Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$4200.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition, first printing. Signed by Hugh Lofting on the half-title and inscribed, "Sincerely Yours: Hugh Lofting: New York: Nov. 11 '21." [x], 180 pp. Bound in publisher's orange cloth stamped in blue with pictorial onlay to front cover; lacking the scarce dust jacket. Chromolithographic frontispiece with tissue guard depicting "The Farewell Feast", 9 full page illustrations and numerous in-text illustrations, 2 tipped-in black and white halftone plates. Very Good with slight lean to binding with tender hinges. Light soiling and edge wear, faint staining to covers, ripple to front. Several hinges over-opened throughout; bottom corners bumped. Three full page illustrations and 5 in-text illustrations have been colored in with pencil, neatly. Dr. Dolittle, the traveler who can talk to animals, has become a classic figure in Anglo-American children's literature. Hugh Lofting (1886-1947) served in the Irish Guards during WWI, and the letters he wrote home to his children were the origin of the books he published some years later.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
LOFTING, Hugh. The Story of Doctor Dolittle. Frederick A. Stokes Company, New York, 1920.
Price: US$4500.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition. Octavo. Illustrated throughout by Lofting along with a color frontispiece. Orange boards with title and decoration in blue with tipped on color illustrations on the front board. Very good with two small expertly repaired tears on the first two pages, some soiling on the spine and rear board and wear at the extremities, lacking the rare dust jacket. Warmly and playfully Inscribed by Lofting: "To Mrs. R.W. Fuller Whose business methods are almost as unusual as John Dolittle's, quite as convincingly effectual - and even more agreeable to come contact with, this volume is inscribed with the Author's very sincere regards H.L. New York April 1921." Fuller was an estate agent in Connecticut where Lofting spent his summers. Given the cheeky inscriptions about her business, the two were well aquatinted. A charmingly inscribed copy of the first book of the hugely popular children's book series.
Seller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.
LOFTING Hugh. Story of Doctor Dolittle. , 1920.
Price: US$7800.00 + shipping
Description: "LOFTING, Hugh. The Story of Doctor Dolittle. New York: Frederick A. Stokes, 1920. Octavo, original blue-stamped orange cloth, mounted cover illustration, pictorial endpapers. Housed in a custom clamshell box. $7800.First edition of the first Doctor Dolittle title, with color frontispiece, two plates, and 30 in-text black-and-white illustrations, inscribed on the half title: "Sincerely Yours, Hugh Lofting. Jan. 15 21." The copy of Bertha Mahoney Miller, founder and editor of The Horn Book Magazine, with her posthumous bookplate.Author Hugh Lofting was "creator of the most famous vet of all time (pace James Herriot) and what a wonderfully sane loony Dr. Dolittle is. The books are absolutely irresistible and deathlessas well as being immensely stylish Very much collected, as is right and proper" (Connolly, Children's Modern First Editions, 189). Asked about the genesis of Doctor Dolittle, Lofting stated that he came up with the idea during World War I. He recalled: "'It was during the Great War and my children at home wanted letters from meand they wanted them with illustrations rather than without. There seemed to be very little of interest to write to youngsters from the Front: the news was either too horrible or too dull One thing, however, that kept forcing itself more and more on my attention was the very considerable part the animals were playing in the World War" (Firsts). After being injured in the war, Lofting used his letters to compile a book. With the help of fellow writer Cecil Roberts, whom Lofting met on a trip home to the United States, Lofting secured publication at Frederick A. Stokes in New York. Soon after, he became one of the most celebrated children's authors of all time. Without scarce original dust jacket. Peter Parley to Penrod, 138. With the posthumous bookplate of Bertha Mahoney Miller, who founded The Horn Book Magazine, the first periodical to deal only with children's literature, and Horn Book, Incorporated, the publishing company. Miller also founded the Bookshop for Boys and Girls, which was dedicated to providing disadvantaged youth with quality books. Faint child's signature.Only slight wear to bright original cloth. A scarce near-fine inscribed copy with an interesting provenance."
Seller: Bauman Rare Books, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
LOFTING, Hugh. The Story of Doctor Dolittle. Frederick A. Stokes Company, New York, 1920.
Price: US$17500.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First edition. Octavo. Illustrated throughout by Lofting, along with a color frontispiece. Orange boards with title and decorations in blue with tipped-on color illustration on the front board. About fine with hint of wear at the spine ends and small wrinkle on the cloth in a good or better dust jacket expertly repaired at the folds, light toning, and some small tears, perimeter nicks and chips on the spine. Inscribed by the author: "for Betty Lou Burns with the Author's warm regards, Hugh Lofting." Additionally, Lofting has drawn a small self-portrait at the bottom of the page that he's captioned: "Myself at the age of 20." A wonderful inscribed copy of the first book of the hugely popular children's book series with its rare dust jacket and an original illustration by the author.
Seller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.