Search Results: Americana-Regional History from Gargoyle Books

Boston, Massachusetts: John F. Murphy, 1902. First Edition First Printing . Soft cover. Very Good. Oblong softcover from 1902--an original First Edition, NOT a modern reprint--offers early 20th-century duotone images of architecture, public & private buildings, people, street scenes, & monuments in & around Boston, MA. "reproduced from the latest photographs." Binding is stapled in 2 places, then tied with string: all intact & original. Pages moderately tanned, commensurate with age. Tan pictorial wrappers show slight edgewear & creasing to corners, a mild stain on front cover, light soil to both cover. NO writing/highlighting/underlining; NOT ex-lib. Photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have on hand.

Chicago, Illinois, 1933. First Edition First Printing . Soft cover. VG-. The 1933/34 "A Century of Progress International Exposition,'' also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was designed to help people who might be "still mired in the malaise of the Great Depression" to have hope & look forward to a future would be better & brighter, driven by innovation in science and technology. As they visited exhibitions across the 427 acres of the fair, visitors saw the latest wonders in rail & automobile, architecture, & robotics, & were presented with the idea that technological progress offered the path to "a utopia, or perfect world, founded on democracy and manufacturing." These two items from the fair include 1) an accordion pack of 18 dual-sided linen postcards with Art-Deco graphics depicting fair exhibits & buildings, housed in a colorful paper sleeve designed to mail as a postcard. Condition is VG+: all cards are Fine & flawless. The… Read More

New York, New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1952. First Edition Later Printing . Hardcover. Very Good+/Very Good. An insider's portrait of small-town America & the early assimilation of immigrants therein, drawing on the author's personal recollections of growing up in Galesburg, Illinois. In 445 pages with Index, photo endpapers of family & community members. A First Edition, slightly later printing (no statement) from 1952, this hardcover 8vo is bound in handsome medium-green cloth with darker green insight title boxes & silver lettering to front & spine. Condition is VG+: completely clean, but lacking that brand new crispness. Binding strong & straight, but rear hinge starting. Pages creamy white with a whisper of tanning, but completely unmarked. Very modest pushing to both ends of spine. The price-clipped DJ is VG, with light chipping at both ends of spine, rubbing to extremities, slight spine fading; protected in clear mylar by former owner. Our photos depict… Read More

Boni & Liverlight, 1927. First Edition, 2nd Printing . Hardcover. Very Good+/No Jacket. First Edition, Second printing from Oct. 1927, of this lovely chronicle of American history by Dutch immigrant van Loon, with his own illustrations throughout in a very Deco style. Hardcover book has beautiful, deep navy blue cloth-covered boards with gilt lettering & design to front & spine, colorful front paper pastedown. Frontispiece & 11 additional illustrations in brilliant color, + over 100 additional illustrations in pen-and-ink throughout the 461 pages of text. Condition is VG+: completely clean, binding strong & straight, pages mildly tanned, commensurate with age. Flaws: 1) small stains (like water spots) to front board, 2) small foxed spots randomly throughout book, & 3 )modest corner bumping. Our photos depict the exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same day shipping if ordered by 2 pm weekdays (PST); later orders,… Read More

New York, New York: F. S. Crofts & Co., 1941. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Very Good+/No Jacket. Designed to document "something of the qualities that have given the US strength & the elements of greatness,'' this is an edited collection of essays, speeches, historical documents, biographical sketches, & literature on various aspects of the American character & what makes the country unique in character & purpose. In 674 pages, this is a FIRST EDITION, Second Printing, from Sept. 1941. With decorative cream & green cloth over boards showing a wrap-around pastoral scene, this hardcover is in VG+ condition: completely clean text, with light soil to exterior page edges & endpapers. Binding strong & straight, hinges secure. Pages off-white with mild tanning. Extremely mild rubbing to extremities & bumped corners. No DJ. Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same… Read More

