An Old Sweetheart of Mine — Riley/Christy 1902

📖 An Old Sweetheart of Mine by James Whitcomb Riley (1902, The Bobbs-Merrill Company) — An illustrated gift edition of Riley’s beloved sentimental poem, featuring full-page charcoal drawings by Howard Chandler Christy and floral decorations by Virginia Keep. This copy is inscribed to George C. Hitt, a close friend of Riley’s, with the original Bowen-Merrill copyright page intact.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: James Whitcomb Riley (1849–1916), the “Hoosier Poet”
• Publisher: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Indianapolis
• Year: 1902 (Copyright 1888–1899–1908 by Riley; Copyright 1902 by The Bowen-Merrill Company)
• Format: Hardcover, red cloth with gold-stamped lettering and oval pictorial paste-down
• Pages: Not numbered | ISBN: None (pre-ISBN era)
• Condition: Very Good minus (VG-) — full report below

THE STORY

First published as a standalone poem in 1888, “An Old Sweetheart of Mine” became one of James Whitcomb Riley’s most popular works — a tender, nostalgic meditation on love and memory that resonated deeply with turn-of-the-century American readers. Riley, born in Greenfield, Indiana, rose from itinerant sign painter to become the most beloved poet of his era, known as both the “Hoosier Poet” and the “Children’s Poet” for his accessible verse and dialect works.

THIS EDITION

This 1902 Bobbs-Merrill edition represents a collaboration between Riley and two prominent illustrators of the period. The copyright page bears the earlier “Bowen-Merrill Company” imprint — the firm that became Bobbs-Merrill in 1903 — making this among the earliest printings under the new name. The volume is inscribed on the verso of the title page to George C. Hitt, described as a longtime friend of Riley’s whose “steadfast friendship” dated to the poem’s first publication.

ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN

The volume features full-page charcoal drawings by Howard Chandler Christy (1872–1952), the celebrated American illustrator famous for his “Christy Girl” images — the iconic successor to the Gibson Girl. Christy’s atmospheric, sketch-style illustrations depict intimate domestic scenes: a contemplative man with a pipe beside a phonograph, a young girl and boy in period dress, and a woman seated in a candlelit room. Each drawing is paired with a facing page of verse framed by delicate pink coral-toned floral borders and vine decorations by Virginia Keep. The overall design is characteristic of the Art Nouveau-influenced gift book aesthetic of the early 1900s.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Riley was one of the best-selling American poets of his lifetime — his funeral in 1916 drew an estimated 35,000 mourners to Indianapolis
• Howard Chandler Christy went on to create iconic WWI military recruitment posters and the monumental “Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States” mural in the U.S. Capitol (1940)
• The Bowen-Merrill to Bobbs-Merrill publisher transition visible on the copyright page dates this to the earliest 1902 printings

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? The 1902 Bobbs-Merrill illustrated edition with drawings by Howard Chandler Christy and decorations by Virginia Keep. Copyright dates of 1888–1899–1908 indicate this is a printing from the 1902 copyright cycle.

What condition is it in? Very Good minus (VG-) — red cloth boards with edge and corner rubbing, significant gold lettering loss on spine from handling, intact oval front paste-down, square and tight binding, clean age-toned pages throughout.

Is it signed? No, but the volume is inscribed to George C. Hitt on the verso of the title page, with a dedication noting Hitt’s friendship dating to the poem’s original publication.

FOR COLLECTORS

This is a handsome example of the turn-of-the-century American gift book tradition — the kind of elaborately illustrated volume that was given as a treasured present. The combination of Riley’s most famous poem with Christy’s signature charcoal illustrations makes this edition particularly collectible. Collectors of Christy’s work will recognize the “Christy Girl” style already well-developed in these early drawings.

Condition Report

Overall Grade: Very Good- (VG-)

Cover & Spine: Red cloth boards with some rubbing to the edges and corners. White chalk stamped lettering on front cover and spine has fair amount of loss from being rubbed (typical for that type of coloring). Oval picture paste-down illustration on front board remains intact and clean. Spine head and tail are bumped with some wear to cloth.

Text Block & Pages: Lightly age-toned pages with clean surfaces throughout. Soft red decorative floral borders on text pages remain distinct.

Binding: Square and tight with intact hinges.

See accompanying images for full condition details.

Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

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