Clemens, Samuel L.

A group of 18 works in 26 volumes (some duplicates), many first editions, many with autograph letters or notes laid in, one presentation copy, all but six in chemises and slipcases. A complete listing is available from the Book Department.



Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Hartford, 1876. Half-title, frontispiece and title-page dampstained. Publisher's blue cloth blocked in gilt and black; skillful restoration to spine, endpapers renewed. First edition.  BAL 3369. — Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Hartford, 1884. Text browned. Green library buckram; spotted, front cover of publisher's blue cloth laid in. Laid down on front pastedown: Autograph calling card signed ("Mark") with Villa Viviani imprint, n.d., to William Dean Howells, advising him that "Mrs. Mary Mapes Dodge wants you and Mrs. Howells or Pilla to drop in tomorrow evening at 8. ... I'm to be there — also Rudyard. ..."  — A True Story. Boston, 1877. Publisher's terra cotta cloth blocked in gilt and black, lower cover stamped in blind; extremities rubbed. First edition.  BAL 3373. — Ibid. Green cloth chemise and slipcase, sheep spine. First edition, Jean Hersholt's copy (her library ticket and bookplate). — Punch, Brothers, Punch! And Other Sketches. New York, 1878. Publisher's green cloth blocked in black; upper cover and spine rubbed, a few spots on lower cover, blue-coated endpapers with scrap book illustrated on lower pastedown. First edition.  BAL 3378 (1). — Ibid. Modern brown morocco, publisher's red pictorial wrappers bound in. Laid in: Autograph note signed ("S. L. Clemens"), Hartford, 16 January n.y., to "Mr. Clemens": "How can I advise another man wisely, out of such a capital as a life filled with mistakes? ... Your own experiences may possibly teach you, but another man's can't. I do not know anything for a person to do but just peg along, doing the things that offer,  regretting them the next day. It is my way— & ev[erybody's].  I have to do all my work myself—I have tried assistance but couldn't make it go." BAL 3378 (2). —  A Tramp Abroad. Hartford, 1880. Publisher's brown cloth, upper cover blocked in blind with gilt emblem, publisher's monogram stamped in blind on lower cover, buff endpapers, spine gilt; spine rebacked with restoration to spine ends, split in cloth on upper joint, gilt faded on spine, upper cover faded and emblem tarnished, hinges cracked. BAL state B of the frontispiece, frontispiece captioned (a) Moses, blind border on binding (b) quite definitely curved at inner corners. Autograph letter signed ("SL Clemens") mounted to front pastedown, Guildford, 19 August 1896, to Andrew Chatto, thanks for the five books, reviews, bank-book, and check-book, is please with review in the Chronicle. First edition.  BAL 3386.— The Prince and the Pauper. Boston, 1882. Franklin Press imprint on copyright page; light fingersoiling throughout. Green cloth, upper cover and spine blocked in gilt and black ink, BAL state B of the binding; light rubbing to lower board edge and corners, foot of spine, and upper joint, upper hinge a little weak, lower hinge cracked. Autograph note signed ("SL Clemens") laid in, 9 March n.p., n.y., to a Mr. Anthony, regarding the depiction of the two principal characters: "It makes me grieve to think that I might have had access to those old books & pictures when I was writing the book. It would have been a great help. Please let the artist always picture the Prince & Tom Canty as lads of 13 or 14 years old. I knew I was making them too wise & knowing for their real age, so I studiously avoided mentioning any dates which would remind the reader that they were under 10 years old. Perhaps I mention the date of Henry VIIIs death, but I don't mention the date of Prince Edward's birth."  First American edition, BAL 3402  — Life on the Mississippi. Boston, 1883. Publisher's brown cloth blocked in gilt and black ink on upper cover and spine, grey/tan endpapers.  First edition, second state (p. 441 urn not present, p.  443 captioned "St. Charles Hotel"). A very bright fresh copy. BAL 3411. — Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York, 1885. Title-leaf is a cancel with copyright notice reading 1884 (state 2); p. the illustration captioned Him and another Man is incorrectly listed at p. 88 (state 1); p. 57 the eleventh line from the bottom reads: with the was (state 1); p. 283 leaf with illustration of Silas Phelps is a cancel (state 3); p. 155 the final five present but set above the line of the first (state 2(1?)); state 2 of the frontispiece portrait. Publisher's green cloth blocked in black ink and gilt on upper cover and spine, pale peach endpapers; spine ends restored, hinges strengthened, lacks front free endpaper.  First edition, with points as described. BAL 3415. — Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York, 1885. Title-leaf is a cancel with copyright notice reading 1884 (state 2); p. the illustration captioned Him and another Man is incorrectly listed at p. 88 (state 1); p. 57 the eleventh line from the bottom reads: with the was (state 1); p. 283 leaf with illustration of Silas Phelps is a cancel (state 3); p. 155, with the final five lacking (state 1 (2?)); state 2 of the frontispiece portrait with imprint of the Heliotype Printing Company, the tablecloth visible. Publisher's blue cloth blocked in gilt and black ink, peach endpapers; spine ends restored, extremities rubbed and darkened, upper hinge weak and splitting. First edition, with points as described. BAL 3415. — Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York, 1891. Publisher's tan cloth stamped in black and brown ink, spine decorated in black ink with gilt lettering, brown floral endpapers, spine ends rubbed, lower corners bumped. Tipped in to front pastedown, Autograph letter signed ([S.L. Clemens"] | "Mark Twain"), 2 pages on mourning stationery with Riverdale imprint but dated York Harbor, Maine, 7 August 1902, to Messrs Klau and Erlanger, enclosing two samples of his signature(s), and with positive comments but guarded comments on Arthur's dramatization of Huckleberry Finn. Ironically, Klaw and Erlanger produced a musical of the same title that ran briefly in November 1902 in Hartford. The production used Jim and several other Huck Finn characters but it was actually based more on episodes from Tom Sawyer; one of the signatures (presumably S.L. Clemens) cut away. — The Tragedy of Puddn'Head Wilson and the Comedy of Those Extraordinary Twins. Hartford, 1894. Publisher's brick cloth stamped in gilt and black ink on upper cover and spine, drab grey endpapers.  First edition, A fine bright copy. — The Adventures of  Huckleberry Finn. New York and London, 1904. Publisher's red cloth, monogram of Mark Twain stamped in gilt on upper cover and in blind on lower cover, spine lettered gilt; spine faded. Presentation copy with aphorism: "Taking the pledge will not | make bad liquor good, | but it will improve it. | Truly Yours, | Mark Twain | Yours ever, Robert Reid— | this from Clemens, S. L. | Jan. 06" — and 12 others.