samuel langhorne clemens

Description du livre: Hartford, Conn.: The American Publishing Company, 1876, 1876. Square octavo. Original blue vertically-ribbed cloth decoratively stamped in black and gilt and lettered in gilt and blind on front cover and spine, back cover decoratively stamped in black with publisher's device stamped in black in the centre, peach endpapers. Blue morocco slipcase and chemise, lettered gilt. Very slight rubbing and/or fraying to corners and spine extremities, inner hinges with some short superficial cracking, still an excellent copy, the cloth bright and fresh. Wood-engraved frontispiece and numerous wood-engraved text illustrations by True Williams and others. First American edition, first printing, printed on wove paper, with the half-title and frontispiece printed on separate leaves (verso of half-title and recto of frontispiece blank). The American edition was published around the beginning of December 1876, preceded by the London edition published in June the same year. Mark Twain had moved to Hartford to work with the publisher Elisha Bliss, Jr. of the American Publishing Company. At the time, Hartford was a publishing centre with twelve publishers, and the town had the highest per-capita income of any city in the United States. Tom Sawyer proved such a success that Twain was able to hire Tiffany to supervise the redecoration of his Hartford house. It also inspired him, somewhat less successfully, to found his own publishing house, Charles L. Webster and Company, which had success with its first two publications, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, but went bankrupt by 1894. BAL 3369; Grolier, 100 American, 79; Johnson, Twain, pp. 27–30; Peter Parley to Penrod, pp. 43–44. N° de réf. du libraire 51871

Description du livre: [c.1879–80], 1879. Octavo (200 × 135 mm), 43-leaf autograph manuscript in purple and black ink and pencil, generally rectos only, with numerous corrections, each leaf on a paper-guard. Bound with a portrait frontispiece, custom letterpress title-page, and the corresponding leaves from a copy of the first edition. Early twentieth-century red straight-grain morocco, titles and single-line rule to upper board gilt, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. Housed in a red cloth slipcase and chemise. Contents slightly toned and occasionally marked, closed tear to final leaf professionally repaired. Excellent condition. Portrait frontispiece. Twain's autograph manuscript of "My Collection of Bric-A-Brac", Chapter XX of A Tramp Abroad, published in 1880. This chapter gives an amusing portrait of Twain's passion for collecting ceramics: "Among these was my Etruscan tear-jug. I have made a little sketch of it here [his drawing on page 647 of the manuscript is reproduced in a more refined form on page 185 of the book] that thing creeping up the side is not a bug, it is a hole. I bought this tear-jug of a dealer in antiquities for four hundred and fifty dollars. It is very rare. The man said the Etruscans used to keep tears or something in these things, and that it was very hard to get hold of a broken one, now." Twain goes on to discuss another of his favourite pieces, a Henri II plate which he has also sketched, and his general feelings about the hobby. "For my part I am content to be a bric-a-bracker and a keramiker – more, I am proud to be so named. I am proud to know that I lose my reason immediately in the presence of a rare jug with an illustrious mark on the bottom of it, as if I had just emptied that jug." The remainder of the chapter relates a humorous encounter with a garrulous American tourist, with Twain demonstrating his skill at reproducing slang: "and dontchuknow, they made me learn Latin, too. Now between you and me, I wouldn't give a — for all the Latin that was ever jabbered; and the first thing I calculate to do when I get through, is to just sit down and forget it. 'Twon't take me long, and I don't mind the time, anyway. And I tell you what! the difference between school-teaching over yonder and school-teaching over here — sho! We don't know anything about it! Here you've got to peg and peg and peg and there just ain't any let-up", and so entertainingly on for several pages. A wonderful manuscript chapter from one of Twain's most popular travel narratives, together with a copy of the first published edition. N° de réf. du libraire 74271