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Dutton Studio Books, 1992. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. Keister, Douglas. Sumptuous, lavishly illustrated tribute to American Victorian architecture & design! "A magnificant orgy" of a book, this is the sixth in the collection of books begun by the authors to commemorate the "painted ladies" of San Francisco, CA, expanding here to Victorians across the United States. 303 pages. A FIRST EDITION, First Printing from Oct. 1992, this oversized hardcover has medium blue cloth-covered boards with gilt lettering to spine. Condition is Near Fine: looks, feels, & smells like a brand new book EXCEPT for some fading along about the top 3/4" of both boards. Otherwise, completely clean, binding strong & straight, pages white, colors in photos bright. The unclipped DJ is also Near Fine, with just a bit of edgewear along that same top edge.Our photos show the Exact book you will receive, never "stock"… Read More

Harper & Row, 1972. First Mass Market Paperback Edition . Soft cover. Very Good+. A play constructed using the actual dialogue from the hearings of the House Un-American Activities Committee, which, during the 1940s-1950s, under the direction of Senator Joe McCarthy, conducted a witch hunt in Hollywood that ruined the careers & lives of untold actors & directors. In 160 pages with real black-and-white photos of the "Hollywood Ten" & other key players. A FIRST EDITION, First Printing, from 1972 by Harper Colophon Books (CN 1006), cover price $2.95. From the library of a Stanford graduate, activist, & founding chair of the Theatre Dept at UC Davis (with his stamp to ffep, no other markings), this vintage paperback is in VG+ condition, marred only by mild foxing & dust dulling to top outside page edges & mild edgewear/rubbing. Else, exceptionally clean, binding strong & straight & uncreased, pages white & unmarked. Nicely protected in new mylar… Read More

London, England: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1968. First British Edition . Hardcover. Fine/Fine. Nearly 20 years after the publication of "The Naked and the Dead,'' the author returned to the theme of war, this time chronicling his adventures over a four-day period in Oct. 1967 at demonstrations in Washington, D.C. against the Vietnam War, followed by "an objective history of the battle of the Pentagon.'' Orig. published in a lengthy excerpt in Harper's Magazine, this is the First British Edition, First Printing from 1968, in 288 pages with map endpapers depicting the DC area. Hardcover 8vo has soft blue-gray cloth-covered boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Condition is Fine: as clean & bright as Brand new with extremely mild rubbing from shelf to lower extremities. Binding tight & square, pages creamy white & unmarked. The unclipped DJ (with 45s. net price intact to bottom front flap) is equally Fine & protected to stay that way in clear mylar. An… Read More

Detroit, Michigan: Harlo Press, 1984. First Edition, 3rd Printing . Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. Minvielle, Chestee Harrigton. A factual account of the War between the States (American Civil War) as it occurred in Louisiana's bayou country, vividly illustrated with old maps, real photos, personal reminiscences, & human interest stories. In 199 pages with Index, Notes, & References. A FIRST EDITION, Third printing from 1984, SIGNED by the AUTHOR (his name only) on half title page. With bright red cloth-covered boards & gilt lettering to spine, this hardcover book is in Fine condition: completely clean, binding straight & strong, pages white; corners crisp. The unclipped DJ is downgraded to Near Fine due to a few rubbing spots on back cover on author photograph; else nearly flawless & protected in new mylar cover Free. Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same Day Shipping on all orders received by… Read More

New York, New York: Bonanza, 1943. First Thus . Soft cover. Near Fine/Very Good+. Landrey, Tilden. This book that "could only have been written by a Louisianan with a deep understanding of Southern American life." offers an insider's look at the everyday life & customs & natural beauties of this region. In 341 pages with illustrations & many pages of black-and-white photos throughout the text. Orig. published in 1943, this is a reprint from Bonanza Books from the early 1970s (no date in book), SIGNED with a personalized inscription by the Author, New Orleans, 1971. Green cloth-covered boards lettered in black to spine, this hardcover small 8vo is in Near Fine condition, just slightly less crisp than Brand New! Completely clean & bright, binding straight & strong, pages white with a whisper of tanning to edges. Only flaws are split to gutter at half title page & very light smudges to exterior lower page edges. The unclipped DJ is VG+, bright & colorful,… Read More

