The Five Foot Shelf of Books

The Harvard Classics, originally marketed as Dr. Eliot’s Five foot Shelf of Books, is a 50 volume series of classic works of world literature, important speeches, and historical documents edited by Harvard University President, Charles W. Eliot.   He believed they could offer a reader, at home, the benefits of a liberal education.  The first 25 volumes were published in 1909, the 2nd 25 in 1910.  These are first editions (there were lots of grades of first editions, these are cloth not leather) ) but my Dad signed one and put the date 1928 (He would be 25)    Huge volumes were published and sold and it’s easy to find in used bookstores online …sometimes quite pricey for the fancy editions.    I vaguely remember them on a shelf growing up, but can’t remember anyone reading them.  Until they were mine.  I’m now trying to finish the 2nd volume of Dickens’ David copper field.   The writing is tiny.  ( I’ve unstuck the pages gilded in gold from enough to know that particular one wasn’t ever  read. .. Anna Karenina, …The Voyage of the Beagle…. some Poe poems…etc which also have my notes or bookmarks in them.   )  but I think it shows ambition on my Dad’s part, before life got in the way and making a living was difficult.   There was an additional 20 volumes of works of Fiction published in 1917 which he also had.   
This collection is in H’s office/man cave. along with other parts of our unorganized library.  It’s a high ceiling so I can’t easily even get to the top much less get them out. H has rearranged his shelves not too long ago.  They should all go together.   :-) But I see why he did it that way...  These shelves are 3 feet wide so I think in fact it’s more than 5 feet for the original 50.  Don’t know what to make of that. I’m trying to finish the 2nd volume of Dicken’s David Copperfield and realized I could add this to my Dad’s book I’m making, and hence do a bit of research about the books.   I wonder if anyone in the family could want them???  
 
You can get them, all 50,  as an ebook for your phone or kindle from amazon for $1.99 and Barnes and Noble for $0.99!!!   

So……enough words.…lots more info , and the list of contents is here if you are interested…