Description du livre: London: Chatto and Windus, 1899–1903, 1903. 25 volumes, octavo (206 × 144 mm). Contemporary full ochre morocco, covers panelled in gilt to a geometric art-nouveau design, spine with four raised bands, compartments tooled in gilt, red morocco doublures with geometric designs in gilt at corners, red moiré silk free endpapers, top edges gilt, others uncut. Spines very lightly tanned, a superb set. Engraved titles, frontispieces and plates. Additional original manuscript material bound in to vol. I, as detailed below. Limited edition, number 96 of 620 sets of the "Author's Edition de Luxe" signed "SL Clemens (Mark Twain)". In this set, volume I has three items of original autograph material bound in before the limitation leaf: (1) CLEMENS, Samuel L. Autograph manuscript, a page from the manuscript of The Gilded Age (1873), 1 page, 8vo (8 x 5 in.), in ink on lined stationery comprising 23 lines, with several deletions and word substitutions, paginated "1192" at top. The text recording a conversation between Colonel Sellers and Washington Hawkins in which they discuss the moral effects of fighting corruption and the expulsion of members of Congress; (2) WARNER, Charles Dudley. Autograph manuscript, a page from the manuscript of The Gilded Age, 1 page, 8vo, in ink on lined stationery comprising 19 lines, paginated "1156" at top. The text describing the failure of Mr. Bolton's mine in spite of Philip continuing to work throughout the autumn in hopes of discovering coal; (3) CLEMENS, Samuel L. Autograph letter signed "Mark" 11 March, to his publisher Elisha Bliss, in which he comments on how busy he is and recommends that Bliss talk over unspecified points with Warner in order to save him the trouble. The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (Hartford, 1873) was a collaborative attempt by Twain and Charles Dudley Warner to write a "contemporary" novel. The first novel either author attempted and their only collaboration, it was completed in the record time of three months: "With their plots staked out, Clemens and Warner began working like tunnel crews boring from opposite sides of the mountain. In general, as he [Twain] liked to say, he contributed the fact and Warner the fiction" (Justin Kaplan, Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain, 1966, p. 160). N° de réf. du libraire 50171

Description du livre: New York and London, Harper and Brothers, 1929, 1929. 37 volumes, octavo (217 × 144 mm). Finely bound by Bayntun, mid twentieth century, in crimson full crushed morocco, spines gilt in compartments between five raised bands, gilt lettered in two panels and dated at foot, boards decorated with geometric interlace panel and cornerpieces, decoration to turn-ins, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt. Some small repairs to a few volumes. Overall a fine and attractive set. Memorial edition. Limited to 90 sets with a page of original manuscript material bound in. Signed by the publisher. N° de réf. du libraire 61912

Description du livre: London: Chatto and Windus, 1876, 1876. Octavo. Original red cloth with border and cover design blocked in black and lettering in gilt, cream coated endpapers. Housed in a burgundy quarter morocco solander box made by The Chelsea Bindery. Extremities a little rubbed, spine very slightly darkened, shelf-wear to bottom corners of front board, superficial cracking to rear inner hinge but otherwise intact, text block solid, a very good copy, fresh and unrestored, scarce thus. Ownership inscription on front pastedown. First edition, published on 9 June, thus preceding the first American edition that appeared in mid-December by some six months. Twain chose to have the book published first in London to ensure copyright and perhaps also because he was more highly esteemed in Britain than at home. Oxford conferred an honorary doctorate on Twain in 1907, three years before his death, an honour grander than any he ever received in America. BAL 3367. N° de réf. du libraire 70562

Description du livre: New York: Gabriel Wells, 1922, 1922. 37 volumes, octavo. Bound in recent full burgundy morocco, crimson and dark green labels, decoration to spines, raised bands, roll to boards, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, others untrimmed. A fine set. Portrait frontispiece and numerous black and white illustrations throughout. The Definitive Edition, signed "S L Clemens / Mark Twain" in volume 1, limited to 1024 numbered sets. The publisher states that Twain intended a definitive collected edition and so put his autograph to 1024 single leaves in 1906. These were not recovered until long after his death, when the project could finally be completed. This set includes the extra two volumes of Autobiography. N° de réf. du libraire 65921

