Great Literature and More from Whitmore Rare Books

Whitmore Rare Books has published their Catalogue 25. The major theme of Whitmore's catalogues can be described as great literature, but that isn't a limitation. Photo books, theology, surfing and the theory of relativity are probably not topics traditionally associated with literature, but many of the great writers are regularly found in Whitmore catalogues. These are a few samples.

The Bronte sisters all wrote popular novels in the late 1840s, appearing essentially out of nowhere. When they first published they used the last name “Bell,” while each adopted first names that were not gender specific to hide the fact that they were women. The reality at the time was that books written by men were more likely to be accepted by the public. In the case of Charlotte, she published her first novel under the name “Currer Bell.” What gender is someone named “Currer?” The three sisters' only previous book was one of poems that was such a flop that might have been another reason to disguise their name though it is unlikely anyone ever heard of that book before. Charlotte's first novel, and the first by any of the Bronte sisters, was Jane Eyre. It is a book that addressed various topics such class, religion, and social consciousness. It looks at the world through the protagonist's eyes. This was unusual for romance novels of the time, as was Jane's individualistic nature. The book caught on quickly, the 500 copies of the first edition quickly selling out, soon to be followed by a second and a third. Item 7 is a first. Priced at $65,000.

This book is a classic example of art imitating life. It is fiction, but painfully reflective of the author's troubled life. Published in 1934, it is the last completed novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald wrote knowingly of the decadent lifestyle of the Roaring 20s. The high life of that period led to the downfall of Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda. The novel is Tender is the Night, published in 1934. It is a story of a young psychiatrist and his patient. They fall in love, get married, and then it all goes bad. She, like Zelda, suffers from mental issues while he, like Scott, becomes an alcoholic. In real life, Zelda's mental issues began to show in the second half the 1920s, and by the 1930s, she had to be institutionalized. Meanwhile, Scott, suffering from this burden and the inability to ever earn enough money to meet his needs, turns to alcohol. He died in 1940 at the age of 44, while Zelda died in 1948 at age 47 in a fire at the mental hospital where she was institutionalized. For this couple, the Roaring 20s devolved into the Great Depression in more ways than one. Item 32. $2,500.

Have you ever had to explain something very difficult and complex so average people can understand? Then just imagine the challenge Einstein confronted in explaining his theories of relativity to the public. Here is his attempt: Relativity the Special and General Theory. This is the 1920 first edition in English of a book originally published in German in 1916. As the author explained, “The present book is intended, as far as possible, to give an exact insight into the theory of Relativity to those readers who, from a general scientific and philosophical point of view, are interested in the theory, but who are not conversant with the mathematical apparatus of theoretical physics.” Perhaps you don't have to be an Einstein to understand this dumbed down explanation, but you still need to be unusually smart. The precepts of this theory are not easy for most of us to understand. Just remember this and you're set - E=MC². This copy is a first edition with its dust jacket. Item 29. $17,500.

The Atlantic described Ansel Adams as the “foremost landscape photographer on earth.” He did it all in black and white, foregoing color photography. His vivid black and white contrasts and understanding of shadows made his beautiful scenery that much more dramatic. Item 1 is a signed limited edition of Sierra Nevada: the John Muir Trail, published in 1938. That trail winds through the Sierra Nevada, passing through Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks along the way. Adams was very much a conservationist and supporter of national parks as was the trail's namesake in an earlier generation (but Adams did not suffer from the racism that has diminished Muir's reputation). At the time of this book, neither Kings Canyon nor Sequoia were national parks, but within a few years, in part through Adams' efforts and this book, both were added to the national park system. Item 1. $8,500.

This book is to surfing what the Bible is to printing – the first such book (a bit of hyperbole there). The title is The Art of Wave Riding and it is the first book devoted to surfing, published in 1931. You can leave your surfboards home for this type of surfing. Author Ron Drummond was writing about body surfing, with no boards or other flotation devices. Surfing was not of great interest in 1931, leaving Drummond to self-publish his book. He printed 500 copies. Presciently, he describes “this superb sport which in my opinion is still in its initial stages of development.” Drummond was also an accomplished conoeist, riding the waves in a canoe. He was an imposing figure, 6-foot-6 with a thick beard. He was athletic, later exploring northern Canada for a mining company and being a worldwide adventurer. For a time, he was a professional wrestler. However, his legacy today is for riding the wild surf. Item 69. $2,750.

Whitmore Rare Books may be reached at 626-714-7720 or info@whitmorerarebooks.com. Their website is www.WhitmoreRareBooks.com.