Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House by Eric Hodgins - 1946

E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc, 1937. Hardcover. Very Good. 0x0x0. Collectible first edition, first printing of legendary American theater actor, Pulitzer Prize winning producer, filmmaker and renowned boxing promoter William A. Brady's autobiography, Showman, My Life Story. "FIRST EDITION" so stated on copyright page. Signed and inscribed on front free endpaper verso by Brady to colleague and friend (and legend in her own right) Frances Marion thus: "To an old associate | Frances Marion | a "good fellow" if there | ever was one. With the | kindest regards of | William A. Brady | N.Y.C. St. Patrick's Day | 1940." Signature unconditionally guaranteed to pass any COA examination. Marion's personal copy. Bound in 1/2 yellow linen over blue linen with black lettering to front and spine panels. Dust jacket with $3.00 price intact and photo of Brady to back panel. Illustrated with numerous historical photos, including a photo frontis. 278 pp. 8 7/8" x 6… Read More

Herald Publishing House, 1892. Softcover. Good. Peter M. Hinds' brief, early history of Lamoni, Iowa, then headquarters of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (renamed The Community of Christ in 2001). Assuming RLDS leadership in 1860, Joseph Smith's eldest son Joseph Smith III sought to create a living Zion, and, to this end, Lamoni was selected for the grand experiment because of its rich soil and sparse settlement. It was the only town ever founded by the sect, and between 1870 and 1890 reigned as RLDS headquarters, becoming home to Smith III and the legendary Herald Publishing House. Bound in dark green cloth-covered wrappers embossed with cherubs and botanical elements. Includes two engravings and six photos, among these Smith III's house and the Herald Publishing House. 29 numbered pages plus unnumbered engraving and 4 pages of ads. Ads also appear inside front and back panels. Also includes an 8-page booklet of ads laid in with Park Addition ad to front… Read More

Herald Publishing House, Lamoni, Iowa, 1916. Hardcover. Very Good. 0x0x0. Grandson of Latter Day Saints founder Joseph Smith, Jr. Elbert A. Smith's Mormon-themed novel, Joe Pine. First edition signed by Elbert A. Smith on frontis recto thus: "Sincerely yours | Elbert A. Smith." Signature unconditionally guaranteed to pass any COA examination. Smith was a leader in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), also a member of the church's First Presidency from 1909 to 1938 and the Presiding Patriarch of the church from 1938 to 1958. Bound in olive cloth with black lettering and decorations to front and spine panels, ruled in red. Collation: [blank, 2] [half title page] [blank] [frontis recto] [frontis] [title page] [copyright page] [dedication page] [table of contents] [9] 10-351 [352]. Eight illustrated plates, all present. Complete as issued. Scarce. 352 pp. 8" x 5 1/2". Tight, unmarked copy with light shelf wear, slightly bumped corners and light… Read More

Harper & Row, Publishers, 1968. Hardcover. Like New. Collectible first edition, first printing of William Gass' compilation of five short stories titled and including his classic "In the Heart of the Heart of the Country." Per Harper's practice of designating first editions, "FIRST EDITION" so stated on copyright page. A-S code. Signed by Gass in black ink with no inscription on title page. Signature unconditionally guaranteed to pass any COA examination. Includes first state dust jacket with $4.95 price to top of front flap and 0268 date to bottom. Complete as issued. Included in Callil and Tobin's The Modern Library: The 200 Best Novels in English Since 1950. Tight, immaculate copy. Extremities crisp. Unmarked front to back. Dust jacket near flawless. A remarkably beautiful copy of Gass' masterpiece. Photographs of or additional information about this item are available on request. All inquiries answered promptly.

Edwin N. Appleton, 1917. Hardcover. Very Good. 0x0x0. Collectible first edition of Major William Kirby's exceptionally detailed WWI-era technical manual on poison gas, attack and defense. Includes numerous photos and drawings, also four fold-out maps and charts. See attached images for table of contents. Signed on front free endpaper by Roscoe L. Elstrot (1895-1987), who enlisted in the Army on June 28, 1918 and served as a private until his release on December 12, 1918. His copy. Includes full index. Bound in black cloth with gilt lettering to front panel. Scarce. 183 pp. 6 1/4" 4 7/8". Tight, unmarked copy with minimal shelf wear and very slight corner bumping. A presentable copy of an important WWI manual. Photographs of or additional information about this item are available on request. All inquiries answered promptly.

