FITZGERALD, F. SCOTT | Taps at Reveille. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1935

FITZGERALD, F. SCOTT

Taps at Reveille. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1935

8vo. Pages 349-352 uncancelled; some toning, a few contemporary annotations in pencil. Original dark green cloth, spine gilt-lettered, front free endpaper inscribed by Fitzgerald; rubbing to extremities with some minor fraying, nicks to head of spine, minor stain to spine affecting "F" in "Fitzgerald", edges sunned, contemporary annotations to endleaves. Lacking jacket.

First edition, presentation copy, signed and inscribed on the front free endpaper: "For Arthur Musgrave | from | F. Scott Fitzgerald | March, 1935"

Arthur Musgrave, an aspiring writer, befriended Fitzgerald in the 1930s while both men were living in Baltimore. The two became friendly (see lots XXX), and when Fitzgerald left Baltimore for New York, he invited Musgrave to join him. Years later, Musgrave would tell his daughter of his adventures with the author—how they rode down 5th Avenue, with Fitzgerald on the roof of the taxi so that he might have a better view of the stars, and of dining together at The Algonquin, which was also a favourite haunt of Fitzgerald's friends Ernest Hemingway and Dorothy Parker.

Musgrave remained in New York for a couple of years, and after returning to Baltimore, added to Fitzgerald's inscription: "And with much luv | For Barbara IN Pensicola | From Arthur | and maybe one of these autographs | will make the book valuable for future | generations! | August 29, 1938 | Baltimore." Musgrave went on to marry Barbara from Pensacola, and rather than a writer, became a professor following his time as a Nieman Fellow at Harvard.

Taps at Reveille represents the fourth and largest collection of Fitzgerald's short stories and the last book to be published in his lifetime. There was no second printing after the initial run of 5,100 copies.

LITERATURE:

Bruccoli A18.I.a1

PROVENANCE:

Arthur Musgrave