LOT #36589 |
Sold on Apr 7, 2011 for: Not Sold
Ernest Hemingway. Three Stories and Ten Poems....
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Description
Possibly the Best Available Hemingway Inscription
Ernest Hemingway. Three Stories and Ten Poems. Paris: Contact Publishing Co., 1923.First edition of Hemingway's first book, one of only 300 copies printed, with a long and wonderful inscription signed from Hemingway to Dr. Don Carlos Guffey, the obstetrician who delivered Patrick and Gregory, the two sons from Hemingway's second marriage. Twelvemo. 58 pages plus printer's imprint. Printed at Dijon by Maurice Darantiere, who also printed James Joyce's Ulysses.
Original printed blue-gray wrappers. Housed in a custom morocco-backed slipcase and chemise. Minor edge wear. Tiny portion of spine head with a simple paper repair. Some spotting to wrappers. Spine a bit toned. A beautiful copy.
The fabulous inscription to Dr. Guffey, which covers the entirety of the front free endpaper and is written in dark black ink, reads, in full: "Dear Dr. Guffey, This book was published by a citizen named Robert McAlmon at his request in his publishing house which he had founded to publish his own writing which he was too hanged (hung) over to spell, punctuate and put in acceptable shape for a commercial publishing house to take. He had married a Miss Ellerman -- bastard -- at the time of marriage -- daughter of Sir John Ellerman, a British steam ship, brewing and Ellerman's Cement magnate. His wife [McAlmon's wife] was living with H. D. (Hilda Doolittle) the poet and MacAlmon [sic] was merely a well paid convenience -- He was given enough money to publish his books and all I received from the publication of this one was the enmity of MacAlmon [sic] because it sold out while his own volumes remained in stock -- Ernest."
Hemingway writes another sentence regarding McAlmon's writing at the top of the page, and he draws a line to insert it just before the sentence reading "He had married..." This sentence reads, "Some of them were pretty damned good if he [McAlmon] would clean them up and put them in shape."
Included are two letters, one tipped in and one laid in, dated 1930 and 1931, respectively, from Ray Redman to a Mr. Wallace and Dr. Guffey discussing obtaining copies of Three Stories and Ten Poems.
Auction Info
2011 April New York Signature Rare Books Auction #6053 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
April, 2011
7th-9th
Thursday-Saturday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 1
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 1,166
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
19.5% of the successful bid per lot.
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms
Important information concerning Sales Tax and Resale Certificates. Learn More
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms