Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson with preface by Thomas Carlyle (INSCRIBED Association copy)

INSCRIBED ASSOCIATION COPY - Henry Arthur Jones to Professor George Pierce Baker. 8vo. 311, (1) pp. Text printed in red and in black. Publisher's full limp slightly mottled vellum by T. J. Cobden-Sanderson and 'The Doves Bindery' is stamped on the rear pastedown, spine darkened and lettered in gilt; Near Fine What elevates this copy is the superb association between two foundational figures in modern theater: Henry Arthur Jones, the influential Edwardian dramatist whose plays helped shift English drama toward social realism, and George Pierce Baker, the pioneering American drama professor who created Workshop 47 at Harvard-the first university course in playwriting-and later became a founder of the Yale School of Drama, shaping the institutional backbone of American theatrical training. Jones's inscription is warm, personal, and wonderfully evocative of the moment: "My dear Professor Baker, I have just had a quarter of an hour with Emerson. He is very soothing and 'fortifying' in the bustle and heat of producing a play. Always faithfully yrs, Henry Arthur Jones. August 30th 1906. New York." The date is significant: within weeks, Jones would dedicate the published version of The Hypocrites to Baker, commemorating their companionship at its Broadway premiere. The inscription captures Jones in the midst of theatrical production, turning to Emerson for steadiness-an intimate glimpse into the working life of a major dramatist, addressed to the man who would train generations of American playwrights. For collectors of Doves Press, Emerson, theater history, or association copies of literary significance, this volume offers a rare convergence: a fine example of a major private press book, enriched by a meaningful and documented relationship between two figures who shaped the evolution of modern drama on both sides of the Atlantic. A compelling and uncommon association copy. Limited Edition of 300 copies (of a total printing of 325).…