James Branch Cabell : An Illustrated Bibliography
THE FIRST GENTLEMAN OF AMERICA: A Comedy of Conquest
Hall Code |
Description |
FG-A1a |
First Printing, Limited Edition 1942 |
COMPILATION
Full Title:
Title page recto: [enclosed in triple ruled box] THE FIRST GENTLEMAN | OF AMERICA | * * | [in italic] A COMEDY | OF CONQUEST | * | BY BRANCH CABELL | [in italic] "My country, 'tis of thee." | [below box, at base of page] FARAR & RINEHART, INC. | NEW YORK TORONTO (see image above).
Title page verso: {Farrar, Rinehart device] | COPYRIGHT, 1942, BY JAMES BRANCH CABELL | PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | BY J. J. LITTLE AND IVES COMPANY, NEW YORK | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED (see image above).
Publication:
New York: Farrar & Rinehart, Inc., 1942.
Collation:
Crown octavo [21.9 cm. (8⅝ in.) x 14.9 cm. (5⅞ in.)]; tops gilt, otherwise untrimmed; tipped-in limitation page (verso blank), not included in the pagination; ; x + 310 pp.; (i) half-title; (ii) By Branch Cabell (list of books); (iii) title page; (iv) publication data); (v) dedication (verso blank); (vii) Note as to Heirs and Assigns (verso blank); (ix) Contents (verso blank); (1) fly-title; (2) quotation; 3-280 text; (281) fly-title EDITORIAL NOTE; (282) quotation; 302 text of EDITORIAL NOTE; (303) fly-title Bibliography; (304) quotation; 305-309 text of Bibliography (verso blank). Pages (1), (49), (125), (211), (281), and (303) are fly-titles.
Binding:
Black morocco, gilt lettering and decorations on front cover and spine. Spine: [rule] | THE | FIRST | GENTLE- | MAN | OF | AMERICA | [rule] | FARRAR & | RINEHART (see image above).
Limitation:
[in italic] This special edition of THE FIRST GENTLEMAN OF | AMERICA is limited to 125 copies, signed by | the author, of which 99 are for sale. | This is Number [handwritten in black] 65 | [author's signature] (see image above).
Dedication:
[in italic] For | A. J. HANNA | [7-line acrostic verse, with one additional word interpolated between lines 3 and 4.] (see image above).
Endpapers:
Pale green unmarked paper.
Dust jacket (Slipcase):
No dustjacket has been noted. Issued in a clear plastic slipcase (plastic was then a new and exotic material!). Unfortunately, this early plastic has proven fragile and liable to deterioration with age.
Notes:
Hall notes that this binding is in "crushed" morocco. This is incorrect. The binding is true goatskin morocco leather, but it is naturally textured, rather than the smooth faced crushed variety.
