Lee's Centennial: An Address Delivered at Lexington, Virginia, Saturday, January 19, 1907, on the Invitation of the President and Faculty of Washington and Lee University.
Chicago: Americana House, 1948. Hardcover. With a foreword by Douglas Southall Freeman. 8vo. Grey cloth with gilt and burgundy lettering, brown leatherette slipcase. 75pp. Near fine/near fine. Item #48033
Edition limited to 750 copies, in a handsome slipcase. Exceptionally unusual copy, bearing two relevant autograph additions: Tipped to front flyleaf is a Typed Note Signed from Freeman, 1p, 8½" X 10", Richmond, VA, 3 May 1951. Addressed to Carl Haverlin (1899-1985), legendary radio pioneer and first president of music licensing service Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), as well as respected Lincoln and Civil War scholar. Very good. Original folds. On imprinted personal letterhead, Freeman tells Haverlin cryptically that "I thank you for the suggestion in your letter... and I am sure Mr. [Earl Schenck] Miers could do a splendid job, but I am hoping to find time to go over the manuscript myself before many days." Letters from Freeman are seldom seen. Boldly signed in his usual miniscule script. Tipped to inner flyleaf is a Typed Note Signed from Americana House founder Ralph G. Newman, 1p, 8½" X 10½", Chicago, IL, 23 February 1951. Same recipient. Very good. On "Abraham Lincoln Book Shop" letterhead, Newman tells his friend "I am enclosing a proof of the design for the Round Table bookplate. If satisfactory to you, please return one copy to me with any corrections you would like to have made." Boldly signed simply "Ralph" in black ink, with intriguing handwritten postscript beneath ("Understand from Variety that you are in line for big things. Congratulations (in advance).""Historian's historian" Freeman (1886-1953) served by day as long-time editor of "The Richmond News Leader" but in his off hours was a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Southern chronicler, producing the highly-regarded 4-volume "R.E. Lee: A Biography" (1935) and 3-volume "Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command" (1942-44). Newman (1912-98) was the influential founder of Chicago's Abraham Lincoln Book Shop.
Price: $295.00