Literature Recent Acquisitions Catalogue 325 WILLIAM REESE COMPANY 409 TEMPLE STREET NEW HAVEN, CT. 06511 USA 203.789.8081 FAX: 203.865.7653 [email protected] www.williamreesecompany.com TERMS Material herein is offered subject to prior sale. All items are as described, but are consid- ered to be sent subject to approval unless otherwise noted. Notice of return must be given within ten days unless specific arrangements are made prior to shipment. All returns must be made conscientiously and expediently. Connecticut residents must be billed state sales tax. Postage and insurance are billed to all non-prepaid domestic orders. Orders shipped outside of the United States are sent by air or courier, unless otherwise requested, with full charges billed at our discretion. The usual courtesy discount is extended only to recognized booksellers who offer reciprocal opportunities from their catalogues or stock. 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Institutional billing requirements may, as always, be accommodated upon request. _______________________________________________________________ We invite you to visit our web site www.williamreesecompany.com where over thirty-five thousand items from our inventory are searchable and may be ordered directly via a secure server. Images associated with many items from this catalogue are also posted on our web site, and significant new acquisitions are posted there long before they appear on any of the collective databases. Those wishing to receive e-mail notification of the posting of new catalogues and lists to our website may request same by forwarding expressions of interest to [email protected] ___________________________________________________________________ William Reese Company 409 Temple Street New Haven, CT. 06511 USA Phone: 203.789.8081 Fax: 203.865.7653 email: [email protected] Members ABAA and ILAB Cover Item No. 262 1. Abbott, Lee K., Jr.: THE HEART NEVER FITS ITS WANTING. Cedar Falls, IA: North American Review / University of Northern Iowa, 1980. Cloth. First edition, clothbound issue, of the author’s first book. Signed and dated by the author in 1981. About fine in dust jacket showing only slight shelf-use. $125. 2. Abramson, Ben [ed & pub]: READING AND COLLECTING A MONTHLY REVIEW OF RARE AND RECENT BOOKS. Chicago. December 1936 through Feb/March 1938. Volume One, number 1, through Volume Two, number 3 (all published). Fifteen issues. Quarto. Printed and pictorial self-wrappers. Illustrations. Some modest use to some of the spines and edges, a few nicks and creases, but a very good set. Edited and published by legendary Chicago (later New York) bookman, Ben Abramson, as an adjunct to the Argus Book Shop. As one might expect, some of Abramson’s favorite writers and topics are treated frequently, by himself as well as by others. Other contributors include H. F. West, Robert Bayer, Samuel F. Morse, Harry Moore, D.C. McMurtrie, Derleth, Morley, Cabell, L.C. Powell, Conklin, Schorer, Starrett, James Guthrie, et al. Some of the writers who are subjects of contributions include Corvo, Steinbeck, Machen, Nathanael West, Clemens, Houghton, Bradstreet, R. Kent, et al. This was one of the editor’s retained sets, enclosed in a custom full calf folding case made as a gift for him by a grateful customer, with the title label reading: “Ben Abramson’s Collected Works Sett Furth 1937- 1938.” The box is worn, and lacking the top panel, and one of the leather straps for the metal clasps is defective. A presentation letter of provenance from Abramson’s daughter is laid in. $300. 3. Acosta, Juvenal, and Derli Romero [illus]: PAPER OF LIVE FLESH. [San Diego]: Brighton Press, 1990. Small quarto. Bound concertina style between printed boards covered with Moriki rice paper and Arches Black. Fine, in lightly worn glassine sleeve. First edition of this early work by the Mexico City native, now resident in California. Illus- trated with two chine collé etchings and three motif etchings by Derli Romero. One of only fifty-five numbered copies, hand set in Goudy Bold and printed letterpress on Johannot paper, and signed by the author and artist. As poet, editor, novelist, critic, and essayist, Acosta has moved across several genres with considerable success. Scarce. $950. 4. Adams, Charles F[ollen]: LEEDLE YAWCOB STRAUSS, AND OTHER POEMS. Boston & New York: Lee and Shepard / Charles Dilling- ham, 1878. Decorated medium brown cloth, stamped in black and gilt. Frontis and illustra- tions by ‘Boz’ (Morgan J. Sweeney). Extremities a bit worn, rear inner hinge cracking lightly, bit of a crease in upper corner of front board with a faint crack mirrored to pastedown; near very good. First edition. The first major collection of Adams’s popular humorous dialect verse, written in the manner of Pennsylvania German emigrants. An expanded edition under the same title appeared in 1910. $75. 