270
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STEINBECK, JOHN.
The Grapes of Wrath.
8vo, pictorial tan cloth, top edges
stained yellow, small area of smudging on outer bottom-edge; mild toning to front-free
endpaper; first state dust jacket, narrow horizontal line of age-toning along upper edge,
minor edgewear but no chips or tears, and $2.75 price present.
New York: Viking, (1939)
[12,000/18,000]
SIGNED FIRST EDITION IN COMPLETELY UNRESTORED FIRST ISSUE DUST JACKET
.
Laid-
in is a 1-page TLS (March 20,1990; Ira Wolff to noted dealer Peter Stern), attesting to
Steinbeck’s high spirits the night he signed this copy, and delightfully explains the background
regarding the shaky, but vigorous autograph present here. The letter states that Steinbeck signed
this copy in March, 1968, during an evidently boozy evening “at the Players Club Pipe
Night celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Oklahoma[!] [the Rodgers and Hammerstein musi-
cal]. Steinbeck was there with his wife who had worked on the show with Agnes DeMille
[sic].” A lovely copy of this highspot of 20th Century American literature and Pulitzer Prize
winner. Goldstone & Payne A12.a.
