White produced collectible books in a number of fields - his early books of humor with a decidedly
New Yorker flavor -
The Lady is Cold (1929, poetry, as "E.B.W.") and
Is Sex Necessary? (1930, with James Thurber). His serious essays, written for
The New Yorker and
Harper's, such as
One Man's Meat (1942, and a scarce title in fine condition because of its wartime vintage), and his children's books, particularly
Charlotte's Web (1952) and
Stuart Little (1945, the jacket for this title was apparently unchanged except for the price over the first few printings, so unprice-clipped jackets command a premium, and should). One to watch out for was his first separate publication, a small promotional booklet for
The New Yorker entitled
Less Than Nothing (1927, as Sterling Finny), a slim little volume with an applied label on the front board, and issued without dustwrapper. They must have used weak glue on the label, and it is often (if you can use the word for a book that is rarely seen) missing.
more