[African-American Literature] Hughes, Langston. The Big Sea (First Edition). New York: Knopf, 1940 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing. Near Fine in a just about Near Fine dust jacket, with a bit of wear (but no loss) at the spine corners, mainly the crown. Otherwise, a colorful, bright example of Hughes' autobiography, which he completed sixteen years later with "I Wonder as I Wander." A much nicer copy than is usually found. [Book #108846]. (read more)

[African-American Literature] Morrison, Toni & Slade; Pascal LeMaitre (illustrations). Who's Got Game: The Ant or the Grasshopper?, Poppy or the Snake?, The Lion or the Mouse? (Signed First Editions,in 3 Volumes). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003, 2004 First Edition. Hardcover. All three books are First Editions, first printings. Each is Fine in a Fine dust jacket and SIGNED by both Toni and Slade Morrison on the title page. New interpretations of Aesop's Fables. Children's literature. [Book #108979]. (read more)

Antonioni, Michelangelo. Blow-Up (First Edition). London: Lorrimer Publishing, 1971 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing. Fine in a Fine, price-clipped dust jacket. The original screenplay for the classic 1966 film directed by Antonioni and starring David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave and Sarah Miles. Also included in this edition is an essay by the author/director ("Reality and Cinema Verite") along with two interviews. Very small, nearly undetectable dampstain at the heel. A scarce title in the cloth edition, especially in this condition. [Book #110107]. (read more)

[Arion Press] Miller, Arthur; Stan Washburn (illustrations). The Price (Signed Limited Edition). San Francisco: Arion Press, 1999 First Edition. Hardcover. First printing of this edition, one of 300 copies (this being No. 258) SIGNED by the author on the half-title page and by the artist on the colophon page. Fine in gold cloth and illustrated paper inset, in a Fine matching cloth and paper slipcase. Illustrated with 8 drawings by Stan Washburn. A beautiful edition of this landmark play timed to coincide with its 1999 Broadway revival. 112 pages plus 16 non-numbered pages for the duo-tone lithographs. 10 x 7 inches, printed by letterpress in monotype Goudy Old Style on ivory German mouldmade Zerkall paper. [Book #86805]. (read more)

[Arion Press] Shakespeare, William; Helen Vendler (introduction). Shakespeare's Sonnets (Limited Edition). San Francisco: Arion Press, 1997 First Edition. Hardcover. First printing of this edition, one of 200 numbered copies (this being No. 3). Fine in red-brown goatskin spine and brocade covered boards in a Fine leather, brocade and paper slipcase. 197 pages, 8 x 7 inches, printed in handset Bulmer and Stylescript with Monotype Bulmer for the introduction and index on German Hahnemuhle linen-content paper. Prospectus laid in. [Book #100721]. (read more)

[Arion Press] Shakespeare, William; Arthur Golding (translation), Andrew Hoyem (illustrations), Richard Barnes (introduction). Venus and Adonis - Together With the Sources For the Poem in Ovid's Metamorphoses (Limited Edition). San Francisco: Arion Press, 1975 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing. one of 190 non-numbered copies. Near Fine in mauve Japanese silk covered boards and a Very Good+ silver paper slipcase. Fading to spine of bookwith a little rubbing to the silver spine lettering, else Fine. Slipcase has some wear and splitting to the corners and along the edges. Arthur Golding, an Elizabethan author and translator of note, influenced Shakespeare's work in large part through Golding's translation of Ovid. Andrew Hoyem illustrates this volume from foundry ornaments. 96 pages, 11-3/4 x 9-1/4 inches, printed in handset Bauer Bodoni and Pirenesi on mouldmade T.H. Saunders Loan paper. The third book published by the Arion Press. [Book #87495]. (read more)

Armstrong, Charlotte. The Albatross (First Edition). New York: Coward McCann, 1957 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing. Near Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket. Touch of foxing to the top page edges. Jacket is lightly rubbed, with faint creasing at the crown, else a lovely copy. A collection of short stories, one of which ("The Enemy") is basis for the 1952 film noir, "Talk About a Stranger," starring George Murphy and Nancy Davis. Queen's Quorum. A scarce title in acceptable condition. [Book #106299]. (read more)