Richmond, Virginia: Dietz Press, 1977. Reprint . Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. Gravitt, William D.. Born in Smithfield & raised in the Isle of Wight County, the author chronicles this rural land "where the South really begins." SIGNED by the author on ffep, name only, no inscription. In wonderful condition, & a lovely gift for anyone from this corner of VA! In 127 pages with images from old prints & pen-and-ink line drawings by Gravitt throughout. Orig. published in 1968, this is the 1977 reprint. With bright yellow cloth-covered boards & orange design/lettering to cover & spine, this hardcover is in Fine condition: completely clean, binding tight & square. Mild tanning around outer page edges. Unclipped DJ is VG, marred only by rubbing/slight red stain on back cover, slight edgewear, heavily sunned spine.Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! All orders processed before 2 pm weekdays (PST)… Read More

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Signet, 1961. First Paperback 5th or later Printing. Mass Market Paperback. Very Good. A shocking book" about the white author's quest to experience life as a Black man in the deep South, which he undertook by having his skin temporarily darkened medically & shaving his head so that he presented as "bald, middle-aged Negro." He then spent a month walking, hitchhiking, & riding buses around the Deep South of the early 1960s, crossing the line "into the country of the American Negro--a country of hate, fear, & hopelessness." Orig. appearing in excerpts in Sepia magazine & in hardcover in 1960, this is the First Mass Market Paperback Edition (Signet P2709) from 1961, but a later (31st) printing. In 157 pages + 2 pages of ads for other titles in rear, photos on back cover Condition is VG: completely clean & unmarked inside, noticeable rightward lean & spine roll, minor edgewear & rubbing all around. Pages moderately… Read More

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1987. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Good+/Fine. A "panoramic overview" of black music in America from the early 1800's slave songs through the accomplishments of African-American jazz greats in the 1970s. A First Edition, first printing from 1987, in 198 pages with black-and-white photos throughout, Index, Selected Bibliography. Designed for YA readers, middle school & up. An Ex-Lib copy with the usual stamps & markings in front matter & to outside page edges, removed card pocket. Condition is Good+: aside from these markings & heavy rubbing to lower edges, the book is completely clean, binding strong & straight. The unclipped DJ is Fine, protected under library mylarOur photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! All orders processed before 2 pm weekdays (PST) ship that same day; later orders, weekends & holidays ship very next… Read More

New York, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1913. First Thus . Hardcover. Fair. General George Custer's wife recounts her adventures alongside her husband in late-19th-century frontier America, the only woman who always rode with the regiment (Army of the Potomac). Her work provides a unique glimpse into what it was like to be a woman in the wilds of the rapidly expanding country, as well as offers a different portrait of Custer--as a husband & as a man--than is usually portrayed in history books. In 316 pages with glossy frontispiece of General Custer, extracts of Custer's letters appended. Orig. published in 1885, this is a later edition with the updated 1913 copyright (First, thus). Hardcover 12mo has blue-green cloth over boards stamped with worn gilt lettering to front & spine. Condition is Fair: heavy rubbing to extremities, both hinges cracked. The map showing portions of Montana & Dakota (not yet divided into North & South) & pp1-2 are completely loosened. Else,… Read More

Oxford University Press, 1973. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Fine/Good. In-depth portrait of the Bourbon Street Black, based on fieldwork & interviews in this tight-knit community of African-American musicians, their families, friends, & followers who form an integral part of New Orleans, Louisiana. In 244 pages with black-and-white photos throughout, Notes Appendix, Index. A FIRST EDITION, first printing from 1973, this hardcover book has been in storage since received Brand New for review. Condition is Fine: completely clean, binding tight & square, pages white, with moderate foxing to outside page edges. The unclipped DJ is downgraded to only Good due to a tear ascending diagonally up & across front cover from lower corner near spine & heavy creasing in this same area, other small chips & rubbing. Nicely protected in new mylar cover Free! Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! All… Read More

