The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll, 1st/1st, 1876

This is a near fine copy of Lewis Carroll's 'The Hunting of the Snark' in first edition, first impression. London, MacMillan & Co., 1876. The boards are beautifully illustrated by Henry Holiday and are in near fine condition, with light browning and equally light shelf wear at the corners, tail and top of the spine. The rear board is lightly whitened on the left hand side. The text blocks are beautifully gilded and appear in near fine condition, with light 'age-related marks' present. Overall this is a beautiful, highly collectable copy, free from previous owner's ink and in near fine condition. 
 
The Hunting of the Snark, subtitled An Agony in 8 Fits, is a poem by the English writer Lewis Carroll. It is typically categorised as a nonsense poem. Written between 1874 and 1876, it borrows the setting, some creatures, and eight portmanteau words from Carroll's earlier poem "Jabberwocky" in his children's novel Through the Looking-Glass (1871).
 
The narrative follows a crew of ten trying to hunt the Snark, a creature which may turn out to be a highly dangerous Boojum. The only crewmember to find the Snark quietly vanishes, leading the narrator to explain that the Snark was a Boojum after all. The poem is dedicated to young Gertrude Chataway, whom Carroll met at the English seaside town Sandown in the Isle of Wight in 1875. Included with many copies of the first edition of the poem was Carroll's religious tract, An Easter Greeting to Every Child Who Loves "Alice".