Fine Books & Manuscripts

BARNUM, Phineas Taylor (1810–1891). Struggles and Triumphs; or, Sixty Years’ Recollections of P.T. Barnum, Including his Golden Rules for Money–Making, inscribed. Buffalo: Courier Company, 1889. 8vo. Numerous full-page engravings including the portrait frontispiece of Barnum with tissue guard. Publisher’s presentation binding in full black morocco double framed with gilt filets, facsimile signature of Barnum gilt stamped to upper cover, edges rolled in gilt, raised bands tooled in gilt, compartments with elegant gilt scrollwork and titling, all edges gilt, gilt dentelle turn-ins, marbled endpapers (light rubbing to corners, front inner hinge cracked). Last and most complete of all the editions. INSCRIBED BY BARNUM on front fly: “To Bertrand Smith/with the author’s good wishes/P.T. Barnum/London Feb. 1st 1890”. An attractive copy with a warm inscription by the greatest showman on Earth.