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SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR on the front free endpaper as follows: "Ruth Le Prade | The Poets Garden | God bless Grandma!" Also appears to be signed by Adeline de Walt Reynolds on the obverse of the front free endpaper as follows: "Frances Steel | Her Book | from | "Grandma" with LOVE | Adeline de Walt Reynolds | in appreciation of | her efficiency | July 1053." 8vo. 48p. Frontispiece black and white photo of the author. Red cloth with gild letters on the front cover. Just touches of wear to extremities, barely visible ring on the front cover, gilt bright, faint fade mark top one inch of front cover, else near fine with no internal markings. No dust jacket. There are two additional black and white phots as follows: affixed to the front pastedown with photo corners is a captioned photo of "The Troupers in 'Here Comes the Groom' Jane Wyman and Adeline DeWalt Reynolds" which has written on the bottom margin this: "To Frances LOVE 'Grandma'," and affixed to the rear pastedown is a captioned photo of Adeline de Walt Reynolds as White Moon in a scene from the 20th Century fox Production 'Pony Soldier" which has written in the margin this: "With LOVE 'Grandma'." Beneath the signature of Ruth Le Prade on the front free endpaper in the same hand as that on the black and white picture is a circle with three Bs arranged in a triangular relationship. Born near Modesto, CA, Ruth Le Prade [1895-1969] was a poet prodigy as a high schooler who was recognized by the famous California poet, Edwin Markham. She was the author of several proto-feminist poems, but her life-s work really focused on her principal creation, called "The Poet's Garden." Apparently this was a group of like-minded women who gathered at La Prade's home and in her garden on Spaulding Avenue in Los Angeles to discuss social reform, civil rights, aesthetics, religious patriotism, as well as poetry readings, music, and dramatic playlets. Born in Benton County, Iowas, Adeline De Walt Reynolds [1862-1961] was an actress in the 1940s and 1950s. She appeared in several well-known movies, but usually uncredited. She also appeared in several as a Grandmother, which may account for the inscriptions in this book: Behind the Rising Sun (1943), Stars in My Crown (1951), Street of Chance (1942), Tales of Manhattan (1942). She also apparently played herself as Grandmother in Three Live (1953). It is not clear what the relationship was between Le Prade and Reynolds. Still, this book of peotry is a very unusual piece of Los Angeles and Hollywood history and literature.
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