1. David Harum, A Story of American Life. New York: Grosset and Dunlap. [1915].
First Photoplay Edition, illustrated with scenes from the Famous Players Film starring William H. Crane. Near Fine in Very Good plus dustjacket. Item #11521
First Photoplay Edition, illustrated with scenes from the Famous Players Film starring William H. Crane. Near Fine in Very Good plus dustjacket. Item #11521
First Photoplay Edition, illustrated with scenes from Will Rogers film. Likely Mach Tey dustjacket art. Near Fine but for some mild spotting at spine in Very Good plus dustjacket, tiny nicks at spine ends. Item #8697
Second Printing (true first has 1898 at title page). Amy Richards cover art and dustjacket design. Basis for the stage play produced in 1900 as well as the 1915 black and white silent film directed by Allan Dwan and starring William H. Crane as David Harum, and later the 1934 talkie with Will Rogers. This copy signed by the original theatre company playing David Harum including the signatures of Will Dupont, William H. Crane, Charles J. Jackson, Homer Granville, Charles Avery, William Ingersoll, Sheridan Tupper, Lois Frances Clark, Percy Haswell, George F. De Vere, Edward E. Rose, Will J. Dean and others. The book is also inscribed by Crane to fellow actor Will Dupont at front free end paper. Several of the signature belong to early film players including Percy Haswell who starred along with Mary Pickford in Daddy-Long Legs in 1919; William Ingersoll appeared in films from the 1930's and Charles Avery was an early silent film director and actor well known for being one of the original seven Keystone Kops; Edward E. Rose, a popular playwright of the period, wrote The Rear Car, The Rosary, Under the Red Robe, and the play version of Prisoner of Zenda. David Harum was William H. Crane's most popular theatre role starring in the original production as well as both revivals. Other plays that Crane starred in at the turn of the century include, A Rich Man's Son, Peter Stuyvesant, New Henrietta, A Fool of Fortune, The American Lord, The Price of Money, The Spender and others. A unique copy. Very Good tight copy housed in custom made box, leather spine with raised bands and gilt lettering, in nearly Very Good dustjacket, chipped at spine ends and flap corners, nickel sized chip at top rear panel, small chip at mid front spine edge. Item #34567
First Illustrated Trade Edition (after a limited edition). Octavo, original gilt decorated cloth, gilt top page edge, original illustrated dustjacket. Illustrated by B. West Clinedinst, with a few text drawings by C. D. Farrand. Best-selling novel of 1899. "The main appeal of the work seems to have been to businessmen, attracted by its approval of a much more relaxed code of business ethics then was presented in most novels of the time. Harum was an inveterate horse-trader and considered engaging in the dubious practices long associated with this activity as morally justified by the expectation that similar practices would be employed by his adversary." Very uncommon in original 19th Century dustjacket. Near Fine in Very Good dustjacket, some nicking at top edge and flap corners. Item #26347
First Edition, First Limited Edition of 750 copies. Illustrated by B. West Clinedinst, with a few text drawings by C. D. Farrand. Tall octavo, full vellum binding with gilt decoration. Best-selling novel of 1899 with best legacy being the colloquial use of the term “horse trading” to mean unethical business practices seen in a more positive light. Near Fine, contemporary gift inscription at front endpaper, (and previous owner blind stamp at limitation page and last text page) in Good dustjacket with edge chips, half dollar sized chip at top spine end and at top rear panel, blind stamp at lower flaps. Item #34868