Description du livre: Hartford, Ct, april 1, 1884, 1884. Important letter from Samuel Clemens to his British publisher Andrew Chatto at Chatto & Windus -two brief pages dense with early instructions regarding international aspects of the forthcoming publication of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Hartford Apl 1/84 Dear Mr. Chatto: Good - that settles Hughes! Now you can settle Tauchnitz - I enclose him. Chas L. Webster (my nephew by marriage and future publisher) will write to you about this time. I will send him your present letter so that he may take note of the early sheets suggestion. We can easily send the early sheets if we don't forget it, for we shall have this book in type & printed many months before we issue it. I shall secure Canadian copyright. Truly Yours, S.L. Clemens Chatto had begun corresponding with Clemens in March 1884 concerning Huckleberry Finn, and matters concerning translation and foreign publication, with a request for early sheets. William L. Hughes, in Paris proposed to put out French translations of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, and Chatto had vouched for him. Twain also instructs Chatto to make arrangements with Tauchnitz, the famed Leipzig publisher of continental editions of English-language authors, for an authorized edition. The letter also introduces his nephew Charles L. Webster to Chatto. "Charley", as Clemens called him, undertook the logistical work connected with publication of Huck Finn. Chatto had requested early proof sheets so that he could begin typesetting, with the aim of publishing British editions simultaneously with the New York edition. "Charley" did not forget, and "advance sheets" were sent to Chatto by Webster on 19 September 1884. It was only in November, when the defaced plate was discovered, that the intended publication schedule came apart. The Chatto & Windus edition (London) and Dawson Brothers (Montreal) edition were published on 10 December as foreseen. Clemens was in Toronto on publication day to establish legal domicile for these editions and Webster applied for foreign copyright in the author's name. The Tauchnitz (Leipzig) edition was published in printed wrappers dated January 1885. Production issues connected with replacing the offending page resulted in publication of the Charles L. Webster (New York) edition being delayed until 18 February 1885. This is one of only two known letters from Clemens to Chatto discussing Huck Finn (a note dated 3 March 1884 informed Chatto that "I am keeping Huck Finn back till next fall"). Webster, as Clemens' publisher, handled subsequent correspondence (transcripts of several related letters accompany this letter). This letter serves to indicate that Clemens' intention, from the beginning, was for the British edition to be derived from the American printing of the book 22.5 x 14 cm. (9 x 5-1Ú2 in.). 26 lines, in pencil, on both sides of a single sheet. Fine condition, in cloth folder. Provenance: Paul Bonner (Sale in Feb, 15, 1934 lot 71); James S. Copley Library. Mark Twain Project ID UCCL 11941. For the publishing history, see Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (2003), eds. Fischer, Salamo & Blair, p. 740; BAL 3414, 3415; Walter Blair, Mark Twain and Huck Finn (1960). N° de réf. du libraire 255954

Description du livre: New York: Gabriel Wells, 1922, 1922. Octavo. 37 volumes. Finely bound in recent tan half calf with red and green labels, in filled gilt design to spine, raised bands, marbled boards, all edges cut. Printed on specially made all rag Old Enfield paper which bears the watermark "Samuel L. Clemens - Mark Twain". Internally very clean. A beautiful set. Frontisportrait and with about another 160 illustrations throughout the set. The Definitive Edition, limited to 1,024 numbered sets, each signed "S L Clemens / Mark Twain". Clemens planned a definitive and complete edition of his works before his death and, to that end, in 1906 signed 1,024 sheets with both forms of his name to be inserted in the first volume of the planned edition. The set was delayed for many years, when the sheets were removed from storage and used to create this posthumous signed edition. N° de réf. du libraire 67718

