Ante Up: Gambling Memorabilia

Devol, George H. (1829–1903). Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi. Cincinnati: Devol & Haines, 1887. FIRST EDITION of the work widely regarded as the greatest book on Mississippi riverboat gambling of the 19th Century. Original brown pebbled cloth with a central gilt device to upper cover (ends rubbed with a tiny bit of fraying, interior hinges cracked). 8vo. Frontispiece and several full–page plates. Howes D295; Jessel 390. Provenance: from the library of Vincente Minnelli (ownership blind stamp to ffep). Liza Minnelli’s father, Vincente was most recognizably known as an American stage and film director of notable musicals such as “An American in Paris” (1951) and “Gigi” (1958), both winning Academy Awards for Best Picture.