1871 MARK TWAINS BURLESQUE AUTOBIOGRAPHY FIRST ROMANCE Jay Gould Erie RR Scandal

Description: MARK TWAIN’S (BURLESQUE) AUTOBIOGRAPHY and FIRST ROMANCE Published by Sheldon & Company, New York. Copyright 1871; there are no statements of printing, but this is the “second issue” (see below) of the book as it has the Ball, Black advertisement on the copyright page. (BAL 3326) Don’t confuse this book with Twain’s later biography, first published in book form in 1924. This is a fictional history of Twain’s ancestry, told in a bragging fashion, but revealing most of his ancestors to have been criminals or ne’er-do-wells. Although having nothing to do with Twain’s text, the book also features cartoons and the nursery rhyme, The House That Jack Built, that lampoon Jay Gould’s Erie Railroad Scandal. The last page features an ad for The Galaxy which is dated 1871. Sheldon was the publisher of the The Galaxy Magazine which Twain edited briefly and contributed to during the early 1870s. This book was issued in four colors of cloth: green, terra cotta, maroon and lavender, as well as being issued in wrappers (paperback). BAL describes two states, with the copies without the Ball, Black ad being given precedence. However, there is evidence (see FIRSTSMagazine, July/August, 1998) that the two versions were produced at the same time—with the ad copies being distributed as a promotional piece by Ball, Black & Company, a New York jeweler. From Wikipedia: Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography and First Romance is an 1871 book by American author Mark Twain. Published by Sheldon & Co. in 1871, the book consists of two short stories: "A Burlesque Autobiography", which first appeared in Twain’s Memoranda contributions to The Galaxy, and "First Romance", which originally appeared in The Express in 1870. The book bears no relationship to Twain's actual life. The two short stories present fictional characters who are supposedly part of Twain's lineage. In the final passage, Twain develops the story to a point of crisis, and then abruptly ends the tale, saying: “The truth is, I have got my hero (or heroine) into such a particularly close place, that I do not see how I am ever going to get him (or her) out of it again—and therefore I will wash my hands of the whole business, and leave that person to get out the best way that offers—or else stay there. I thought it was going to be easy enough to straighten out that little difficulty, but it looks different now.” With that, Twain's "Autobiography" ends. The illustrations form an interesting aspect of this book. They have no relationship to the text of the book. Rather, they use cartoons illustrating the children's poem The House that Jack Built to lampoon the Erie Railroad Ring (the house) and its participants, Jay Gould, John T. Hoffman, and Jim Fisk. The book was not one of Twain's personal favorites. Two years after publication, he bought all of the printing plates of the book and destroyed them. DESCRIPTION: 48 pages 7 1/2 x 5 inches first edition hardcover CONDITION: This hard-cover book is in good condition. The cloth cover shows wear and fading, especially at the spine and rear board. There is an interesting stamp (Denison New Agency-they sold small books and other reading material for rail road passengers at various depots and stations in the 1870s) on the front endpaper. The second blank endpaper has penciled notations regarding the book’s bibliography by a bookseller. The rear endpapers are smudged. The interior paper is, as usual, toned with age, and there are smudges on some pages. The hinges and binding are good with no loose or missing pages. BECAUSE MEDIA RATE SHIPPING IS FREE ON THE BOOKS I SELL, COMBINE THIS WITH OTHER ITEMS FROM MY EBAY STORE. I AM AN EXPERIENCED EBAY SELLER (23+ YEARS) AND SHIPPER WITH 100% (always!--since 1997!) FEEDBACK RATING. ALL ITEMS ARE CAREFULLY AND SECURELY PACKED TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE DANGER OF CRUSHING AND OR WATER/MOISTURE DAMAGE. ALL BOOKS ARE SHIPPED IN STURDY BOXES WITH TRACKING AND DELIVERY CONFIRMATION INCLUDED. I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE ALL OF THE BOOKS, AUTOGRAPHS AND SIGNATURES ON BOOKS I SELL.

Price: 99.99 USD

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

End Time: 2024-09-30T19:12:32.000Z

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