[Art] Benson, Frank W.; Arthur William Heintzelman (Foreword). Etchings and Drypoint: Volume Five - An Illustrated and Descriptive Catalogue With an Original Drypoint by Mr. Benson and Reproductions of the Plates Not Hitherto Catalogued (Limited Edition). Boston: Houghton Mifflin / Riverside Press, 1959 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing. Near Fine in a Very Good dust jacket. Dust jacket shows small chips to extremities of spine, center of same and to top of front panel. Limited Edition of 400 numbered copies, 350 of which were offered for sale; this copy numbered 209. Includes a chronological list of etchings and drypoints representing wildlife, hunting and fishing scenes, catalogue raisonné, index to volume V and general index and an original drypoint preceding the title page. 98 pages. [Book #78476]. (read more)

[Art] Tillmans, Wolfgang. Wolfgang Tillmans (Signed First Edition). Yale University Press / Museum of Contemporary Art / Hammer Museum, 2006 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing. Fine in illustrated paper-covered boards and no dust jacket as issued. SIGNED by Wolfgang Tilmans on the title page. The first major retrospective of Tillmans' work, published in conjunction with the retrospective exhibition held between May 2006 and May 2007 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and The Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC. Includes essays by six of art scholars on Tillmans' work. Biography, bibliography. [Book #87997]. (read more)

Bagnold, Enid. National Velvet (First Edition). New York: William Morrow, 1935 First Edition. First Edition, first printing. Slight fading to the red on the jacket spine, else easily Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket. Basis for the classic1944 film starring Mickey Rooney, Angela Lansbury and a young Elizabeth Taylor. [Book #60301]. (read more)

Barry, Philip. The Philadelphia Story (First Edition). New York: Coward-McCann, 1939 First Edition. First Edition. Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket. Simply a stunning copy of a book that, in our experience, always turns up well-worn...when it turns up at all. Mild offsetting to the front flyleaf, very slight fading to the jacket spine, otherwise little to say regarding condition. A play that was written for Hepburn and one that, thanks to her foresight and help, became the basis for the classic 1940 film, directed by George Cukor and starring Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart. [Book #87464]. (read more)

Beeding, Francis. The House of Dr. Edwardes [Spellbound] (Early edition). London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1927 First Edition. Hardcover. First UK cheap edition, priced at 2 shillings on the jacket spine. Book is Near Fine, with some offsetting to the endpapers; jacket is Very Good or better overall, bright and complete, with some foxing at the verso and one chip respectively at the crown and heel (one small corner of the publisher device at the heel affected). An attractive, inexpensive alternative to the rare first printing (published the same year). Basis for the 1945 film noir, "Spellbound," directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written for the screen by Ben Hecht, and starring Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck. [Book #102564]. (read more)

Bemelmans, Ludwig. A Suite of Pen and Ink Sketches for the Stage Design and Promotion of Ludwig Bemelman's Play, "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep". An archive of 17 drawings by Ludwig Bemelmans for the stage design and promotion of his 1950 play, "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep," based on his novel and produced for the stage by Hume Cronyn (to whom this archive belonged). The play opened at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York on March 2, 1950, and starred Fredric March. Four of the drawings are in a large format (around 18 x 12 inches each), three of which are in color. These drawings are the highlight of the archive, and two of the color drawings bear a distinct resemblance to the artist's "Madeleine" character, in terms of dress, hats, and facial expressions. One of the drawings is an elaborate proposal for the play's advertisement, conceived as a carved marble marquee of sorts, heralded by a sleeping cougar. The remaining 13 drawings are in black ink and are roughly 5 x 7 inches each, and are character studies, framing ideas, and conceptual proposals for the rather diverse scenarios demanded by the play. Lastly, the archive includes a typed letter signed by Bemelmans, on his East 73rd Street stationery, discussing briefly the marquee concept, and the original mailing envelope addressed to Hume Cronyn. [Book #104856]. (read more)

