Fine Books & Manuscripts

BURROUGHS, Edgar Rice (1875–1950). Swords of Mars. Tarzana: Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc., [1936]. 8vo. 5 black and white plates including frontispiece by J. Allen St. John. Publisher’s blue cloth lettered in orange, red top edge; original unclipped “cellotexted” dust jacket with “$2.00” price on front flap (few tiny chips to extremities, front flap partially creased, spine panel slightly sunned). Provenance: contemporary ownership blind stamp and signature of Arthur R. Higgins. FIRST EDITION (stated) following John Carter’s adventures on Mars’ moon of Thuria to again rescue his Princess. A HANDSOME COPY. Currey p. 91; Heins SwM–1 (M8); Zeuschner 501. At the time this title was first written between November 6, 1933, and December 15, 1933, Zeuschner’s notes that the marriage between ERB and his first wife, Emma, was coming to an end with ERB finally moving out in 1934. 14 months later, ERB would be married to his second wife, Florence Gilbert. This is interesting to note because “Burroughs carefully arranged the hardcover text so that the first letter of the first word in the Preface and the 24 separate chapters form an acrostic: “To Florence with all My Love, Ed”. (Zeuschner, Edgar Rice Burroughs The Bibliography).