Highlighted Items at the Fair
Baum, L. Frank & Parris, Maxfield (illus). Mother Goose in Prose. Chicago: Way and Williams (1897). Very rare first edition. This was the first book that Baum, later famed as the author of the OZ books, published under his own name, and it was also the first book illustrated by Maxfield Parrish, already well known as a magazine illustrator. Baum will also be represented by his Army Alphabet and Navy Alphabet, two scarce titles, offered together. Edward T. Pollack, Portland, ME.
Buck, Pearl S. The Good Earth. New York: John Day (1931). First edition of Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Her second and most famous work that led to her receiving the Nobel Prize in 1938. Adapted for the Broadway stage in 1933 with Claude Rains in the starring role, and then made into a classic film starring Paul Muni opposite Luise Rainer, who won an Oscar as O-Lan. Enclosed in a specially made clamshell box with gilt lettered red leather spine label. Quill & Brush, Dickerson, MD.
Carver, Robin. The Book of Sports. Boston: Lilly, Wait, Colman, and Holden (1834). This was the first book printed in America to explain the rules of baseball. Brattle Book Shop, Boston, MA.
Darwin, Charles. On the Origin of the Species: By Means of Natural Selection. London: John Murray (1860). First edition of second printing. “Certainly the most important biological book ever written.” Quill & Brush. Dickerson, MD.
Eliot, T.S. Poems. Hand printed by Virginia and Leonard Woolf. Richmond: Hogarth Press (1919). First edition of Eliot’s third book, and the fourth Hogarth Press book. Sewn into the original hand-painted wallpaper wrappers. Quill & Brush, Dickerson, MD.
Frost, Robert. Come In and Other Poems. NY: Holt (1943). First edition. Inscribed by the author. With color-illustrated endpapers and numerous black-and-white vignettes throughout by John O’Hara Cosgrave III. The inscription reads, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, Robert Frost.” The line is from “Mending Wall,” which is included in the book. Bromer Booksellers, Boston, MA.
Hancock, John. Handwritten letter to Brig. General McCobb - Order of Provisional Government Regarding Retreating British - Together with Longacre Portrait of Hancock. Boston, MA (1784) [Engraving: 1765]. This letter was executed by John Hancock (1737-1793) during his tenure as the first Governor of Massachusetts. The war had ended, he was soon to be elected President of the United States. The letter is of superlative historical significance: it refers to the debarkation of the last British troops from American soil following the Revolution and references the first Orders of the newly formed provisional government, all in the hand of one of the central figures of the Revolution and first signer of the Declaration of Independence. The engraving by J.B. Longacre is from an original portrait painted by John Singleton. Lux Mentis/Portland, ME
Johnson, Samuel. A Dictionary of the English Language: In which The Words are deduced from their Origins. London: Printed by W. Strahan, for J. & P. Knapton, etc. (1755). First edition of the first standard English Language Dictionary. Two volumes. “Dr. Johnson performed with his Dictionary the most amazing, enduring and endearing one-man feat in the field of lexicography.” Quill & Brush, Inc, Dickerson, MD.
Mirbeau, Octave. Cezanne. Paris: Bernheim-Jeune (1914). In French, original etched frontispiece by Paul Cezanne (Paysage a Auvers), five original lithographs by Impressionist masters Edouard Vuillard, Pierre Bonnard, Maurice Denis, Henri Matisse, and Ker-Xavier Roussel, after works by Cezanne, and 53 additional plates reproducing works by Cezanne. Few copies of this book have survived intact because the plates are often removed and sold separately. Edward T. Pollack Fine Arts, Portland, ME.
Thayer, Phineas. Groesbeck, Dan Sayre (illus). Casey at the Bat
Orderly book of 6th Connecticut Regiment stationed at Roxbury, covering the period of September 1775-January 1776. Entries describe aftermath of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the formation of the Continental Army, the Siege of Boston, and provide colorful glimpses of Revolutionary era army life. Brattle Book Shop, Boston, MA
