Rare books from Hardy Books

New York: North Point Press, 1998. First edition. Cloth-backed Boards. Fine/Fine. xix, 376 pages. First Edition. SIGNED by the late Charis Wilson in ink on the half-title. Illustrated, primarily from vintage photographs, including some by Weston, and other well-known photographers. Frontis portrait of Weston and Wilson from black and white photograph. Index. Small quarto. Cloth-backed gray boards, with silver spine-titling. Charis Wilson was the daughter of novelist Harry Leon Wilson (Merton of the Movies). Starting as Edward Weston's secretary and model, she married him in 1939, divorcing in 1946. From the jacket, "A memoir long awaited in the arts community, Through Another Lens tells the story of the life Edward and Charis led on the California coast from 1934 to 1945, a period 'in which more was done than some accomplish in a lifetime,' as Weston once described it in a letter." Includes material on Robinson Jeffers, Ansel Adams and more. A Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, now in a clear mylar… Read More

San Francisco: Gelber, Lilienthal, Inc, 1936. First Edition. (xiv) (2) 173 (3) pages. First Edition. Limtited to 300 un-numbered copies, printed by The Grabhorn Press, San Francisco. Illustrated by 8 plates plus the frontispiece portrait from a photograph of Jeffers by Edward Weston. Foreword by Una Jeffers. Octavo. Quarter bound in green morocco in orange decorated boards. From the author's Introduction: "This book, then, is not an explantion of the influence of the sea on Jeffers and his work, but rather is a questioning study of this interesting and significant phase of his talent, and a compilation of all materials pertaining to the sea contained in his poetry." Prior owners' bookplate at front pastedown; spine slightly faded; some toning to endpapers; 2" stain to lower right upper board; Very good or better overall, and now in a custom clear mylar protective jacket. ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING via media mail to any United States address.

San Francisco: The Book Club of California, 1938. First Thus. Vellum-backed marbled boards. Near Fine. (xx), 1, 21, 1 pages. First Edition Thus. Introduction by Francis P. Farquhar. Vellum-backed marbled boards. Gilt spine-titling. 5 1/4" x 8". Slipcase. Limited to 350 copies printed by The University of California Press. Per the Introduction, "'The Helmet of Mambrino' well supports the claim of (Clarence) King's friends that his casual conversation often equalled the best literature of his day, for this letter to a friend was undoubtedly produced spontaneously without thought of publication." A beautifully produced small book. Neat pictorial bookplate at front pastedown; small bookseller's stamp removal scar to rear pastedown, but a Near Fine copy in a Very Good Plus (slight abrasions at opening ends) slipcase. ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING via media mail to any United States address.

Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc, 1962. Later printing. Cloth-backed cloth on boards. Near Fine/Very Good. 512 pages. SIGNED/INSCRIBED by author in ink on a front free endpaper, to a good friend, "Dear dear Jimmy---I am so happy to have a chance to sign a book to one of the brilliant and coming writers---as well as my old friend---Adela Rogers St. Johns". Illustrated dust jacket. Large octavo. Cloth-backed cloth boards. St. Johns was a celebrated Hollywood writer for Hearst and on her own account. She was also the precocious daughter of celebrated Los Angeles trial lawyer Earl Rogers, whose story is told in this book. Many said Rogers was the greatest criminal defense lawyer of his day. Clarence Darrow chose Rogers to defend him when he was accused of jury tampering. San Francisco history buffs will be interested in Rogers' defense in the post 1906 earthquake corruption trials.From the jacket blurb: "FINAL VERDICT is Americana of a high order, for it gives the reader a vivid picture of Los… Read More

New York: The Viking Press, 1954. First Edition. Cloth-backed Boards. Very Good/Very Good. 277 pages.TV SHOWMAN / N.Y. COLUMNIST ED SULLIVAN'S COPY.. SIGNED/INSCRIBED in ink by Gene Fowler on the title page, "To my friend of a long time, Ed Sullivan / With the best / Gene Fowler 1954". Endpapers illustrated from photographs and drawings. Illustrated dust jacket. Octavo. Cloth-backed boards. #36 of the100 Best Books of Hollywood. From the jacket, "...some misadventures, both comic and melancholy, of John Barrymore, W. C. Fields, and John Decker while helping the Author attempt to write the biography of Sadakichi Hartmann, poet, self-proclaimed genius, artful rogue and moocher sans pariel." A wonderfully written memoir of the Bundy Drive Boys, this classic has developed a cultlike following. A nice association copy. A Very Good copy (Soiling; edgewear) in a Very Good (Edgewear; slightly chipped spine-end; spine sunned) now in a clear mylar protective sleeve. ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING of our books via media… Read More

New York: Harper Collins West, 1994. First Edition, Stated. Cloth-backed Boards. Fine/Fine. (xii) 212 pp. SIGNED in ink by Author Barnaby Conrad on the title page. Illustrated dust jacket. Foreword by Herb Caen. Illustrated, including from drawings by Author Conrad and various guests at his establishment. Cloth-backed boards. 5 3/4" x 8 1/2". Author Conrad was an artist, bullfighter, restaurateur and author of 27 fiction and non-fiction books. He was once secretary to Sinclair Lewis. El Matador, Conrad's elegant saloon on Broadway in San Franisco's North Beach, was a very popular meeting place in the 1950's for locals and visiting celebrities. From Herb Caen's foreword: "In San Francisco, for a gaudy decade when the world was young, everybody who was anybody came to the Matador and among the anybodies was a bonanza of Somebodies." An indispensable book for veteran San Franciscans everywhere. A Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, now in a clear mylar protective sleeve. ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING of our books… Read More

