You are bidding on an antique hardcover book titled Balisand, a romance novel by Joseph Hergesheimer about post-Revolutionary Virginia. Published by Alfred A. Knopf, 1924. This is the scarce and collectible First Printing.

This is the very scarce and collectible Limited Edition. There were only 165 of these books printed and made available for sale. They were printed on Borzoi Water-Marked rag paper and signed by the author. This is book number 73.

Making this book even more valuable is the provenance. The book is inscribed to Hope Summers in 1924 by James Witherell. It also has Hope Summers bookplate. James Witherell would go on to marry her in 1927 and they moved to Winnetka, Ill, and there, Hope started what would be a life-long acting career.

Hope's plain matronly nurturing physical attributes enabled her to assume many character roles for hundreds of early television shows of the 1950s and 1960s. You can catch her performances on reruns of such beloved series as "Wagon Train," "Maverick," "Loretta Young Show," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Peter Gunn," "Dennis the Menace," "Dr. Kildare," The Untouchables," "Gunsmoke," "Hazel," "My Three Sons," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "Petticoat Junction," "The Beverly Hillbillies," "Gomer Pyle," "Bewitched," Hawaii Five-0," "MASH," and "Little House on the Prairie" to name just a small number.

About the author of the book: Joseph Hergesheimer (February 15, 1880 – April 25, 1954) was a prominent American writer of the early 20th century known for his naturalistic novels of decadent life amongst the very wealthy.

Hergesheimer was born in Philadelphia and initially studied as a painter but quickly turned to writing. He established an early reputation with his first novel The Lay Anthony in 1914. Three Black Pennys, which followed in 1917, chronicled the fictional lives of three generations of Pennsylvania ironmasters and cemented the author's style of dealing with upperclass characters through a floridly descriptive style he referred to as "aestheticism." Hergesheimer also received critical recognition for his novels Java Head (1919), Linda Condon (1919), and Balisand (1924).

Hergesheimer's reputation fluctuated wildly in his own lifetime, from a peak of acclaim and popularity in the 1920s to almost total obscurity by the time of his death. Java Head, a miscegenation story told from multiple viewpoints that is generally considered his best novel, was a considerable popular success, and his flamboyant, ornate, highly descriptive style (which can be seen to best effect in works like the travelogue San Cristobal de la Habana) was considered elegant and powerful. Hergesheimer's manner of writing, known at the time as the "aesthetic" school, remained in demand throughout the 1920s (with F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby being the most durable example of a book written in this style). Sinclair Lewis's novel Babbitt includes an extensive passage in which the title character reads from Three Black Pennies. A 1922 poll of critics in Literary Digest voted Hergesheimer the "most important American writer" working at the time. Hergesheimer's works of long-form and short fiction sold well with both male and female readerships; a 1929 teaser in for an upcoming serialized story in Cosmopolitan, for example, called Hergesheimer a writer "who understands women better than any writer alive today." On the other hand, John Drinkwater wrote that "His constant complaint is that women readers, with their craving for sentimentality, are a blighting influence upon the American fiction of the age."

Tastes changed decisively in the 1930s, however, with both critics and writers favoring a more terse, tough-guy style. Hergesheimer's gift for flowery writing did not translate well in this new environment, and by the middle of the decade his popularity had fizzled. His last novel The Foolscap Rose, appeared in 1934. H.L. Mencken's diary describes Hergesheimer's frustration at the decline of his popularity and the lack of interest by his publishers, and according to one literary legend, when Hergesheimer asked why nobody was interested in his books anymore, Mencken replied, "I don't know, Joe. I'll always enjoy watching you swing from tree to tree."

Hergesheimer's reputation has not recovered from this low point, although he still has some champions. The weakness in his method can be seen in books like Cytherea, wherein the author's aesthetic concerns overwhelm all other aspects of the writing, resulting in thin plot and characterization and a certain precious quality in the descriptions. Indeed, Clifton Fadiman considered his novels to be "deficient in mere brain-power." On the other hand, his descriptive writing occasionally holds great power. When asked in 1962 what was his favorite American novel, Samuel Beckett replied "one of the best I ever read was Hergesheimer's Java Head."

His short story "Tol'able David" was made into a highly successful and acclaimed 1921 silent film. Other notable film adaptations include Java Head (US, 1923), The Bright Shawl (US, 1923), Wild Oranges (1924), and Cytherea (1924), and Java Head (UK, 1934). Eight films and one television special were adapted from Hergesheimer's work.

Hergesheimer died in Sea Isle City, New Jersey. He is buried at Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester, Pennsylvania next to his wife Dorothy (1884-1969).

The book is quarter-bound in pale blue cloth with orange, yellow and blue decoratively patterned paper over boards, and a paper title label on the spine. Printed on Borzoi water-marked rag paper. The spine is faded to an even tannish color. Corners are worn through. There is an extra spine title label on inside of rear cover. The covers are securely attached with no cracking or splitting of hinges. Pages are clean and tightly bound. Book remains in good condition. 

A rare author signed copy inscribed to a famous actress!

This book would be a super addition to a collection.

Great gift idea!

(Inventory: S-80)