Description du livre: Harper & Brothers, New York and London, 1903. Original Cloth. État : Fine. Etat de la jaquette : Near Fine. Illustrated by F. Strothman (illustrateur). First Edition; First Printing. 8vo; [4], 66, [2] pages. A just about Fine First Edition in the original red decorated cloth, gently rubbed and little fading to spine. In the elusive, nearly Fine dust-jacket with only a minor chip to the bottom of the spine. In custom made 1/3 leather cloth double slipcase. Hard to imagine a nicer copy can be found; The Jumping Frog in English, then in French, then clawed back into a civilized language once more by patient, unremunerated toil. First separate publication, save for a note at pp 64 - reprinted from its first appearance in Sketches, 1875. BAL 3477. N° de réf. du libraire 29144

Description du livre: In thirty-seven volumes. Harper & Brothers, New York and London, 1929. Recent half navy calf over cloth boards with spine in compartments between raised banding the second and third with titles stamped direct and the remaining with small gilt ornament placed centrally; teg, rest roughcut; 8vo. The Stormfield Edition. A Limited Edition of 1024 sets, of which 1000 are for sale. This is No. 762. With half-titles with limitation on verso, frontispieces and titles in crimson and black.A handsome set. N° de réf. du libraire CB20266-37

Description du livre: New York, J. G. Gessford, 1908, 1908. Photogravure. Image size 24 x 17 cm. Paper size 35 x 26 cm. Framed and glazed. Inscribed above and beneath the image by the author "To Mrs. F. B. Rice with the best wishes of Mark Twain" and dated "Feb. 20 / 08". Signed and dated by the photographer lower left. Mrs. Rice was a Bostonian socialite. N° de réf. du libraire 42959

Description du livre: London, Chatto and Windus, 1900, 1900. Octavo, pp. [viii] + 414 + [ii] + 32 adverts. Publisher's orange cloth boards, gilt titles to spine, front board pictorially stamped in yellow and black. in protective cloth wrapper and solander box. Cloth cover rubbed, stained and bumped, spine with two holes, three different bookplates and one gift stamp on front preliminaries, library paper label on rear pastedown. Inscribed on the half title page "To / Miss Mildred Williamson / with the Compliments of / Mark Twain / Oct. 5 / 00". First UK Edition, (a reprint of the American edition except for "Christian science and the Book of Mrs Eddy" and "Diplomatic Pay and Clothes" which are absent from the American edition). BAL 3460. Johnson, Twain, p. 70. N° de réf. du libraire 17752

Description du livre: Charles L. Webster and Company, New York, 1889. Original Cloth. État : Fine. Illustrated by Daniel Carter Beard (illustrateur). First Edition; First Printing. 8vo. A bright First Edition/First Printing copy in Fine condition in the original green cloth with white end papers imprinted in yellow-green floral pattern, fly-title on page , later state without S-like ornament between the two word caption on page 59 [BAL 3429]. Housed in custom made slipcase and box in Fine condition; Twain's tale of Hank Morgan, a 19th-century citizen of Hartford, CT who awakens to find himself transported back in time to medieval England at the time of legendary King Arthur in AD 528. Hank uses his knowledge and Yankee ingenuity to advance the English society and secure a high position for himself, but later falls victim to modern society's own darker side. N° de réf. du libraire 13223

Description du livre: Charles L. Webster and Company, New York, 1885. Original Cloth. État : Very Good+. First Edition; First Printing. 8vo; 366 pages. An attractive First Edition in Very Good+ condition. Minor rubbing to edges of boards and spine ends, still beautifully bright gilt decorated cover and spine, occasional light smudges. In a stunning, custom-made, half-leather clamshell case. A most handsome and desirable copy; Original gilt- and black-stamped green pictorial cloth. All commonly known early issue points (BAL 3415) are present: [2(1):] The cancelled title leaf shows copyright dated 1884; [1:] page 13: "Him and another Man" listed at page 88; [1:] page 57, 11th line from the bottom reads: "with the was"; [4:] page 283-84 is a conjugate, illustration with straight pant-fly; [3:] page 155 with final "5" slightly larger; [1:] page 161, no signature mark "11"; blank final leaf 238; [1:] frontispiece portrait showing drapery under the bust and imprint of the Heliotype Printing Company. Further first state points not identified in BAL include heading for chapter 6 reads "Decided" (later corrected to "Decides") on p9; page 143 with "l" missing from "Col. " at top of illustration; line 7 from the top: part of b in "body" is missing. N° de réf. du libraire 19876

