Featured Books for This Week
1. First Person Plural, The Lives of Dagmar Godowsky, by Dagmar Godowsky, The Viking Press, New York, 1958, first edition, (vi), 249 pp. Inscribed by author “, with love to cousin Leonard, Dagmar, March 1958”.
In light blue cloth with dark blue titles and design on the spine and front cover. Front cover is damp- stained along fore edge and rear cover has lighter water spotting along the edge. Spine is sun darkened. But the contents are quite clean and bright, so the dampness did not affect the text at all. A small inventory number is ink-stamped at the top of the rear pastedown. No other marks or damage. No DJ.
This book itself is fairly uncommon in the trade, but I am unable to find another signed copy currently available anywhere, and a search of historical auction records does not find any signed copy having been sold in the past.
Dagmar Godowsky (1897 –1975) was an American silent film actress, who was quite popular during the 1920’s, but, as with many silent film stars, did not make the transition to sound films, and so her popularity faded after her last picture in 1926. Her father was the celebrated composer Leopold Godowsky, and as a result, she knew and interacted with virtually all of the major celebrities of the time from both the film world and the music world.
In 1958, she published this candid autobiography ("apparently uninhibited but in fact heavily self-censored"), which, for the 1950’s, was quite open about her many romantic relationships. In it she wrote, "I lived only for pleasure and I spoiled my own fun. Where was I running? From whom? Little feet running around the globe. Nothing but circles, and I never once bumped into myself."
Her story may have been “self-censored”, but in the book, she named Enrico Caruso, Arthur Rubinstein, Jascha Heifetz, Charles Chaplin, Igor Stravinsky, and Rudolph Valentino among her "great loves." When queried about the number of husbands she had, Godowsky responded, "Two of my own, my dear, and several of my friends'." (It must be noted that Rubenstein’s biographer later disputed some of her claims about her involvement with the great pianist.)
Overall, a very scarce signed copy of an engaging narrative of a fascinating life. $750
2. The Indians of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Valleys, by Samuel Orcutt, The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company, Hartford, CT, 1882, 220 pp.
Samuel Orcutt (1824–1893) was an American historian and genealogist. He is the author of many books on Connecticut towns and family histories.
8vo. vi, [2], 220 pp, +14 plates, including frontis. Very good in the original green cloth with gilt titles on the spine and front cover, and black ruling on the front cover. The spine ends have minor fraying, and the corners are bumped. The front endpapers have old ownership markings and bookplates (signed Sadie Thompson). The gutters have been repaired. The frontis has a small chip and tear to fore-edge. A couple of creased corners, p. 97 has an old tape repair of long closed tear along inner portion. Overall, contents are clean with mild age-toning.
This original edition is quite scarce. $225
3. Amboyna: A Tragedy, As It Is Acted by Their Majesties Servants, by Mr. Dryden, Harry Herringman, London, 1691, Second edition, of 1673 original, 45 pp.
Amboyna, (or the Cruelties of the Dutch to the English Merchants) is a tragedy about the Amboyna massacre and the death of Gabriel Towerson, which took place on Ambon Island in 1623. Dryden reportedly wrote the play in the short space of a month; he wanted to produce a topical piece, since England was at that time at war with the Dutch Republic.
About 1615, the English formed a settlement on the island at Cambello, which they retained until 1623, when the Dutch destroyed it. Frightful tortures inflicted on its unfortunate inhabitants were connected with its destruction. In 1673,,Dryden produced his tragedy Amboyna; or the Cruelties of the Dutch to the English Merchants.
8" x 6". [8], 45, [3] pp. Includes final ad leaf. Bound in 20th c. 1/4 black morocco spine with gilt titles, on paper covered boards. Second edition. Condition: Contents foxed. The lower margins are cropped, either removing or partially removing some catchwords, occasionally shaving last line. $150
4. A House and Its Head (proof copy), by I. Compton-Burnett, Heinemann, London, 1935, Proof edition, 287 pp.
Dame Ivy Compton-Burnett, DBE 1884 –1969) was an English novelist, published as I. Compton-Burnett. She was awarded the 1955 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for her novel Mother and Son. Her works consist mainly of dialogue and focus on family life among the late Victorian or Edwardian upper middle class.
A House and Its Head is set in an upper-class Victorian household and explores themes such as family secrets and the subordination of women by men. Whenever she was asked which of her novels were her favorites, Compton-Burnett always referred to A House and Its Head and Manservant and Maidservant.[
Early proof copy, in unbound sheets. 8vo. Has various corrections to text in pencil. It is not known who may have marked the corrections, but compared against the published version, it appears the corrections marked here were included in the final publication. The initial leaf is a bit toned or soiled but mostly clean otherwise, a few leaves have slight fraying or chipping to edges. $150
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