[Rarebooks] FS - Christopher Morley TLS with hand corrections, plus 5 books: limited, signed and otherwise

Tue Oct 12 22:20:38 EDT 2010

FS - Christopher Morley TLS with corrections plus 5 books limited, 
signed and otherwise

$100 for the lot, plus $5.00 for mailing in the USA. Others please inquire.

Morley, Christopher, Typed Signed Letter. Written April 1, 1953 in 
Roslyn Heights NY on Morley's letterhead with his New York City address 
hand-canceled in pencil. The letter to George, seemingly an old college 
(fraternity brother?) acquaintance, turning down his request for 
Morley's presence at an event. Some first names mentioned, enticingly 
interesting but obscure. Many penciled corrections to the typescript, 
mostly proofreader's marks by Morley, and instances of his 'backing up' 
the carriage and typing over characters. Ends with the typed 
"Christopher Morley" hand-canceled and replaced by hand in pencil by 
"Chris." A chatty, personal artifact SIGNED by Morley. Fascinating to 
know that he typed the letter and couldn't leave it be until he had 
corrected and personalized it. Trifolded to fit in an envelope, slight 
creasing at the left edge at one fold, head corners slightly rolled, 
slightly toned. Better than VG.

http://www.20ants.com/images/covers/morley-tls0000.jpg

Morley, Christopher,

Newspaper clipping of Morley's column "The Bowling Green" from New York 
Evening Post, November 10, 1923. Twenty column inches of relentless 
satire and wit related to the "Transactions of the III Hours for Lunch 
Club." For example it opens with "It is recorded in the private minutes 
of the Three Hours for Lunch Club that the first stroke in the great 
campaign for Making New York and Philadelphia Love One Another was a 
plenary success. It is felt by the Club that the proud, reticent, yet 
inwardly tender and genteel bosom of the Oatmeal City was moved and 
stirred by the sudden foray of that daring band of kinspirits." Morley 
started this column in 1920 and it was a fixture in the Post for some 
time. Verso of the clipping extols the virtues of the Packard auto with 
its powerful "straight eight" engine. Clipping, browned as-expected for 
old newsprint, creased to fit into an envelope. VG if that designation 
can apply to a fragment of newspaper.

http://www.20ants.com/images/covers/morley-clip0000.jpg

Morley, Christopher, The Goldfish Under the Ice Elkin Mathews & Marrot, 
1929, Limited Edition, Hardcover, 8vo  8" - 9" tall, 27 pp., VG/ VG, 
Offsetting next to hinge in the front and back, offsetting and tiny 
foxing next to hinge on inside edge only of head and tail of covers. 
Scattered, tiny, very occasional foxing to pages. Dust jacket has slight 
wear at corners, very slightly darkened at all edges. Price on inside 
front flap canceled in light ink. Morley's story the story of the 
Mistletoe family’s dog Frisky (the real Frisky owned by Louise, Morley's 
daughter, and the Mistletoe family replicating Morley's own family) and 
his adventures on Christmas Eve. The Introduction tells that Morley 
asked Frisky what to write about and was told to write about "the 
goldfish." The book is divided into three parts: Part one about Frisky; 
Part two about the G. S. S. G. B. (Go to Sleep as Soon as you Go to Bed) 
club that the Mistletoes founded; Part three about Frisky building a 
fire on the ice to warm the the goldfish underneath. Who knew that a 
goldfish could shout? Edition of 530, this being SIGNED by Morley and 
number 44 of 500 for sale. Set in Monotype Veronese and printed by 
Robert MacLehose & Co. at the University Press, Glasgow Scotland. This 
limited edition, copyright 1929 but issued 1930, is actually "first 
thus" compared to the first appearance of the work in McCall's Magazine, 
December 1928. [Lee 172]. Head of text block cut, otherwise uncut with 
rough edges to pages, endpapers slightly larger than text block. Tan, 
illustrated paper on boards, illustration matches the same on the dust 
jacket. Illustrated pastedowns and endpapers, same graphic device as 
illustration on boards and DJ. Publisher Elkin Mathews and Marrot was 
known for publishing belles lettres and were accommodating with this 
work. This book being from the Woburn Books series of 18 short 
novels/novellas of 500 copies each for sale. A fun book from the 
ever-eclectic Morley, VG in a VG dust jacket in mylar.

