Rare Autographs, Manuscripts and Photography
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/7/2016
[The Author's Club]. Liber Scriptorum; The First Book of the Authors Club. New York: Published by the Authors Club, 1893. First and only edition. Number 85 of a limited run of 251 copies. What makes this volume especially exciting is that it was James Howard Bridge's personal copy. Bridge was Carnegie’s secretary and ghost writer and biographer at one point and was also a member and president of the authors club. The book has a tipped in photographic composite of membership, 1922 letter accepting Bridge's resignation, dinner menus, and small collection of ephemera regarding the Author's Club including confidential correspondence to him. Quarto. xvi, [iv], 3-588, [3] pages. Decorative wood-block engravings above each title head. Publisher's straight-grain brown morocco, deep and decorative black stamping to front and spine, gilt center piece of the 'light of learning' to cover, gilt spine lettering, floral patterned end papers, top edge gilt all others untrimmed. In short, presented in the best typographical dress that the De Vinne Press could furnish, as well as being printed on hand-made paper manufactured in Holland specially for this work. This volume is signed by all 109 contributors. A beautiful copy of this large work in near fine condition .
Originally conceived of as a money-making proposition for the Authors Club to finance a permanent clubhouse, all the contributors submitted their work towards this goal. Contributors include; Andrew Carnegie, Samuel L. Clemens ('A Californian's Tale', BAL 3438), Theodore Low De Vinne ('Do You Know the Letters?'), William D. Howells, Theodore Roosevelt ('A Shot at Bull Elk'), Josiah Royce, Frank R. Stockton, Charles Dudley Warner and many others.
Limited to 251 Copies With a Signed Story by Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt and Carnegie as well as 106 other authors!
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