After 160 catalogs, we have finally issued our first catalog of association copies: that is, books that through their ownership, their inscription, or other qualities indicate the significance of a book to an author, mark a relationship with other authors or family members, or which otherwise shed light on an author's work, influences, thoughts, and personal life.
Among these types of books are:
Author's Copies: an author or illustrator's own copy of his or her own book.
Dedication Copies: books inscribed to, or otherwise presented by the author to the person to whom the book is dedicated on the printed dedication page.
Family Copies: copies of books that were presented by the author, or otherwise owned by a family member of the author's.
Telling and Notable Associations: books inscribed to, or owned by other authors that would tend to indicate the influence of one author or public figure on another.
Curious and Pleasant Associations: associations between two diverse figures whose juxtaposition seems unlikely, incongruous, amusing, or otherwise attracted our attention.
Everything else that doesn't fit into the above: Hey, it's our catalog and we can put whatever we want in it!
When I first started collecting books, about 40 years ago, I had some contact with a few of the books from the library of Harry B. Smith, an early songwriter, whose 'Sentimental Library' stressed the associations between authors. It struck me then, and it still does, that this was, and is still, a pleasing way to collect books.
Although all dealers I know are usually willing to make hay on significant associations (it is, after all, what we do!), I've seldom seen much of a concerted effort by dealers to stress these associations as a category (one exception to this is the English dealer Paul Rassam, who issues infrequent, but interesting catalogs that seem to gravitate towards association copies).
If the rationale and motivation of book collecting, either personally or institutionally, is to exhibit or enhance one's appreciation and affinity for a particular author, it seems a logical and appropriate expression of that appreciation to buy copies of books that had an obvious and tangible influence on, or relationship to that author.
By their definition, association copies are unique, or very nearly so. So, unlike some of our catalogs, we probably don't have backup copies. We encourage you to let us know if you are looking for these sorts of books: not only might we find some for you, we're also likely to appreciate your taste and discrimination as a collector, and flatter you shamelessly.
Now that we've come this far, we're likely to issue similar catalogs with this theme in the future. Feel free to encourage us accordingly.
- Tom Congalton
(Austin, Texas: The Southwest Regional Draft Counseling Association, Inc. (SWRDCA), 1970). Softcover. First edition. Quarto. 144, [1]pp. Stapled illustrated wrappers. Cheap paper tone and offsetting inside covers, small chips at the top of three corners, affecting no text, but sound and supple, a bit of toning on wrappers, else near..... More
New York: Longmans, Green and Co., 1928. Hardcover. First edition. Introduction by Percy Hammond. A faint dampstain on the front board, green spine a bit mottled, some scattered foxing to the first and last two leaves, very good plus in a very near fine dustwrapper with slight age-toning, a very..... More
New York: Atheneum, 1966. Hardcover. First edition. Fine in fine dustwrapper. Inscribed by Albee to the play's producer, Clinton Wilder: "For Uncle Clinton, love, Edward." Wilder's first Broadway credit was as a replacement stage manager in the original production of Tennessee Williams' *A Streetcar Named Desire*. He shortly thereafter moved..... More
New York: Henry Holt, (2007). Softcover. Uncorrected proof copy of Alexander's last book. Octavo, glossy wrappers. Fine copy. Inscribed by Alexander to his friends: "For Carl and B [Karsch], a new tale from an old Lloyd." Alexander and Carl Karsch were co-workers in a bank in the 1950s; they remained..... More
New York: Dutton, (1973). Softcover. First trade paperback edition of Alexander's second book. Small octavo, wrappers. Illustrated by Peggy Bacon. Text paper a bit browned at edges, spine a trifle sunned, else a fine copy. Inscribed by Alexander to friends: "For Carl & B. [Karsch] – in fond remembrance of..... More
New York: Dutton, (1975). Hardcover. First edition. Illustrated by Laszlo Kubinyi. Fine in a slightly sunned, fine dustwrapper. Nicely Inscribed: "For Carl and B., with fond and wizardly wishes from Lloyd." The recipient, Carl Karsch, worked with Alexander in a bank in the 1950s and they remained life-long friends. A...... More
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1979. Hardcover. First edition. Slight foxing to the boards and endpapers, near fine in fine dustwrapper. Warmly Inscribed by the author/actress to singer, actress, and television personality Dinah Shore: "For Dinah – You will recognize much on these pages – Here's hoping something lurks somewhere..... More
Atlanta: Turner Publishing, (1994). Hardcover. First edition. Fine in fine dustwrapper with nominal wear. Inscribed by the author to fellow cartoon great: "To 'Chuck Jones' 'The Only One' Joe Barbera." A magnificent association between two of the most prolific and important figures in the history of animation. More
Chicago: Way and Williams, (1897). First edition. Quarto. Illustrated by Maxfield Parrish. Near fine in moderately soiled boards, with gilt spine lettering and applied Parrish illustration on the front board. Inscribed by Baum to his mother: "To my first and best friend, My Mother I send this first copy I...... More