Description du livre: Harper & Brothers, New York And London, 1905. Original Cloth. État : Fine. Etat de la jaquette : Near Fine. First Edition; First Printing. 8vo; [vi], 82, 6 plates pages. First Edition/First Printing in bright red cloth in about Fine condition, only light acidic staining to pages opposite from plates, in very scarce dustjacket, lightly edge-worn. Copyright page with "published September 1905". An exceptional copy, hard to imagine a nicer copy to be found. BAL 3665. In custom made leather/cloth slip case ; "This volume contains several of Mark Twain's funniest sketches, all narrating various journalistic experiences of his youth. These bits of literary whimsicality and adventure have become widely popular among the veteran humorist's well known writings" (from the dust-jacket). N° de réf. du libraire 29142

Description du livre: New York and London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, [1911], 1911. 25 volumes, octavo. Recent burgundy half morocco, titles and decoration to spines, raised bands, burgundy cloth boards, cream endpapers, top edges gilt. An excellent set handsomely bound. Monchrome frontispiece to each volume. Author's national edition. N° de réf. du libraire 51577

Description du livre: : , 1899., 1899. To And Of The Publishers Twain Loved To HateTWAIN, Mark (1835-1910). Autograph note written in black ink to [Elisha] Bliss dated Nov. 30/[18]99 regarding Following the Equator (1 page). Together with a clipped signature "S.L. Clemens / Mark Twain" and a portrait photograph, and illustrated plate [ca. 1899]. Framed and glazed."Nov. 30/99 / Dear Bliss: / Please send me in care Chatto, a copy of "Following The Equator" / How does the Harper assignment affect you - to your inquiry or otherwise. / Truly yours / SLC"Elisha Bliss (1822-1880) was Twain''s first publisher; his American Publishing Company was a by subscription only publishing house that from 1867 through 1880 issued all of Twain's books.In a study of Bliss, Mark Twain and Elisha Bliss (1964), "Hamlin Hill argues that Bliss 'was coldly calculating, he was happy to cheat both authors and customers with a repertory of the worst tricks of salesmanship, and he apparently juggled books with the skill of a master accountant.' In brief, Clemens learned the rudiments of literary business under the tutelage of a tougher, less ethical, more opportunistic taskmaster than Horace Bixby had ever been in teaching a cub pilot the course of the Mississippi River. That harsher education had begun on 21 November 1867 with a letter from Bliss soliciting "a work of some kind" from newspaper correspondent Clemens (MT&EB, p. 23). Although Clemens flirted with the idea of changing publishers during the mid-1870s, Bliss managed to sell 337,902 volumes for Mark Twain between 1869 and 1879 (p. 157); it was only Bliss’ death on 28 September 1880 that truly freed Clemens, for the next fourteen years, from the American Publishing Company Essentially Clemens’ efforts at finagling lucrative contracts for his prose were efficacious; he earned vastly more money than most of his contemporaries who wrote, and he even succeeded in keeping Elisha Bliss more watchful and honest than he might otherwise have been. Clemens’ London publisher proved especially diligent in procuring and promoting his works" (Gribben, Alan. MARK TWAIN, BUSINESS MAN: THE MARGINS OF PROFIT. Studies in American Humor, compedit.com/mark_twain,_business.htm)Twain's London publisher was Andrew Chatto (1841-1913). I. N° de réf. du libraire 01045