Block, Lawrence writing as Jill Emerson. A Week as Andrea Benstock (Signed First Edition). New York: Arbor House, 1975 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing. Near Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket. SIGNED by Block as Jill Emerson, as it turns out, with the author's left hand. Full provenance available. [Book #77969]. (read more)

Boulle, Pierre. La Planete des Singes [The Planet of the Apes] (First French Edition, True First). Paris: Le Cercle du nouveau livre, 1963 First Edition. First French Edition (and correct first), No. 191 of an unstated limitation, Fine and unread in green cloth stamped in blind, with gilt lettering and no dust jacket as issued. Published in the U.S. in 1963 (Planet of the Apes) then in the UK in 1964 (Monkey Planet), and finally the basis for the imaginative and very succesful 1968 film, Planet of the Apes, starring Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall. The film was followed by four sequels and a string of television movies. A beautiful edition, quite scarce. [Book #107547]. (read more)

Brandner, Gary. Rot (Signed Lettered Edition). Baltimore, MD: Cemetery Dance (CD) Publications, 1999 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing. one of 26 lettered copies (this being D) SIGNED by the author on the limitation page. Fine and unread in a Fine dust jacket in a clamshell box as issued. [Book #102702]. (read more)

[Brando, Marlon] Moyers, Bill. Healing and the Mind (Hardcover, Inscribed by Marlon Brando). Garden City: Doubleday, 1993 Hardcover. Later printing, Near Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket. INSCRIBED by Marlon Brando on the half-title page, with his stationery card laid in: "Dear Doug - I was already on my way fiddling with body and my mind before I bumped into this book. I have become a member of the faithful. We now know enough to fuse the body and the mind into one entity - just how to do it is the great adventure for both of us. Happy trails Doug, Marlon." An interesting inscription, perhaps to a doctor or a friend, from one of the more spiritually-minded actors of the twentieth century. [Book #76701]. (read more)

Braun, Lilian [Lillian] Jackson. The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern (First Edition). New York: E.P. Dutton, 1967 First Edition. First Edition, first printing. Fine and unread in a Fine dust jacket. Author's second book, and in our experience the scarcest in collectible condition. A superb copy. [Book #103602]. (read more)

Brite, Poppy Z. The Crow: The Lazarus Heart (Signed Lettered Edition, Letter B). Springfield, PA: Gauntlet Press, 2000 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing. one of 52 lettered copies (this being letter B) SIGNED by the author, John Shirley (who writes the afterword), and J. K. Potter (illustrator). Fine and unread in a Fine dust jacket, housed in a black leather-bound traycase. A very desirable copy, being that it is likely the earliest obtainable copy in the lettered series. [Book #82140]. (read more)

Burke, James Lee. The Convict (Signed First Edition). Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University, 1985 First Edition. Hardcover. First Edition, first printing. SIGNED by the author on the title page. Fine and unread in a Fine dust jacket. Published simultaneously in both hardcover and wrappers, this being the much scarcer hardcover edition. A collection of stories that received almost no distribution. The author's most difficult title. [Book #109353]. (read more)

