 349 numbered pages of text are present, together with the 4 pages of publisher's catalogue at the rear.
The frontispiece, with its tissue guard, is present. The title page, preface and contents are present and complete.
There is no apparent loss of text or illustration.
 
Collector Notes
This is not the first edition of Sam Slick's Wise Saws and Modern Instances, originally published in two volumes in 1853. Its interest lies in its attractive later Standard Library form, association with Hurst & Blackett's Victorian publishing programme, and illustrated presentation.
The volume will appeal to collectors of Thomas Chandler Haliburton, Sam Slick, Canadian literature, Victorian humour, nineteenth-century illustrated books and Hurst & Blackett's Standard Library.
The John Leech frontispiece, engraved by J. Saddler, is a notable feature, while the original green cloth binding, gilt spine, blind-stamped boards and surviving four-page publisher's catalogue enhance its value as an example of Hurst & Blackett's uniform Standard Library production.
The later catalogue is also of bibliographical interest, documenting the development of the Standard Library and the expansion of its list.