The Lanthorn Book

by Crane, Stephen [and others]

First Edition

Price: $6,800.00
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126 William Street, 1898. Hardcover. Book Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. A Very Good + copy of the only signed limited edition of a book by Stephen Crane, only 125 copies of which were printed. The Lanthorn Book (containing single works by 7 authors, including Crane) was issued by the Lanthorn Club for its members. Each author was also a member of the Club. The most important entry is Crane's story "The Wise Men", which also was published in 1898 in Crane's "The Open Boat and Other Tales of Adventure". Blanck gives no priority, the exact publication date of The Lanthorn Book being unknown. The Club intended to have each contributing author sign his entry, but not all copies were signed by all of the authors. This copy has been SIGNED BY STEPHEN CRANE as well as by John Langdon Heaton, Irving Bacheller, Post Wheeler, M. Quad (Charles B. Lewis), and by Charles Kelsey Gaines (but not by Willis Brooks Hawkins). With the pages French-Folded and unnumbered, the book is bound in the publisher's quarter reverse calf with green cloth to the boards, and a pictorial label on the front board. The boards have some light scratching and a couple of small indentations, but the general shelf wear to the boards is minimal. The label has minor scratching and soil, and the spine has some age spots, but is virtually unworn. Internally, there is minimal intermittent foxing, a library bookplate and a couple of library embossments, as well as and a small and unobtrusive catalogue note (although without these one would not suspect this book to have come from a library-there is no card pocket and no evidence of there ever having been one, no marring of the spine, and there certainly is not the wear one would expect to see in an ex-library book). A very nice (Very Good+) and highly collectible copy of an uncommon book. At age 28, Crane died of tuberculosis in Badenweiler in Germany, and thus signed copies of his works are quite scarce. A very nice book.

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