An illustrated edition of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s Candle-Lightin’ Time, originally published by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1901. This 1969 first Mnemosyne reprinting reproduces the distinctive presentation of the original work, pairing Dunbar’s poetry with period photographs by the Hampton Institute Camera Club and decorative illustrations by Margaret Armstrong.
The collection includes poems such as “Dinah Kneading Dough,” “Dat Ol’ Mare o’ Mine,” “A Spring Wooing,” “The Old Front Gate,” “Fishin’,” “When Dey Listed Colored Soldiers,” “Lullaby,” “Song of Summer,” and the title work, “At Candle-Lightin’ Time.” The book is especially notable for its combination of poetry, photography, and elaborate orange-and-black decorative elements throughout.
Published by Mnemosyne Publishing Inc. of Miami, Florida in 1969, this hardcover edition is bound in black cloth with gilt lettering and decoration to the spine and features striking patterned endpapers.
Condition: Ex-library hardcover in good overall condition. Former library markings include stamps, labels, barcode, and a card pocket to the rear endpaper, along with handwritten notation on the title page. Exterior cloth shows light general shelf wear and areas of adhesive/residue where former library labels appear to have been removed from the covers and spine. Interior pages appear clean and bright overall, and the binding remains intact. No dust jacket present. Please review photographs closely for condition and library markings.