338

Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949)

Gone with the Wind, Signed First Edition with Additional Autographs & Photo.

New York: Macmillan, 1936.
First edition, first printing, octavo; with "Set up and electrotyped. Published May 1936," on the copyright page; signed and inscribed by Mitchell to Phyllis W. Quillian, "Sincerely," in Atlanta, Georgia on November 17th, 1936, additionally signed by Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), David O. Selznick (1902-1965), Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020), a few others who worked on set, as well as by a number of formerly enslaved people and Confederate soldiers (see below); bound in full gray cloth, lettered in blue (lacking original jacket; scattered foxing and stains, small area of offsetting to blank margin of p. 21; rubbing at cloth edges, spotting, spine bumped, tender front hinge); 8 3/8 x 5 1/2 in.

[With] A small photograph showing Margaret Mitchell in group portrait wearing a hat and slacks ca. 1920, taken at a family friend's summer home in Shadowbrook, near Duluth, Georgia; 2 ½ x 3 3/8 in.

[And] A small piece of paper signed in blue ink by Mitchell's brother, Alexander Stephens Mitchell, [aka Stephen Mitchell]; 1 3/8 x 4 in.

This copy of Gone with the Wind was "Autographed March 10, 1961 (Friday), at the Atlanta Biltmore Hotel – Cocktail Party," during the second film premiere that was released to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War. Selznick, Leigh, and de Havilland were in attendance. Gable had passed away the year before. Former owner Phyllis W. Quillian, a family friend of Mitchell's, attended the premiere and passed around the book for autographs. Other signatures in addition to those of Selznick, Leigh, and de Havilland include, Susan Myrick, "technical adviser on manners, customs, and accents of the Old South," E.B. Coleman "publicity director for G.W.T.W premiere Atlanta, Dec 15, 1939, and 12, 1940," and the Mayor of Atlanta, William B. Hartsfield (1890-1971). 

The final text leaf bears signatures and marks of people formerly enslaved in Georgia, gathered by Quillian at the Holmes Institute on December 23, 1939. Their inscriptions are sometimes accompanied by additional details such as their ages and other facts about their lives. They are: Martin Attilksson [?], Sally Jenkins, Bill Howards, George B. Earl, Corey Allen, Ben Willis, and Henry Williams, who was then 105 years old.

The last two blanks feature autographs of former Civil War soldiers and notes on the events or battles in the War that they saw, including the Battle of Atlanta, Andrews Raid, and Johnston's Surrender to Sherman. These autographs were gathered at the Confederate Soldier's Home in Atlanta, on October 20th, 1940. 

A final inscription on the final blank reads, "For Phyllis W. Quillian by Bell I. Wiley, author of The Life of Johnny Reb & The Life of Billy Yank, with best wishes."

This remarkable copy of Gone with the Wind is a powerful historical artifact that bridges literature and lived experience. The novel's narrative impact is undeniable, with a Harris poll from 2008 ranking it only behind the Bible in popularity for American readers. Mitchell won a Pulitzer Prize for the book, and Selznick's film adaptation remains the highest-grossing film of all time as well as the winner of a staggering eight Academy Awards. But this copy speaks beyond the story it contains. It brings those who lived the novel to the forefront of its significance. Those most intimately affected by the legacy of slavery in the American South, and the war that ended it are palpably present. This lot morphs the iconic fictional narrative into a powerful, tangible document of American history, memory, and identity. 

  • Condition: Please contact us to request a condition report:
    Devon Eastland, Senior Specialist: [email protected]
    Grace Meschery-McCormack, Cataloguer: [email protected]


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October 23, 2025 10:30 AM EDT
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