Description du livre: Harper & Brothers, New York, 1909. Original Cloth. État : Near Fine. Etat de la jaquette : Very Good-. First Edition; First Printing. 8vo; [vi], frontispiece, 120, [2] pages. First Edition/First Printing in Very Near Fine condition, end-papers slightly cracked, hinges tight, bright red cloth in scarce dustjacket with small chips along the top. BAL 3511; Combining science fiction with a satiric look at conventional views of the afterlife, Twain delivers his amusing and trenchant commentary on human vanity. The last of Mark Twain's books published during his lifetime. 9/16 inch sheet bulk, MCMIX on title page, published October 1909 on copyright page. N° de réf. du libraire 11538

Description du livre: American Publishing Company, Boston, 1875. 1/2 Leather. État : Near Fine. First Edition; First Printing. 8vo. A most attractive, unrestored First Edition/first state copy, in the scarce original publisher's 1/2 Morocco leather binding with gilded pages and peach end papers in near fine condition, front end paper cracked at hinge, hinges tight and fully intact though. Includes the rare inserted notice on page 299 denying Mark Twain's authorship of the piece. All points present as per BAL 3364; Twain's sixty-three often outrageous sketches, composed between 1863 and 1875. From a piece about the difficulty of getting a pocket watch repaired properly to thoughts on bureaucrats, courts of law, the profession of journalism, the claims of science, and the workings of government. N° de réf. du libraire 12518

Description du livre: C. H. Webb, New York:, 1867. hardcover. État : 2. FIRST EDITION, Second Issue of Twain’s first book. One of the most elusive first editions of Clemens, this book was issued in an edition of a little over 1000 copies. Twenty –odd days later, another 550 copies were printed from the same stereotype plates. The only difference between the issues (as per BAL) is that the first issue has a single cream-colored leaf of advertisements inserted at the front, and individual letters of type at pages 66 and 198 are undamaged. This copy shows the battered type and no evidence of the advertising leaf and is therefore a second issue. [It is interesting to note that there were only half the number of second issues printed as the first, making this the more scarce book.] The binding was issued in several different color cloth (without priority), and the gilt- stamped frog on the cover is in the lower left corner; some copies are known with the frog facing the top of the book, in the middle of the upper cover. Again, no priority is assigned. Whereas this book is not the Holy Grail of American literature (i.e. Poe’s Tamerlane), it is becoming much more difficult to obtain a decent copy, in either state, at an affordable price, of this steadfastly beloved American author. Clemens got the idea for this tale, as he heard it told around the pot belly stove in the general store, in Angels Camp, California. Mark Twain the humorist had been "born" in the Territorial Enterprise during Clemens’ tenure as editor of that paper in Virginia City. He submitted this work to his friend Artemus Ward for inclusion in a book of humorous stories Ward was then publishing in New York. Unfortunately, the submission arrived too late for inclusion. However, Clemens’ friend, Charles Webb, arranged to publish the "Frog" as the lead story in a book of additional material by Clemens. Some of the stories were re-published in later years; some tales were not. Because of this being the earliest book of Twain’s stories, the humor is somewhat uneven, giving us a glimpse of this giant of American literature as he was beginning to mature. BAL 3310; Zamorano 80:17. 12mo. (169 x 110 mm) 198 pp. Original plum cloth, beveled boards, gilt- stamped cover and spine titles, gilt-stamped frog lower left corner of upper cover; expertly re-cased, spine ends restored. Housed in a quarter red morocco over marbled paper clamshell case, gilt-stamped spine title, rules and ornaments. Very good+. N° de réf. du libraire AA2963