Scribner, 2011. First Edition First Printing 1st Printing. Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. The former editor-in-chief of Atlanta magazine chronicles the transformation of that city as a result of the events of 9 April 1968, when it served as the location for the largest funeral for a private US citizen in history when it held the services for the recently slain Martin Luther King, Jr. In 244 pages with Index, Selected Bibliography, extensive Notes, & Glossary of Organizations, + a 12-page section of black & white photos in center, others scattered throughout text. A FIRST EDITION, First Printing, from 2011, this hardcover has a black cloth-wrapped spine lettered in silver, with creamy white textured paper over the remaining boards. Condition is Fine: like new, marred only by former owner's address label inside front cover. Else, completely clean & unmarked. The unclipped DJ is Near Fine, with 2 small shallow scratches to front cover, else, bright & colorful with no wear. Our photos… Read More

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1939. First Edition Later Printing 5th or later Printing. Hardcover. VG-/G+/Good. Sewell, Helen; Boyle, Mildred. Fifth book (& a Newberry Honor Winner, though not noted on this early edition) in the author's beloved "Little House" series, with the lovely original First Edition illustrations throughout by Helen Sewell & Mildred Boyle (later editions would use different illustrators), including a colorful frontispiece & pen-and-ink drawings in text, some full page plates. Orig. published in 1939, this is the 8th edition (c. Jan. 1946 per letter code). In 260 pages, this hardcover small 8vo (5.75" x 8.5") has light gray cloth-covered boards stamped with blue lettering to front & spine. Condition is VG-/G+: completely clean inside, pages creamy white & unmarked save for former owner's name stamp to recto of frontispiece. Light spotting to exterior boards & mild rubbing/bumping to… Read More

New York, New York: Harper & Row, 1947. First Thus . Hardcover. Very Good+/Fair. Spiegel, Doris; McCully, Emily. First in what would become a trilogy of books about young Charley Moss, an African-American boy who moves to an all-white suburb in the 1940s, a story similar to the author's own. Orig. published in 1945, this is a Large Type Edition published sometime in the 1960s (no additional date in book, but there is a zip code & LOC number, so has to be 1963-1970ish). First, thus. Oversized hardcover has decorative green paper over boards, with the HarperCrest insignia indicating a library binding on spine. Formerly the property of a high school counseling office, with stamps in front & back matter; NO other marks in book. Condition is VG+: extremely clean save for a few smudges/glue residue on front endpapers. Interior is completely clean, binding secure, pages creamy white. The DJ, with matching illustration, is downgraded to Fair because it is missing most of the back cover.… Read More

New York, New York: Columbia University Press, 1936. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. Documents the conduct & results of a pioneering study of juvenile delinquency in New York City in 1930, comparing results across neighborhoods, boroughs, gender, race, parental immigrant status, & religion. Vol 12 in the "Studies of the Research Bureau of the Welfare Council" series, this work represents a pioneering attempt to empirically measure & qualitatively describe the extent of juvenile delinquency when the concept was still being defined. In 277 pages, tabular statistical data in rear. A FIRST EDITION, First Printing, from 1936, this hardcover octavo has brown cloth-covered boards blindstamped with publisher's mark to front, with gilt lettering & ruling to spine. Condition is VG: very clean, binding strong & straight, hinges secure, pages modestly tanned but unmarked save for former owner's name in neat pen to ffep. Exterior show… Read More

Brewster-on-the-Cape, Massachusetts: Sea Pines, 1955. 2nd Edition . Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket. A lovely story set on Cape Cod in 1898. SIGNED with a dated inscription by the author, on ffep. Originally published in 1948, this is the (stated) Second Edition from 1955. Hardcover book lovely azure blue cloth-covered boards is in Near Fine condition, protected under a tissue-acetate wrapper serving as DJ. Extremely slight bumping to foot of spine. Book is completely clean with very slight page tanning. Binding tight & square. Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive from us, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! All orders processed before 2 pm weekdays (PST) ship same day; weekends & holidays ship very next business day.