D. H. Lawrence. The Captain's Doll. New York: Thomas Seltzer, 1923. First American edition. via
Selected Poems by D. H. Lawrence. New Directions, 1947. First Edition. Cover by Alvin Lustig. Via Scott Lindberg on flickr.
Rabbit, Run x 2
Here is the well-known John Updike classic in its familiar first American edition, as well as the UK edition.
John Updike. Rabbit, Run. New York: Knopf, 1960. First edition. This particular copy is signed by the author and will be auctioned on Heritage Auctions on April 2nd.
John Updike. Rabbit, Run. Andre Deutsch, [1961]. First UK edition. Signed by the author on the title page. From the collection of Alexander J. Jemal, Jr. via
Tom Swift in the twenties
Here are some earlier Tom Swift books, this time from the twenties. Tom Swift books were a series of science fiction adventure novels published between 1910 and the 2007, numbering over 100. They were written by "Victor Appleton" which was a pseudonym for numerous ghost writers over the life of the series. Tom was usually a teenager, who was very scientifically inclined and inventive. Many of the inventions in the books directly inspired actual ones, including the TASER, which is an acronym for "Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle".
Tom Swift and His House on Wheels. New York: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, 1929. First edition.
Tom Swift and His Talking Pictures. New York: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, 1928. First edition.
om Swift and His Big Dirigible. New York: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, 1930. First edition.
Tom Swift Circling the Globe. New York: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, 1927.
The book jackets of Arthur Hawkins Jr.
Arthur Hawkins, Jr. (1903-1985) was a legend of jacket design who created some of the most striking covers of the mid-twentieth century beginning in the 30's. Here are just a few examples, some from my own library, from his huge volume work. The "Postman" cover has always been a favorite of mine, though it's unsigned and I just figured out it was his.
The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain, 1934
→ The Moth | James M Cain 1948 | Book jacket by Arthur Hawkins Jr
Algernon Blackwood, Shocks, New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., [1936]. Jacket by Arthur Hawkins Jr.. via L. W. Currey Books
Little Caesar by W. R. Burnett. Arthur Hawkins Jr. created this jacket specifically for this 1958 reprint.Available at Lorne Bair books
Suddenly A Widow | George Harmon Coxe 1956
The Crimson Clue by George Harmon Coxe
The Widow Had a Gun by George Harmon Coxe 1951
One minute past eight by George Harmon Coxe 1957
The Velvet Well by John Gearon 1946 via the Browser's Bookstore
Science fiction novels from the 1950s
The fifties were arguably the golden age of science fiction, and here are a few highly collectible novels from that era by such giants as Isaac Asimov & Ray Bradbury. The first six are from the bookseller L.W. Currey. They have an especially wide range of first edition science fiction and fantasy books. The last two are from my own library.
Isaac Asimov THE STARS, LIKE DUST. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1951
![Clarke, Arthur C. THE CITY AND THE STARS. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, [1956]. Cover design by George Salter.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/516351c0e4b032c4bb392b81/1391966577747-EQ9UR9J1UUQPA7FNAKUE/148618.jpg)
Clarke, Arthur C. THE CITY AND THE STARS. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, [1956]. Cover design by George Salter.
Asimov, Isaac. THE CURRENTS OF SPACE. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1952. Jacket design by George Giusti.
Asimov, Isaac. THE MARTIAN WAY AND OTHER STORIES. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1955.
Robert A. Heinlein. BETWEEN PLANETS. New York:Charles Scribner's Sons, 1951.
Bradbury, Ray. THE ILLUSTRATED MAN. First British edition. London: Rupert Hart-Davis, 1952.
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. 1950. This is my copy. It's a facsimile edition from The First Edition Library. An actual first edition of this novel is really pricey, usually in the thousands of dollars..
Shambleau and Others by C.L.Moore 1953. My "First Edition Library" reprint of the First Edition from 1981.
