David Brass Rare Books, Inc

BURROUGHS, Edgar Rice Tarzan of the Apes 1914

The Rarest Tarzan Edition of All An Astonishing Copy In the Scarce First State BindingBURROUGHS, Edgar Rice. Tarzan of the Apes. Toronto: McClelland, Goodchild & Stewart, 1914. True first Canadian edition, first printing (with canceled title), in the first state binding without acorn above the U.S. publisher's slug on spine, and the rarest of all editions; Burroughs's bibliographer, Robert B. Zeuschner, in an interview with us, estimates that were likely only 200-500 copies issued of this edition but Carl Spadoni, bibliographer of McClelland, Goodchild & Stewart, reports to us that the true number issued was probably no more than 250. Octavo (7 5/16 x 4 7/8 in; 185 x 124 mm). [2, blank], [8], 400, [1], [5, blank] pp. Title page illustration by Fred J. Arting.Publisher's original dark red cloth. Gilt lettering to upper board and spine. Gilt rules at spine head and tail. Blindstamped panel to upper board. An astonishing, completely untouched, tight, bright and fine copy of a phenomenally rare edition of the utmost scarcity with cancel title page and in first state binding. Housed in a custom box. "The Queen Bee of Tarzan editions," according to Carl Spadoni's report to us, "extraordinarily scarce."OCLC/KVK locate only five copies worldwide: McMaster University, Toronto Public Library, University of Louisville, University of Wyoming, and Biblioth‚que et Archives Canada. It is, however, unknown whether all five of these copies possess the canceled title page and are in the first state binding. ABPC reports no copies at auction within the last thirty-five years.On June 14, 1914, publisher A.C. McClurg of Chicago published the first edition in book form of Tarzan of the Apes (his writing published in contemporary pulp magazines, this was his first book) in a printing of 5,000 copies. Unanticipated demand, however, led McClurg to contract with another printer-binder for an additional 2,500 copies. Based upon Henry Heins' Golden Anniversary Bibliography of ERB (1964), for many years it was believed that an acorn above the publisher's name at the foot of the spine indicated the true first edition, first state. As Zeuschner notes, however, subsequent research (Fowler, The Case Against the Acorn, ERB - DOM #19), has firmly established that it was the adjunct printer-binder who added the acorn to the publisher's slug. Thus copies lacking the acorn are ascendant, and, as a result, Heins has revised his opinion. Subsequent printings by McClelland possess an integral title page or have the cancelled title page but are in the McClurg second state "acorn" binding.Spadoni and Donnelly 110. Cf. Zeuschner 696, note. Interview with Robert B. Zeuschner Dec. 28, 2007. Interview with Carl Spadoni, Ph.D, Jan. 2, 2008.

$US13500

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