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1895. First Edition. Fine. This is an ORIGINAL poster for "HARPER'S MAGAZINE" September 1895. Artist Edward Penfield. Listed are Authors Mark Twain, Owen Wister ("The Virginian") and war correspondent Richard Harding Davis. Expertly linen-backed by dba Innis Archive. 9 3/8" x 13 1/2" plus a 2" linen perimeter. Edward Penfield (1866-1925) was an important American illustrator, often called the Father of the American Poster. Harper's Magazine (also simply called Harper's) was published by Harper & Brothers of New York, starting in 1860 and featuring literature, politics, finance and the arts. A Fine copy. Shipped rolled in a hard shipping tube, via UPS. FREE SHIPPING to any United States address.

New York: The McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1964. First Edition. Cloth. Fine/Very Good Plus. (15) 331 (1) pp. Illustrated dust jacket, with $6.95 price. Illustrated, including maps of The Moromon Trail. Index. Purple cloth.6 1/4" x 9 1/4". One of The American Trail Series, edited by A. B. Guthrie, Jr. Per the jacket blurb: "Close to the heart of Mormondom is the almost stylized memory of the Trail. For every early Saint, crossing the plains to Zion was not merely a journey, but a rite, the final devoted and enduring act that brought one into the Kingdom." A Fine copy in a Very Good Plus or better dust jacket (pencil numbering to rear cover, spine toning; edgewear, especially to spine-ends). ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING of our books in boxes, via media mail, to any United States address.

Stockholm: Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), 1936. Near Fine. This is an ORIGINAL Swedish one-sheet movie poster for "SAN FRANCISCO", the 1936 MGM film starring Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald, Spencer Tracy, Jack Holt and Ted Healy. Directed by W. S. Van Dyke. Expertly linen mounted. Image: 27 1/2" x 39 1/2". Art by Eric Rohman (1891-1949), a Swedish artist who specialized in Swedish movie posters. He estimated that he had done over 7000 posters in his lifetime. Signed in the print. "San Francisco" was released in Sweden in November,1936. This film featured the iconic re-creation of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. A Beautiful poster. Shipped rolled. FREE SHIPPING to any United States address.

142 pp. SIGNED/INSCRIBED twice by George Sterling. First, in ink on a front free endpaper: "Dear Frank: Be kind to my firstling book:"I was young then." Yours ever, George. Carmel, California. Nov. 12th , 1912." Second, in ink on the half title: "For Frank McComas from George Sterling". Two corrections in ink at page 85 in Sterling's own hand. Francis John (Frank) McComas (1874-1938) was an Australian-born artist who studied in San Francisco and later resided in Carmel. Once rated "among the twenty best painters of the world", his work was featured in an important Monterey Museum of Art exhibit entitled "Francis McComas: Rediscovering California's First Modernist". In addition to Sterling, McComas was a friend of Jack London William Keith and Charlie Chaplin. Front cover and spine titling. This was Sterling's first book. Poet/Playwright George Sterling (1869-1926) was a resident member of early Carmel's bohemian group also a friend of Jack London, as well as Mary Austin and Robinson Jeffers. His later… Read More

Bad Wildungen, Germany: Tac Echelon, HQ 12th Army Group, 1945. First Edition. Single Sheet Paper. Very Good Plus/4-mil clear mylar envelope. This is an ORIGINAL folded MAP showing the travels of the "Tac Echelon", Headquarters 12th Army Group in WWII through England, France, Luxenbourg, Belgium and Germany from 15 July 1944 through 9 May 1945. On the verso of the map is the description of the "VICTORY IN EUROPE" Dinner Dance presented in honor of General Omar N. Bradley by the Officers of Tac Echelon, Headquarters 12th Army Group at the Hotel Furstenhof in Bad Wildungen Germany on 12 May 1945; i.e., 4 days after the Surrender of Germany. The document is SIGNED in ink by General Omar Bradley ("O N Bradley"). The map measures 11 1/2" x 20" opened and 6 3/4" x 5 1/2" folded. One of the MOST REMARKABLE MAPS of WW2, the map was hand-drawn by an artist who signs his name RWD in the print. The document was produced by "Engr. Repro. Det. 12 A Gp." The map shows the various locations of the Headquarters,… Read More

Los Angeles: Columbia Pictures, 1934. Fine. This is an ORIGINAL fully restored, linen-backed three-sheet (41" x 81") movie poster for "THE FIGHTING RANGER" starring Buck Jones, Dorothy Revier, Frank Rice, Bradley Page and Ward Bond. Buck Jones posters from the 1930's are among the most colorful, spectacular and collectible of all the Western movie posters. This particular three-sheet is thought by many to be the most unique Buck Jones poster of them all. The colors and composition, including the positioning of Buck Jones and Dorothy Revier, make it particularly attractive and unlike any other Western poster of the period. It has become increasingly scarce. The poster was originally linen mounted with a few small defects (some crossfold paper loss, pin holes and creases along the edges), but has since been restored completely by the artisans of Studio Conservation of Vista California and is now in beautiful condition. FREE SHIPPING to any United States address.