"The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore, 1883 Illustrated Edition

A timeless piece of history. This is the 1883 hardcover illustrated edition of "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore, published in Philadelphia by Porter and Coates. This Christmas classic features illustrations by Alfred Fredericks, Frederic B. Schell, William T. Smedley, and Henry R. Poore.  This poem, originally named "The Visit", was first anonymously published in a New York newspaper in 1823. Years later, in 1837, Moore accepted credit for writing this piece. He is largely credited with creating the well known image of Santa that we see today.  The exterior of this book is worn, with discoloration throughout. The spine is damaged, as shown in the third photograph. However, the interior of the book is in good condition. The pages have minimal staining, primarily along the edges of the pages. The original gold gilding on the exterior of the pages is still intact. The string binding of the book is also in good condition, effectively holding the pages in place and the book