Beebe Reader by Beebe Lucius, Signed (2 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First edition. Tall octavo. 398pp. Near fine in a tanned and soiled, near very good dust jacket with short chips and tears, price struck through in ink, and a tiny bit of label residue on the upper flap. Laid in is a friendly 1965 Typed Letter Signed on Beebe and Clegg's stationery to "John," whom Beebe knew from long ago: "Thank you for your letter, sort of like a cashier's cheque out of the brandied past." It seems that John is writing to propose a book idea, but it is already in production elsewhere. A manuscript note neat the top says "ah well. J." A nice letter, written a year before Beebe's untimely death in 1966.

First printing (as stated upon copyright page) INSCRIBED, SIGNED, AND DATED BY THE AUTHOR. 223 pages. Hardcover: H 20.75cm x L 13.75cm. Dust jacket rubbed and soiled, small patch of surface peeling near center of colorful pictorial front panel with 5cm tear descending from top left corner into spine, somewhat triangular 2cm deep chip at rear panel's bottom center, other wear and shallow chipping as well as a few short tears at edges, some abrasion along front flap fold, front flap foxed, vertical creasing to spine, rear panel, and rear flap; dj now presented in a mylar Brodart protector. Red cloth lightly soiled, scuffing at board corners with cloth at front board's bottom fore-edge corner worn, touch of scuffing at spine ends but with slight fraying at head of front joint, short .75cm frayed tear at front joint heel. Edges and endpapers toned; scattered soiling and brown staining to interior pages. Laid-in at front endpapers is a Southern Comfort 12 page drink mixing booklet titled "How to Make the 32 Most Popular Drinks" offprint from May 1960 House Beautiful; 20 page (plus covers) booklet "Fleischmann's Mixer's Manual" undated but probably circa 1960 laid-in between pages 46-47. Binding has a few points of minor stress but otherwise firm. A good+ copy in only a good dust jacket with the author's four-line ink inscription upon the front free endpaper: "For Hans and Big | May she never be Bigger | Crosby Gaige | Feb. 19. 1942." Provenance form a Meridian, Mississippi estate with the correct appellations for "Hans and Big" unknown. One of the classic American cocktail mixology references by New York City theatre producer, author, and bon vivant Crosby Gaige with delightful illustrations by The New Yorker [Magazine] graphic artist Rea Irvin, a Foreword by journalist and gourmand Lucius Beebe, and concluding essay by food critic Lawton Mackall.