Burnett, W.R., [H.N. Swanson] . Screenplay and Manuscript Archive for W.R. Burnett. An archive of 19 mimeograph manuscripts and screenplays, many never published or produced, by W.R. Burnett. All identified by stamp, label or coversheet as being from H.N. Swanson, Inc., Burnett's literary agent. "Underdog," published as a novel by Knopf in 1957, is here as a screenplay with revision pages dated in March and April of 1956. Burnett's agent H.N. Swanson, is himself a figure of note, having begun as a movie producer and then becoming one of the most famous literary agents of his day in Hollywood, representing the likes of William Faulkner, Raymond Chandler, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway, and, of course, W.R. Burnett.Published and produced manuscripts include "Vanity Row" (manuscript, Knopf, 1952), "Mi Amigo" (manuscript, Knopf 1959), "The Abilene Sampson" (manuscript, Pocket Books, 1963), "Little Men, Big World" (manuscript, Knopf, 1951), "The Goldseekers" (manuscript, Doubleday, 1962), "Bitter Ground" (manuscript, Knopf, 1958), "Underdog" (1956 screenplay, book published by Knopf, 1957), and "The Ivory Tower" (manuscript with tear sheets from publication, "Good Housekeeping," March 1945).Presumed unproduced or unpublished (circa 1950s): "Pay As You Exit" (screenplay), "A Glance from a Green Eye" (screenplay treatment), "4 for the Road" (television series treatment), "The Texas Story" a.k.a "The Bandit" (screenplay), "The Sun Chasers" (screenplay). "Little Girl, Big Town" (2 copies, short story or story treatment), "Man With a Thousand Enemies" (manuscript), "Babylon USA" (manuscript), "The Big W" (manuscript), and "Night at Shark Bay" (2 copies, manuscript).A superb collection of unpublished and presumably non-researched material from one of the great novelists and Hollywood screenwriters of the twentieth century. [Book #106722]. (read more)

Busch, Niven. Duel in the Sun (First Edition). New York: William Morrow, 1944 First Edition. First Edition, first printing. Fine in a bright, Near Fine dust jacket. Basis for the sprawling, color-saturated 1946 western starring Gregory Peck, Joseph Cotton and Jennifer Jones. [Book #42698]. (read more)

Cain, James M. The Final Issue of The Lorraine Cross (James M. Cain's copy). France: 79th Division, May 8, 1919, James M. Cain's own copy of the final issue of The Lorraine Cross, the newspaper of the 79th Division of the U.S. Army of the Allied Expeditionary Force in World War I. *The Lorraine Cross* was founded, edited, and largely written by James M. Cain, in part as a means of avoiding combat. This is the final issue of the paper, issued as the Division was returning to the U.S. The paper is quite browned, but otherwise fine. When Cain returned, he had this issue and some associated material matted and framed in period arts-and-crafts style oak frames, and hung in his own house. The issue prints a letter of thanks from the Division's commanding General Joseph E. Kuhn to Cain, thanking him and the paper's staff for their efforts on the paper. Also with: the original typed letter Signed from Kuhn to Cain (also framed by Cain). The letter is slightly darkened at the extremities from "matte-burn" but is otherwise fine. Also accompanying the letter and the newspaper is an original broadside printed in red and blue: "Have You Subscribed to The Lorraine Cross?" printed in red and two shades of blue with a comic drawing of doughboys reading the paper. This too has been framed by Cain in a compatible frame, and is in fine condition. Issues of The Lorraine Cross are impossible to find. To find Cain's own copy of the last and most important issue, along with the letter and broadside, is about as much as one could wish for of Cain's "juvenilia." For the three framed items. [Book #109915]. (read more)

Cain, James M. Serenade (First Edition). New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1937 First Edition. First Edition, first printing. Fine and unread in a Fine example of the red-and-purple variant of the dust jacket (which was issued with three different color schemes). Two nearly invisible closed tears at the top edge, else a stunningly colorful, fresh copy. One of Cain's least-appreciated novels, a hardboiled story about a dethroned opera singer who meets the love of his life while wasting away in rural Mexico, then attempts an impulsive return to fame. Basis for the 1956 film directed by Anthony Mann and starring Mario Lanza and Joan Fontaine. [Book #109131]. (read more)

Chandler, Raymond. The Big Sleep (Facsimile Edition). New York: First Edition Library (FEL)/Otto Penzler, 1996 First Edition. First printing of this facsimile edition, Fine and unread in a Fine dust jacket, including the publisher's information card. An exact facsimile of the first edition of The Big Sleep, originally printed by Knopf in 1939. Issued without a slipcase, as were all of the Otto Penzler editions. Basis for the groundbreaking 1946 film noir directed by Howard Hawks and starring Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe. [Book #100371]. (read more)