These urbane pieces present imaginary conversations at a Boston boardinghouse, reflecting Holmes's opinions, charm, and wit. 1st Printing. Large paper edition, only 230 copies in this format, very rare. Holmes apparently used this edition for gifts. 1860 on title page. Currier notes that the first impression of the large paper issue consisted of 530 copies, of which 300 were cut down (to make the regular trade edition) before binding. BAL 8791. Shiny black leather spine and board tips. 5-ribbed spine with gold decor and red title, author fields. Blue marbled paper covered boards; identical endpapers. All page edges gold gilt. Leather weakening at hinges. Light wear at spine top. Paper stock darkened from white, but not browned, text clear and readable. Has tiny tiny Goodspeed Boston stamp. For nearly a century, Goodspeed's in Boston was one of the world's pre-eminent rare book shops. The firm was founded in 1898 by Charles Eliot Goodspeed, who recorded the shop's early history in his book, 'Yankee Bookseller', published in 1937. Was likely rebound in leather and marbled endpapers by Goodspeed. 410 pages.