1925-1926 Letters from a Globetrotter, Volume 1, Written for Members of the Round-The-World Society: Real Letters with Stamps, Postmarks, and Cancels

Arctic, Europe, North Africa: Round-The-World Society. Very Good. 1925. Full-Leather. On offer is an amazing vintage book of letters from 1925 to 1926. One of only a handful still in circulation, "Letters from a Globetrotter" is a travelogue in the form of a series of subscription letters written by Elmer D. Raymond, founder and president of the Round-the-World Society. Included in the book are approximately 150 pages describing Raymond's voyages, photo plates, a fold-out map of the world, and approximately 140 real stamps, all with postmarks dated 1925 and 1926. The return address of the letters is the Round-The-World Society in New York, NY. There are more than 45 letters contained within this book, each addressed to Mrs. Harriet H. Hale of New Haven, Connecticut. The letters include stamps with postmarks and cancels on the front (some letters with one stamp, and some with up to five or ten) , and about three pages of typed text inside. Every letter is titled, eg, "ON THE TRAIL OF BARENTS," and includes a location at the top, before the greeting of "Dear Friend: -" In addition to the typed letters, there is a sketch of a ship by Raymond himself, and some 16 black and white plates with photographs capturing images from the various locations Raymond visited. The first 13 letters are not numbered, but the 14th is labelled XXVII. All the letters that follow are similarly labelled with Roman numerals, in sequence. Some appear to be missing--for example, the numbers skip from XXX to XXXIII. The travelogue begins at the North Cape, Norway, where Raymond describes seeing Europe from where he sits: "There, beyond the thick, dull curtain of fog, lies the most interesting and colorful continent of the world, Europe." The author states that this is the first of his Arctic letters. He goes on to write from Greenland, Bear Island, Spitzbergen, and the North Pole. Next he sails to Antwerp, and visits various locations in Germany, France, and Monaco. Then he moves on to North Africa, where he describes places including Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. The descriptions are colorful and entertaining, and provide an interesting look at these various communities through the eyes of a man who is likely American or English. He writes of a visit to Ruisseau des Singes in Algeria, saying, "Some of the monkeys get so bold as to put their hands into our pockets searching for hidden peanuts. One of them finds a shiny coin and steals it. He climbs a tree and sits on a branch. Fingering the coin he examines it carefully." The letters conclude with a flight from Tangier to Gibraltar, and a trip into Spain where the letters end (with letter number LXIV: "A Bullfight in Seville"). The leatherette two-hole binder measures 6" x 9". The screw posts used for binding are missing, but could easily be replaced. There is some general wear to the leather. The letters, map, plates, and stamps within are in great condition. This well-written, detailed collection of letters paints a vivid picture of one man’s travels from Norway to the North Pole and south to North Africa. The photo plates give us a beautiful visual of what Raymond describes with words. For a collector, there is a wealth of stamps mailed to the United States from numerous fascinating locations. This is one of two volumes of "Letters from a Globetrotter" in our collection. Both are relatively unique, with overlap of only twelve letters and three photograph plates. ; Manuscript; 8vo - 6" x 9"; KEYWORDS: ELMER D. RAYMOND, ROUND THE WORLD, TRAVEL, LOG BOOK, VADE MECUM, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, DIARY, JOURNAL, LOG, KEEPSAKE, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, DIARIES, JOURNALS, LOGS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, PERSONAL HISTORY, AMERICANA, Travel, Globetrotters, Philatelic, StampsANTIQUITÉ, CONTRAT, VÉLIN, MANUSCRIT, PAPIER ANTIKE, BRIEF, PERGAMENT, DOKUMENT, .