About this Item
Chase, Richard (editor). The Jack Tales. Told by R. M. Ward and his kindred in the Beech Mountain section of Western North Carolina and other Southern Mountain storytellers; with an appendix by Herbert Halpert; illustrated by Berkeley Williams, Jr. Boston & Cambridge: Houghton Mifflin Company, The Riverside Press, copyright 1943; this copy printed May 22, 1948.
A foundational work of American folkloristics, The Jack Tales preserves Appalachian variants of the Jack cycle, deeply rooted oral narratives related to Old World fairy-tale traditions but reshaped by Southern Mountain culture. Richard Chase's careful editorial work situates these tales within living storytelling lineages, notably those of R. M. Ward and descendants of Council Harmon, while Herbert Halpert's appendix provides scholarly context. The volume is illustrated throughout with expressive woodcut-style drawings by Berkeley Williams, Jr., whose work reinforces the earthy, vernacular character of the tales.
This copy is notable for its exceptionally well-preserved institutional ephemera. It retains the original Webster School library pocket and borrower's card, documenting check-out dates spanning 1958-1969, as well as Seattle Public Library perforated ownership stamps. The title page bears the original acquisition stamp dated May 22, 1948, matching the Riverside Press print date - an uncommon point of confirmation rarely surviving in circulating copies. Such intact, period library artifacts are increasingly scarce and provide a tangible record of mid-century public-school and municipal library use.
Condition is Very Good. Original blue cloth with blind-stamped swirl pattern remains clean and unfaded, with light edge wear and mild rubbing at spine ends; gilt spine lettering legible. Binding is firm and square. Interior pages are clean with expected age toning and a few small closed edge tears; no loose leaves. Library stamps and markings as noted; no modern defacements. This is a post-war Riverside Press printing of the 1943 copyright, not a later reprint or facsimile, and is complete as issued.
Richard Chase (1904-1988) was a central figure in the study of Southern Appalachian folklore, helping to bridge oral tradition and academic folkloristics through fieldwork-driven, textually faithful collections that remain standard references. Constructed in 1908, Webster School served as an elementary school through 1979. An addition built in 1930 added an auditorium, library, industrial arts room, and play courts. The building and site have been designated historical landmarks by the City of Seattle's Landmarks Preservation Board.
Location photo included in gallery is for human interest and provides a visual placement of this book in time and not contained within the book.
Seller Inventory # F.CHA.1943.1
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