[Brass binding die-stamp for]: South Carolina. A Guide to the Palmetto State

[New York: Oxford University Press for Puerto Rico Department of Education and The University Society, Inc., 1941].

Price: $500.00

Unbound. Brass die-stamp. Measuring 1.5" x 3.75". Original patina, else fine. The binder's stamp for the spine decoration, for the American Guide Series book on South Carolina, sponsored by the Federal Writers Project of the WPA.

The provenance presents a mildly interesting story: a local colleague was buying books out of the trunk of a gentleman's car and came across a bag of brass die-stamps from the Oxford University Press (mostly centered slightly before, during, and after the War years, when England was experiencing paper shortages). My colleague inquired and the gentleman revealed that his next stop was the scrap yard where he was going to sell the dies to be melted down for the brass. My colleague paid him double the scrap price for them. We paid a bit more. A unique artifact from an uncommon title in an avidly collected genre.

Item #408844

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Item #408844 [Brass binding die-stamp for]: South Carolina. A Guide to the Palmetto State

W. Somerset Maugham
birth name: William Somerset Maugham
born: 1/25/1874
died: 12/16/1965
nationality: Great Britain

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Biography

English novelist, playwright, and short-story writer whose work is characterized by a clear, unadorned style, cosmopolitan settings, and a shrewd understanding of human nature. - Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literaturemore

Collecting tips:

Maugham was especially prolific. Among our favorites are The Razor's Edge (1944), the American edition preceding the U.K. edition, issued in the U.S. in both a limited and trade edition (the limited had an unprinted glassine jacket - usually missing - and a slipcase, the trade a jacket), The Moon and Sixpence (1919 - the jacket is very scarce), and his first book, Liza of Lambeth (1897 - reportedly issued with a jacket, we've never seen one but suspect that indeed it was). We are intrigued by his many plays, although it can take considerable effort to figure out the various editions and states, even with the good Stott bibliography.

Email us to request a printed copy of our catalog of W. Somerset Maugham Rare Books and First Editions (or download it via the link as a 3.13 MB pdf file).more