Before Adam

New York. The Macmillan Company 1907. Bound in pictorial decorated brown buckram 8vo. First Edition.This copy inscribed boldly in ink by Jack London to his Sister, Ida London Byrne and his Brother-In-Law Jack on the Front free endsheet In a strong,broad hand requiring the majority of the Front Free Endsheet, London writes :"Dear Ida & Jack- With love and lots off (sic) it from your brother, Jack London. Oakland, Calif. April 17,1907 " A most ironic spelling error ( "off for "of " )by one of history's great writers !Accompanying this volume is a postcard loosely laid-in. The front of the postcard is a photograph of Jack and Charmian London outside their home ( Wake Robin Lodge) in Glen Ellen.Portions of the rear of the card present old scrapbook adhesive remnants which obscure portions of the postmark and stamp as well as the address and message. Postmarked Oakland, January 1913 ( day obscured ) it is addressed to Mrs. Alice shade in San Francisco. The inked message begins "Dear Friend" with the remaining text indecipherable due to adhesive remnant. It is signed "Yours, Ida Byrne ( her married name ). Illustrated with 8 colour plates, map and additional monochrome drawings ex text by Charles Livingston Bull. Ida London ( 1870-1914) was the younger daughter of John London, Jack's step-father.From the turbulence of their early family life through Jack' meteoric rise to fame and ultimate early death, Jack and Ida enjoyed a close and loving relationship, with Jack assuming an almost paternal role in the raising of IDA's daughter,whom she had named after Jack's wife, Charmian. She and her family often lived at her Brother's ranch in Glen Ellen where her husband, Jack Byrne,was employed by London as Personal Assistant and private secretary. In the last years of her life, Ira suffered from ill-health and was often confined to an Oakland sanitarium.She eventually died on the operating table in June of 1914. IDA's husband, Jack Byrne continued in his Brother-In-Law employee until London's death in 1916. Material inscribed to Jack London's immediate family is exceedingly rare and appears for public sale very infrequently. Very slight lean. Minimal rubbing to covers and spine. Spine titles a bit faded. Corners gently bumped. Scattered mild foxing to prelims (moderately so to inscription). One plate mis-paginated. Several page fore-edges trimmed short (not affecting text). A Very Good, well preserved, crisp copy of a deeply personal relic of the London family.