Description du livre: Chicago, 1879. État : Excellent. 1 and 1/2 pages SIGNED "SAML." to his wife Livy, written in pencil on lined stationery with a few revisions by Clemens, with the original stamped envelope addressed by him. In part: " I walked over 76 miles, yesterday, round about the town, inspecting the outsides of beautiful & costly dwellings, the water-works machinery, the street-decorations for the Grant (President Ulysses Grant) reception, & so forth, & had a good time.I went to three theatres with a lot of newspaper men; staid but a few minutes at two of them, but saw a whole act at the third. It was the first act of Pinafore, admirbly done by children-little children like ours. The characters were most excellently taken-it was a marvel to see it.I was home & in bed at 10 o'clock. Drank 11 gallons of Appollinaris water, & 1 glass of lager during the evening; dran one Scotch whisky in bed, read 2 hours, & went to sleep without needing the other punch." Clemens was in Chicago to attend the gala he refers to for President Grant who, like Clemens had recently returned from a stay in Europe. On the night of 11 November Clemens gave one of his most famous speeches at a banquet for the President at the Palmer House. Author Justin Kaplan in his renown biography "Mark Twain and His World", refers to this Chicago sojurn: "In Chicago, in November, Mark Twain celebrated his reconciliation with America, joined his destiny to that of Grant, and also, by his own account, reached the high point of his career as speechmaker." The letter shows the usual creasing at the folds otherwise a beautiful Twain letter in excellent condition. N° de réf. du libraire 884628

Description du livre: American Publishing Company, Boston, 1875. 1/2 Leather. État : Near Fine. First Edition; Second Printing. 8vo. A most attractive, unrestored First Edition/second state copy, in the scarce original publisher's 1/2 Morocco leather binding with gilded pages and peach end papers in near fine condition. Without the Non-Twain sketch "Hospital Days". BAL 3364; Twain's sixty-three often outrageous sketches, composed between 1863 and 1875. From a piece about the difficulty of getting a pocket watch repaired properly to thoughts on bureaucrats, courts of law, the profession of journalism, the claims of science, and the workings of government. N° de réf. du libraire 12480

Description du livre: Stuttgart, Robert Lutz, 1903., 1903. 304 pp., 8 ff. advertisment. Cloth with blindstamped spine and covers. 8vo. (= Humoristische Schriften. Neue Folge. Bd. I). - "To Mr. Sauter | sincerely Yours | Samuel L. Clemens 'Mark Twain'", dated 15 Jan. 1904. - Somewhat scratched, otherwise in fine condition. N° de réf. du libraire 28650

Description du livre: American Publishing Company, Hartford, CT, 1894. Cloth. État : Fine. First Edition; First Printing. 8vo; [i-vi], 15-432 pages. First Edition/ First Printing/ First State as evidenced by the bulk of the text block measuring 1 1/8" and the title page not being tipped-in. Also, State A frontispiece with the facsimile signature of Twain measuring 1 7/16" wide. BAL 3442. About Fine condition in the publisher's original decorated reddish-brown cloth covered boards with black decorations, little rubbing and some minute chipping along spine and tissue guard; Told in typical Twain fashion, infants switched at birth reveal their true colors as DNA encoding takes precedence over environment. Set during the early years of the 19th century, this pre-Civil War satire tackles social commentary issues still being debated today. Twain presents the reader with a light-skinned black mother switching her infant with her white master's in order to prevent her own child being raised as a slave. Twain uses humor and irony in revealing seething levels of racism and classicism. N° de réf. du libraire 14238

Description du livre: George S. Cline Publishing House, Chicago, 1889. Leather. État : Very Good. 8vo. A rather attractive Salesman's Dummy for the Cline publication of Twain's Wit and Humor of the Age, BAL 3633. Reddish brown leather, re-backed, with elaborate design in gilt, alternative binding in alligator texture inside front board, with flap showing spine, decorated endpaper, frontispiece engraved portraits of Twain and other humorists. A Very Good copy; Wit and wisdom by Mark Twain, Josh Billings, Robt. J. Burdette, Alex. Sweet, Eli Perkins with The Philosophy of Wit and Humor by Melville D. Landon. Selections from each of the chapters, along with quotations and facsimile signatures of famous people. List of available bindings and prices, alligator imitation - sample inside front board; sheep sprinkled - sample inside rear board. List of facsimile signatures of famous subscribers including Chester A. Arthur, Henry Ward Beecher, Oliver Wendell Holmes, U. S. Grant, and others. Blank subscriber pages, full American Russia spine pasted inside rear board along with Sheep Sprinkled board. N° de réf. du libraire 29339

