[Rarebooks] FS: Cinema History: Thomas Dixon's THE SOUTHERNER Inscribed to D. W. Griffith, director of THE BIRTH OF A NATION

[Charles Agvent]

DIXON, Thomas THE SOUTHERNER. A ROMANCE OF THE REAL LINCOLN
D. Appleton and Company New York 1913. First Edition. Publisher's red cloth 
stamped in blind and white. Illustrated by J. N. Marchand. In a prefatory note 
to this historical novel about Abraham Lincoln, the author states that "every 
word in relating to the issues of our national life has been drawn from 
authentic records in my possession. Nor have I at any point taken a liberty with 
an essential detail in historical scenes." Perhaps not as many liberties as he 
took with his earlier book THE CLANSMEN (1905), an inflammatory glorification of 
the KuKlux Klan that served as the basis for director D. W. Griffith's THE BIRTH 
OF A NATION (1915). This film, controversial even in its day for its depiction 
of African Americans, was a landmark film in cinematic history containing many 
innovations and artistic advancements, including a color sequence at the end. It 
was the most profitable film for over two decades, until Disney's SNOW WHITE AND 
THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937), and even today is considered one of the top films of 
all time. Which brings us back to this book, which happens to come from D. W. 
Griffith's library and is INSCRIBED and SIGNED to him by the author on a special 
bookplate on the front endpaper with the imprint "Author's Autograph Copy to": 
"D. W. Griffith with the best wishes of the author---- Sincerely Thomas Dixon." 
Spine is frayed at the tips and sunned, though the lettering is still readable. 
Good, solid copy with an incredible association.   $2000
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