Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Son, Julian, Relates His Father’s Surprise on the Success of ’The Scarlet Letter’, and Imagines His Father’s Pride at the Publication of a Newly Discovered Edition of That Work

“The publishers – Ticknor and Fields – when they printed the book, did not anticipate its larger and lasting sales, but supposed it would have a popularity not greatly exceeding that of his volumes of short tales. And they were nearly as much surprised as my father was when it became one of the most famous books of the day.”

Julian Hawthorne was an American writer and journalist, the son of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Sophia Peabody. He wrote numerous poems, novels, short stories, mystery/detective fiction, essays, travel books, biographies, and histories.

George Sidney Hellman was an American author and editor, a rare book, manuscript and art dealer and collector in New York City. He amassed collections of his own and helped secure major acquisitions for the Pierpont Morgan Library.

Autograph letter signed, December 10, 1906, to Hellman. “Your copy of the first edition of my father’s first romance, ‘The Scarlet Letter,’ has greatly interested me. It is probably an example of the first impression of that edition, which was stuck off before the pages were electro-typed. For there are several inaccuracies in the text, which were afterward corrected. The publishers – Ticknor and Fields – when they printed the book, did not anticipate its larger and lasting sales, but supposed it would have a popularity not greatly exceeding that of his volumes of short tales. And they were nearly as much surprised as my father was when it became one of the most famous books of the day. The type, therefore, was not originally cast in monument form.

“The signature on the fly-leaf seems to me of particular importance. There is a certain emphasis and character about it which indicate that it was not perfunctorily written; but was done con amore – consciously and with pleasure. I think it probable that the volume may have been one which my father meant to keep in his own library; it may ever have been the first one of those sent him by the publishers that he took out of the package; and he inscribed his name in it with so much circumstance and care, in recognition of its being his literary production that could be bound up and stand by itself. It was not his custom to inscribe all his books, either of his composition or of other authors, and was not addicted to the unnecessary writing of his name. But he would write it in a book which, for any reason, he valued, that was intended for his own library. Of course he would write it in books that he was presenting to friends.

“But I picture him, in this instance, affixing his signature with a touch of the pleasure which an author would naturally feel in his first real book. One, too, that he would not help feeling was a good piece of work. [this sentence makes no sense as written]. And I doubt not that this volume stood on his shelves for many years. Through what other hands it may have passed before it came to yours it would be void to conjecture. He was living in Lenox when the book was published. We moved thence to West Newton, and later to Concord, where we remained till we went to England in 1853. Our books were for the most part left behind in the care of my Aunt Peabody. But the library was not ___ up till after my Father’s death in 1864., It may have been disposed of by my brother in law, George Lathrop, who was in possession of the library for some years, while I myself was living abroad. That was not given to any one by Hawthorne himself seems intent, no other person’s name being written with his own on the fly-leaf. It is possible that my mother may have been given it to someone after my father’s death as a souvenir; but it would be an exceptional circumstance. She seldom gave any of his books though she sometimes gave detached signatures on scraps of his handwriting. The adventures of this volume therefore must be a matter of mere guesswork.

“But I think I may safely congratulate you on having become the owner of perhaps the most desirable copy of my father’s great work that there is in the world. And personally I rejoice in your good fortune.”