Black Adventure

Los Angeles: Murray & Gee, 1933. First Edition . Black Cloth. Near Fine Book/Very Good DJ. 197 Pp. Black Cloth. First Printing. Near Fine Book With Immaculate Paper Spine And Cover Labels, #94 Of The "Author's Edition". With The Scarce Illustrated Dustjacket Printed On Brown Paper, Immaculate, Small Loss At Corners And Tips, 1" X 3/4" Chip At Top Spine Edge Of Rear Panel, Not Affecting Any Text. Inscribed By The Author At Length To His "Pal" Homer Laughlin Jr., "In Remembrance Of The Happy Dreams We Had Together". Laughlin, An Engineer, Was The Son Of The Founder Of The Laughlin China Works. With The Large Decorative Bookplate Of William Henry Burnham, Financier And At One Time President Of The Bank Of Orange, And His Wife, The Artist Katharine French, With Artists's Signature At Bottom "E D French 1902". Edwin Davis French (1851-1906) Was A Highly Esteemed Bookplate Engraver, Producing At Least 330 Beginning In 1893. Born In North Attleboro, Massachusetts, His Artistic Career Had Begun In 1869 With Silver Engraving For The Whiting Manufacturing Company. Later, He Became A Founding Member And Trustee Of The American Fine Arts Society. Two Men Who Influenced French's Work Were Albrecht Dürer And Charles W. Sherborn. Many Of His Patrons Belonged To The Grolier Club. He Was Interested In Constructed Languages And Was Active In The Volapük Movement [1], And Also Learned Esperanto. French Had Suffered From Poor Health Most Of His Life, Having Left Brown University In His Sophomore Year Because Of It, And Eventually Succumbed To Tuberculosis. See Brainerd, Ira H. (1908). Edwin Davis French, A Memorial: His Life, His Art. New York: The De Vinne Press.