5. [African American Film]: Norman, Richard [producer]: [Promotional Herald for the Silent Film:] REGENERATION. [Jacksonville, FL: Norman Studios, 1923]. Pictorial small broad- sheet (7 x 4.5”), printed on recto and verso of cheap news stock. Very good, with stamp in appropriate place: “Champion Theatre Today.” A promotional herald for one of the most widely known productions by silent filmmaker Richard Norman, who was among the most successful producers of films shot with “All Colored” casts. This 1923 release featured a professional cast that included Stella Mayo, M. C. Maxwell, Alfred Norcom, Charlie Gaines, and Steve “Peg” Reynolds, et al. The film promised six reels of “Love! Thrills! Adventure!” It was touted as a “Romance in Southern Seas,” but censors feared the fight scenes and one with a woman with a pistol would “tend to incite crime.” Censors were apparently unconcerned by the overtly lustful degenerate sailors, or the nude “artistic” bathing scenes. Norman constructed these scenes so that they could be removed without loss to continuity, but it proved to be unnecessary. At least two different heralds were issued for this film, the other being a folded leaflet without the additional internal content. $55. 6. [African American Theatre]: Dunbar, Paul Laurence (lyrics), and Jesse A. Shipp: [Original Theatrical Programme for the First London Production of:] IN DAHOMEY. London Shaft- esbury Theatre, 20 May 1903. Oblong quarto sheet, folded to six panels. Heavily creased, with some splits at toes of vertical folds, lower edge a bit ragged, but an intact, good copy of a very fragile item. An original theatrical program for the first London production of the first full-length musical written and played by African Americans to be performed at a major Broadway house, and elsewhere. In Dahomey opened at the New York Theatre on 18 February 1903 and ran for 53 performances. The company then transplanted the production to London, where it opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre, eventually enjoying a year-long tour in the UK. Significantly, it was in London that the play and score saw first publication – see BAL 4949. Finally, in August 1904, it reopened in New York for 17 performances before embarking on a 40 week U.S. tour. Will Marion Cook composed the music that accompanied Dunbar’s lyrics, Jesse Shipp wrote the play, and Bert Williams, George W. Walker, Pete Hampton, et al, starred in the London cast. Any paper associated with the original productions of In Dahomey is very uncommon. $450. 7. [African American Theatre]: HARLEM BLACKBIRDS SOUVENIR PROGRAMME OF AUSTRALIA’S FIRST ALL COLOURED REVIEW [wrapper title]. [Adelaide]: Majestic Theatre / Celebritiy [sic] Theatres PTY. Ltd., [1955]. 16pp. Quarto. Pictorial self wrappers. Illustrated, photographs. Small nick at top edge of upper wrapper, otherwise very good or better. A souvenir programme for the Adelaide appearance of this show from the US, then engaged in a multi-engagement tour of Australia. This incarnation of the Harlem Blackbirds was pro- duced and directed by Larry Steele, and featured Mabel Scott, Dewey “Pigmeat” Markham, Sunshine Body (“The Girl with the Balloons”), the “Beige Beuts,” Freddie and Flo, The Four Moroccos, Eugene Kee, Leonard and Leonard, Maurice Rocco, et al. Much is made of the fact that this is the first all-Black revue to ever tour Australia, and additional stops were planned for Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, via Celebrity Circuit promotions. OCLC/Worldcat locates only a single copy of one other similar program, that for the appearance at the Palladium in Sydney, at the State Library of NSW. However, it differs in its external design (at least). OCLC 221506598. $125. 8. Aldington, Richard: THE LOVE OF MYRRHINE AND KONALLIS AND OTHER PROSE POEMS. Chicago: Pascal Covici, 1926. Large sq. octavo. Gilt black cloth. Pictorial endsheets by Frank Mechau. Spine gilding slightly oxidized, otherwise very good, without dust jacket. First edition, limited issue. Copy #34 of 150 signed copies, from a total edition of 1010 cop- ies for the US and the UK. KERSHAW 13. $125. 9. Aldington, Richard [trans]: ALCESTIS. By Euripides. London: Chatto & Windus, 1930. Cloth and boards, t.e.g. Slight tanning along top edges of boards, otherwise near fine First edition, limited issue. Copy #27 of 260 numbered copies, specially printed and bound, and signed by the author. KERSHAW 219. $85. 10. Aldington, Richard: STEPPING HEAVENWARD. A RECORD.