Privately Printed, 1924. Softcover. Very Good. Original exhibition catalog issued on the occasion of an exhibition of books containing illustrations by celebrated painter, engraver, publisher and illustrator Jean-Gabriel Daragnes - specifically, woodcuts. Illustrated with an original portrait etching of Daragnes by Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac, 11 black-and-white Daragnes plates, three depicting lesbian scenes, and an original Daragnes hand-colored engraving laid in showing a husband walking in on his wife in bed with her lover - a scene from Fielding's Tom Jones. Signed and inscribed on front free endpaper thus: "Pour Madame Legat | Ce registre d'etat und des infants | qu'un pere demature confie a | l'assistance publingier | le pere indigne | Daragnes." Translation: "For Mrs. Legat: This register of state and children that a father has entrusted with the assistant publisher. The unworthy father, Daragnes." Also signed and inscribed on front free endpaper by an… Read More

Harper & Row, Publishers, 1968. Hardcover. Like New. Collectible first edition, first printing of William Gass' compilation of five short stories titled and including his classic "In the Heart of the Heart of the Country." Per Harper's practice of designating first editions, "FIRST EDITION" so stated on copyright page. A-S code. Signed by Gass in black ink with no inscription on title page. Signature unconditionally guaranteed to pass any COA examination. Includes first state dust jacket with $4.95 price to top of front flap and 0268 date to bottom. Complete as issued. Included in Callil and Tobin's The Modern Library: The 200 Best Novels in English Since 1950. Tight, immaculate copy. Extremities crisp. Unmarked front to back. Dust jacket near flawless. A remarkably beautiful copy of Gass' masterpiece. Photographs of or additional information about this item are available on request. All inquiries answered promptly.

Privately Printed for W. S. Van Dyke by California Graphic Press, 1931. Hardcover. Very Good. 0x0x0. Collectible first edition, first printing of legendary American film director W. S. Van Dyke's journal written during the filming of Trader Horn in central Africa, a film, in turn, based on the book Trader Horn by celebrated ivory trader Alfred Aloysius "Trader" Horn. "First Printing" so stated on copyright page. Inscribed and signed by W. S. Van Dyke on front free endpaper thus: "To you Tyler - | and don't be too hard | on it! | W. S. Van Dyke | L. A. | 1-22-35." Signature unconditionally guaranteed to pass any COA examination. Bound in dark blue linen with gilt lettering to front and spine panels and gilt water buffalo to front panel. Includes 26 full-page photos of natives, big game animals and more, taken on location. 219 pp. Tight, unmarked copy with minimal shelf wear. An exceptionally presentable copy of an important African safari collectible.

Doubleday & Co., Inc, 1957. Hardcover. Very Good. Collectible first edition, first printing of Carmen Aboy Valldejuli's The Art of Caribbean Cookery. Per Doubleday's practice of designating first editions, "First Edition" so stated on copyright page. Signed in blue ink by Valldejuli on front free endpaper. Signature unconditionally guaranteed to pass any COA examination. Includes priced dust jacket in archival Brodart sleeve. At the time of publication, notably, Valldejuli was the dominant authority on Caribbean cuisine, often referred to as the Puerto Rican Julia Child - and this the only book that featured recipes from across the Caribbean. She and her husband traveled extensively from island to island, sampling recipes and recording them faithfully. Cultural authenticity was their focus. The first edition was printed in relatively small numbers, thus its present scarcity, and the dust jacket even more scarce. 254 pp. 8 1/2" x 6". Tight, unmarked copy with minimal… Read More

George H. Doran Co, 1924. Hardcover. Very Good. Collectible first US edition of Michael Arlen's The Green Hat, Dikran Kuyumjian here writing as Michael Arlen. Per Doran's practice of designating first editions, a GHD colophon appears under the copyright date on the copyright page, and a title list on the half title page verso includes this title and four additional titles, all published earlier. Notably, however, the dust jacket presents a significant challenge. The front panel notes that two editions have been published, this one, titled the Iris March edition, and another, titled the Gold Edition, which also included Arlen's other books, all bound uniformly in black cloth with gilt lettering - a total of six volumes listed on the back panel. The difficulty is that one of the six titles on the back panel (May Fair) was first published in 1925, a year later than The Green Hat. Since the book itself possesses all necessary first printing issue points, it would seem probable that the dust… Read More