Item 21 is the first book by a a man who would go on to be one of the giants of 20th century literature. Ernest Hemingway was an unknown when this first book rolled off the press: Three Stories & Ten Poems. Hemingway had expected In Our Time to be his first published book, but when it was delayed, Three Stories beat it to the press. It was published in a limited edition of 300 copies. $65,000.
If $65,000 is a bit beyond your current budget, here is an inexpensive alternative “first” for Hemingway. Earlier in 1923, Hemingway made his first appearance in book form in an anthology entitled The Best Short Stories of 1923 and the Yearbook of the American Short Story, edited by Edward J. O'Brien. It contains Hemingway's (misspelled “Hemenway”) My Old Man. Item 20. $175.
Here is one more printed first, though it is sparse on words. It is the first printed picture of Marilyn Monroe, though that name does not appear. It is a copy of Chieftain 1942, a high school yearbook, and it includes a photograph of Norma Jean Baker, who would later adopt the “Marilyn” name for Hollywood. She appears in a small photograph of the sophomore class. It would be her only appearance in the West Los Angeles yearbook as she did not finish school. As one might expect, she is an attractive young lady, though hardly the glamorous icon she would become in her Hollywood days. Item 646. $4,500.
Between The Covers Rare Books may be reached at 856-456-8008 or mail@betweenthecovers.com. Their website is www.betweenthecovers.com.
