This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/25/2024
MASTERS, Edgar Lee (1868-1950). Spoon River Anthology. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1915. 8vo. [xviii], 1-248, [6, ads] pp. Publisher’s full green cloth, front board and spine stamped in black and gilt, (binding edgeworn and soiled, spine toned, corners bumped, endleaves toned and soiled, some toning and occasional soiling in text, ad pages roughly opened with some mild chipping at fore-edges). Good. FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE (bulks at 7 / 8” at top) WITH AN AUTOGRAPH NOTE SIGNED BY MASTERS AFFIXED TO FRONT ENDLEAVES: “For Mrs. Arthur J. Harris First Edition of Spoon River Anthology Edgar Lee Masters January 20 - 1930” in ink; beneath this inscription is the following by Masters in pencil: “Paste this in the book … [illegible] E.” With a COA by Stephen Koschal. Masters was an attorney (and partner to Clarence Darrow early Masters’ career) who published this collection of free verse poems “taken” from epitaphs on tombstones from the Spoon River cemetery. This collection was a critical and commercial success.