http://www.20ants.com/images/covers/690.jpg

Morley, Christopher, Another Letter to Lord Chesterfield Ben Abramson, 
1945, 1st Edition, Booklet, 16mo  6" - 7" tall, 6 pp., F/ Spine tail 
very slightly bumped. Morley's satirical essay on the pleasure and need 
for smoking by the general public. Written and typeset in archaic 
English in the manner of a letter from Samuel Johnson. In fact, the 
title page indicates authorship by Samuel Johnson and Christopher Morley 
which, of course, is impossible given the 'letter's' date of February 7, 
1945. Pages numbered 3 through 6, though the essay consists of only 4 
printed pages. Wraps formed by a single sheet of textured stiff brown 
paper folded in quarters, saddle stapled to the inside crease with no 
staples showing at the spine, head edge trimmed, else uncut. Silhouette, 
presumably of Johnson, to front cover. Stated first edition. Printed 
"for" Ben Abramson at the Argus Bookshop, his own shop famed for 
Morlyana and promotion of Steinbeck's early work. The date of 1945 
locates the place of publishing as New York where he resumed business 
after moving there from Chicago. This copy absolutely clean and Near 
Fine condition.

http://www.20ants.com/images/covers/689.jpg

Morley, Christopher, Friends, Romans... The Ampersand Club, 1940, 
Limited Edition, Hardcover, Small 8vo  7½" - 8" tall, VG+/ VG, Book is 
sun-faded at the very edge of the spine tail and more so at the spine 
head. Dust jacket darkened along the spine, tiny chips to head and tail 
of spine, 1 1/2" closed tear from the spine tail proceeding up the front 
cover, small light blue mark to front. Christopher Morley's speech at 
the 50th anniversary of the Minneapolis Public Library and the 5th 
anniversary of Morley's membership in The Ampersand Club, he being the 
one who suggested the name of the club devoted to printing and the art 
of the book. The first publication of The Ampersand Club and this one 
being one of an edition of 535 copies. A rambling discourse on life, but 
somehow tied together with a topical thread of books and the library. 
Author is well known for his books Parnassus on Wheels, and The Haunted 
Book Shop, along with dozens of other  Printed devices in read at the 
head of each beginning chapter page. In thin blue cloth on boards, title 
in printed panel to front, printed panel to spine. Sharp corners, clean. 
Conservatively Very Good condition and approaches Very Good +. A 
still-attractive Very Good DJ in mylar.

http://www.20ants.com/images/covers/688.jpg

Morley, Christopher, The Haunted Bookshop Doubleday, Page & Company, 
1921, Hardcover, 12mo  7" - 7½" tall, 289 pp., VG+/ Gilt dulled on 
spine, head and tall of spine slightly rubbed. A bit of faintly-browned 
offsetting to pastedowns and endpapers. The follow-up novel to Morley's 
"Parnassus On Wheels." After settling down Helen McGill (now Helen 
Mifflin) and Roger Mifflin open the bookshop Parnassus At Home which, of 
course, is the haunted bookshop. Intrigue and mystery ensue along with 
books, danger, a dog and quirky protagonists. Red cloth on boards with 
gilt title to spine and Morley's initials to front cover. This title 
from Doubleday's uniform edition in 12mo. 1921[1918]. A clean, nice, 
conservatively VG+ copy.

http://www.20ants.com/images/covers/715.jpg

Morley, Christopher, Parnassus On Wheels Doubleday, Page & Company, 
1921, Hardcover, 12mo  7" - 7½" tall, 190 pp., VG+/ Gilt dulled on 
spine, head and tall of spine slightly rubbed. A bit of faintly-browned 
offsetting to pastedowns and endpapers. Morley's first novel about Helen 
McGill who strikes out on her own after buying a traveling bookstore in 
a wagon from Roger Mifflin. Told in the first person by Helen, it's her 
adventure in independence, idealism, and literature. Charming, and I 
usually avoid the word, but charming in a good way. A humorous, fast 
read that's the precursor to Morley's "The Haunted Bookshop." Red cloth 
on boards with gilt title to spine and Morley's initials to front cover. 
This title from Doubleday's uniform edition in 12mo. 1921[1917]. A 
clean, nice, conservatively VG+ copy.

http://www.20ants.com/images/covers/714.jpg

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[Books of great authors] are regarded as part of the necessary
furniture of the house -- not of the mind; and having been duly and
dutifully bought they are taught to know their place on the appointed
shelf. They are taken as read. There are few men now who, when a new
book is published, read an old one. - An anonymous 19th century cynic