![Item #538107 Caribbean Special Issue [in] Ambit: A Quarterly of Poems, Short Stories, Drawings &...](https://betweenthecovers.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/538107.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1659020686)
London: Ambit, 1982. Softcover. Number 91. Small quarto. 93 [3] pp. Illustrated in black and white. Fine in unprinted wrappers and lightly foxed, near fine pictorial dust jacket. Filled with Caribbean art, poems, and short stories. Ambit, founded in 1959, is still published today. More
![Item #527873 [Exhibition Catalog]: Foirades/Fizzles. Samuel BECKETT, Jasper Johns](https://betweenthecovers.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/527873.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1682356685)
New York: Whitney Museum of Modern Art, 1977. Softcover. Exhibition catalog. Essay by Judith Goldman. Slim small quarto. [31]pp. Illustrated in black and white. Fine in stapled wrappers. Catalog for a 1977 exhibition based on the publication in French and English of five texts by Samuel Beckett and 33 original..... More
New York: Lipschitz Press, 1918. Softcover. First edition. Quarto. Illustrated wrappers. (64pp.) A tiny tear on the front wrap, else fine. Irving Berlin's own copy with his bookplate inside the front wrap. Program for the Broadway production of this military musical revue and extravaganza with all words and music by..... More
Harlan, Iowa: Iowa Humanities Board, 1988. Softcover. First edition. Slim octavo. 16pp. Tiny cover stain else fine in stapled wrappers. The 1988 Iowa Humanities Lecture, presented on November 13, 1988 at Harlan Community High School. Uncommon; *OCLC* locates 13 copies, only four outside of Iowa and Kentucky. The essay was..... More
New York: George Braziller, (1973). Hardcover. First edition. Fine in fine dustwrapper with a bit of age-toning at the extremities. Inscribed by Bidart to essayist, author, and academic Alan Helms: "To Alan, with much affection, and esteem – Frank June 23, 1973." One of five hundred copies of the author’s..... More
New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1898. Hardcover. First enlarged edition, with three additional stories added to the 1891 edition. A lightly soiled, else fine copy. Bookplate and ownership Signature of Vincent Starrett with an off-color limerick in an unknown hand, possibly Starrett's, on the front fly. In 1920 Starrett wrote..... More
(New York): Basic Books, Inc. / Plenum Press, 1968. Hardcover. First English-language edition. With a foreword to this edition by Donald B. Lindsley. Translated from the Russian by Basil Haigh.Small quarto. xxxii, 482pp. Illustrated in black and white. Fine in a lightly worn and gently clipped (price remains), just about..... More
Scarsdale, New York: Bradbury Press, (1970). Hardcover. First edition. Fine in fine dustwrapper. The author's second book, and her first for young adults. Laid into the book is a Christmas card from Blume, as well as a two page Typed Letter Signed, with holograph corrections to Lee Wyndham, enclosing *The..... More
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1937. Hardcover. First edition. Darkened at the extremities and a small chip at the crown, else very good, lacking the dustwrapper. Inscribed by the author in the year of publication to Dorothy Dudley: "For Dorothy Dudley with admiration, respect and – most of all, love..... More
London: John Lehmann, (1950). Hardcover. First edition, first issue binding. Fine in a slightly soiled else about fine, price-clipped dustwrapper. Inscribed by the author to the American poet and Newdigate Prize winner David Posner. Bowles's second book, a collection of stories. More
Boston: Atlantic/Little Brown, (1981). Hardcover. First edition. A hint of wear at the extremities else a square, near fine copy in very good or better dustwrapper with faint tide marks to the spine and a touch of loss at the crown. Inscribed by the author to his brother-in-law: "Hank: with..... More
London: Sisley's Ltd., (1908). Hardcover. First edition, preceding the American edition published by Mitchell Kennerley in 1909. A little erosion to the cloth at the crown, else a nice, at least very good copy. Author's first solely authored book, preceded only by a rare pamphlet of poetry co-written with his..... More
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1957. Hardcover. First edition. Pages browned, as always, else near fine in a very good dustwrapper with a couple of small nicks and tears. Inscribed by the author: "For Tom and Juanita. Best always, Howard." The recipient was Thomas Wakefield Blackburn, an author of western..... More
New York: John Day Company, (1939). Hardcover. First edition. Fine in a rubbed and worn, about very good dustwrapper with faint remnants of a label on the spine, in a well-rubbed but intact, good plus cardboard slipcase. This copy Inscribed by Pearl S. Buck to her biographer and friend Ted..... More
New York: John Day Company, (1932). Hardcover. First trade edition. Spine a little sunned and foxed, a very good copy, lacking the dustwrapper. Inscribed by the author to her brother, Edgar Sydenstricker, on the half-title: “For Edgar [printed title: *Sons*] Pearl S. Buck.” Buck’s parents, missionaries in China who endured..... More
London: Hodder & Stoughton, (1961). Hardcover. First edition. Boards a bit bowed, else near fine in a moderately stained and soiled, good or better price-clipped dustwrapper. The Dedication Copy, Inscribed by the author, and reportedly, her cat, to Burnford’s mother: "To darling Mother, with fondest love from Sheila and Alison..... More