Description du livre: American Publishing Company, Hartford, CT, 1894. Cloth. État : Fine. First Edition; First Printing. 8vo; [i-vi], 15-432 pages. First Edition/ First Printing/ First State as evidenced by the bulk of the text block measuring 1 1/8" and the title page not being tipped-in. Also, State A frontispiece with the facsimile signature of Twain measuring 1 7/16" wide. BAL 3442. Minor rubbing the publisher's original decorated reddish-brown cloth covered boards with black decorations; Told in typical Twain fashion, infants switched at birth reveal their true colors as DNA encoding takes precedence over environment. Set during the early years of the 19th century, this pre-Civil War satire tackles social commentary issues still being debated today. Twain presents the reader with a light-skinned black mother switching her infant with her white master's in order to prevent her own child being raised as a slave. Twain uses humor and irony in revealing seething levels of racism and classicism. N° de réf. du libraire 29854

Description du livre: Harper & Brothers, New York, 1909. Original Cloth. État : Near Fine. Etat de la jaquette : Very Good. First Edition; First Printing. 8vo; [viii], 149, [5] pages. A most attractive First Edition, First State in Near Fine condition in the original plain Very Good dust jacket. Tight, bright copy with deckled edges and gold top stain in excellent condition, dust jacket with some small chipping and little tears along the top edge as well as original cutout for book title. Scarce with original dust jacket; Mark Twain's interest in the "Shakespeare question", was reignited in 1908 when he read The Shakespeare Problem Restated. Twain was intrigued by Greenwood's argument that, while there is no evidence that Shakespeare the actor had any familiarity with the law, the author of the plays must have been a lawyer. First State, without any inserted leaves pertaining to Greenwood's "Shakespeare Problem Restated". N° de réf. du libraire 11537

Description du livre: Charles L. Webster and Company, New York, 1889. Hardcover. État : Very Good. Illustrated by Daniel Carter Beard; Drawings (illustrateur). First Edition; First Printing. 8vo. A First Edition/ First Printing/ First State copy in scarce original half morocco binding with gilt title, raised bands on spine. Caption "The King" has a small S-like ornament between the two words on page , as called for [BAL 3429]. Also, note broken type at bottom left corner of page . Hinges broke and reglued, overall very good with minor bumping and slight tearing on endpapers, page block in Fine condition ; Twain's tale of Hank Morgan, a 19th-century citizen of Hartford, CT who awakens to find himself transported back in time to medieval England at the time of legendary King Arthur in AD 528. Hank uses his knowledge and Yankee ingenuity to advance the English society and secure a high position for himself, but later falls victim to modern society's own darker side. Illustrations by Dan Beard. N° de réf. du libraire 12736

Description du livre: Harper & Brothers, New York, 1909. Original Cloth. État : Near Fine. Etat de la jaquette : Very Good. First Edition; First Printing. 8vo; [vi], frontispiece, 120, [2] pages. First Edition/First Printing in about Fine condition, bright red cloth in very scarce dustjacket with little chipping, mainly along brittle spine. 5/8 inch sheet bulk, MCMIX on title page, published October 1909 on copyright page. An exceptional copy. BAL 3511 ; Combining science fiction with a satiric look at conventional views of the afterlife, Twain delivers his amusing and trenchant commentary on human vanity. The last of Mark Twain's books published during his lifetime. N° de réf. du libraire 29141