Rare ALS signed “H. Melville,” one page, 5 x 7.75, January 27, [no year, but circa 1852-1855]. Handwritten letter to his publisher, George P. Putnam, in New York City. In full: "Re-enclosed is the proof. Very truly yours." In fine condition. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA.
Melville writes from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where he had purchased a farmhouse, 'Arrowhead,' in 1850. He lived, farmed, and wrote there during his most productive literary period, penning such acclaimed works such as Moby-Dick, The Confidence-Man, and Israel Potter. The date of the letter can be narrowed definitively to the period 1852-1855, during which time Putnam occupied quarters at "No. 10 Park Place, New York," the address that Melville has penned at the foot. The periodical Putnam's Monthly, launched by the publisher in 1853, served as the outlet for many of Melville's works over the next several years: including Bartleby the Scrivener (1853), The Encantadas, or: Enchanted Isles (1854) and Benito Cereno (1855). A boldly penned, highly sought American literary autograph.
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