About this Item
First Edition (SD, 'Published, March 1909'). Once listed, this will be the Only signed copy of this book for sale anywhere on the Internet. Moreover, the author was not generous with his signature so to find a signed copy of any of his many books is a needle in a haystack proposition. Clearly it helped to be a relative. The inscription reads 'To John, and To Ada, and To Bassie, and To Ethel! With the affectionate regards of their brother-in-law Lou. Louis Joseph Vance, April 7, 1909.' (See photo). The covers can also be seen in the photos. They're in pretty decent shape. A century, a decade and several more years has placed a little wear on them. The rear cover sports a small stain just adjacent to the spine and down a little ways a rubbing can be seen at the middle of the spine and on the juncture with the rear cover. The spine edges, top and bottom, have relatively light wear, but some of the green has rubbed away. The gilt lettering near the top edge of the spine is still quite bright. Off the bottom edge of the spine it is somewhat interfered with by rubbing. The six cover edges are in pretty nice shape, only some very minor rubbing, no rub-through. The corners have only light rubbing, the top front one has a tiny spot of rub-through. The lettering on the front is embossed. The illustration on the front has a slight bit of scratching around the lady's chin. The book has a moderate forward lean but is pretty decently bound from cover to cover. I didn't find any instances of a crack or space between two facing pages or between the covers and any of the pages. However, one of the four color illustrations (by Harrison Fisher) is detached. It's the one between pages 198 and 199. Nevertheless, it is in decent condition, clean, slight wear off its top and middle edges. There are two other color illustrations within the text and there is a frontispiece. They are all solidly bound and in excellent shape. The middle and bottom page edges are deckled or rough-cut. I've seen better jobs of it, worse too, but there are more than a few instances where there is either a little middle or bottom edge jaggedness or a tiny to small edge tear or loss. There are four consecutive pages that have a number of smallish losses along their outer edge, none of which reach the print. There is also an instance of a loss off the bottom edge of one page which is a bit larger than average, but still doesn't reach near to the print, and I found one other instance where some of the paper off the bottom edge of a page got pulled over onto the facing page, again not so small but also not coming near to the print. The pages are exceptionally clean. In scrolling through, I didn't find any instances of soiling. I may have missed a speck or two, but not much more. The signed page has a square shape of light tanning. There's not much creasing, just an occasional tip of a corner. Again, having mostly to do with the rough-cut edges and the separating of pages, you'll find an occasional tiny to small edge tear. There are no markings in the book. No attachments of any kind. And the author's signed inscription is the only writing to be found anywhere. From the author's Wikipedia profile: 'Louis Joseph Vance was an American novelist, screenwriter and film producer. He created the popular character Michael Lanyard, a criminal-turned-detective known as The Lone Wolf. He was the only child of Wilson J. Vance, a Medal of Honor recipient, and Lillian Beall Vance. He wrote short stories and verse then many popular novels. He moved to Los Angeles to work with Universal Pictures on films based on his work, including The Trey o' Hearts and a serial and film series based on his Terence O'Rourke stories. In 1915, he founded Fiction Pictures, Inc., a motion picture production company whose films were distributed by Paramount Pictures. Vance died alone in his New York City apartment in 1933, in a fire that resulted from his falling asleep with a lighted cigarette.'. Seller Inventory # 004363
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Bibliographic Details
Title: The Bronze Bell (Only Signed Copy)
Publisher: Dodd, Mead And Company, New York
Publication Date: 1909
Binding: Hardcover
Illustrator: Harrison Fisher
Condition: Good
Signed: Inscribed by Author(s)
Edition: 1st Edition
