- 136
LEAF, THE STORY OF FERDINAND, 1936 (1 VOL.)
Estimate
2,500 - 3,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- Leaf, Munro
- The Story of Ferdinand. New York: The Viking Press, 1936
- Paper
4to (206 x 175mm.), FIRST EDITION, DUST-JACKET, illustrated by Robert Lawson, cloth-backed red pictorial boards, yellow pictorial endpapers, small tear to bottom edge of one leaf, boards slightly soiled, dust-jacket with soiling and worn at extremities with minor loss to top and bottom edge of spine, bumped
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
The Story of Ferdinand was written on a yellow legal-length pad in less than an hour and mostly to provide Munroe’s friend Robert Lawson with a story to illustrate. The publication of the book the following year caused international controversy. The book was banned in Spain and Germany. Hitler demanded the burning of the Ferdinand as “degenerate propaganda”. It remained banned in Spain until Franco’s death in 1975. Stalin granted it privileged status as the only non-communist children’s book allowed in Poland. President Roosevelt requested a copy for the White House. When Germany fell, 30,000 copies of the book were distributed throughout the country as a peace-keeping mission.
Within a year of its publication it would outsell Gone with the Wind to become the number one best seller in the United States. The year after, Life Magazine called it “the greatest juvenile classic since Winnie-the-Pooh”. The Story of Ferdinand has never been out of print.
Within a year of its publication it would outsell Gone with the Wind to become the number one best seller in the United States. The year after, Life Magazine called it “the greatest juvenile classic since Winnie-the-Pooh”. The Story of Ferdinand has never been out of print.