58

Powell, Dawn (1896-1965) Six Titles, Most First Editions, Two Signed.

Powell, Dawn (1896-1965)
Six Titles, Most First Editions, Two Signed.

1) Dance Night. New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1930. First edition with unclipped jacket, octavo; original orange publisher's cloth stamped with black; top edge tinted black, uncut; 7 5/8 x 5 ¼ in.

2) Angels on Toast. New York: Charles Scriber's Sons, 1940. First edition, octavo, with "A" below the copyright notice; original beige publisher's cloth stamped with pink; in an unclipped jacket; 8 x 5 3/8 in.

3) A Time to be Born. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1942. Likely second edition, octavo, without the "A"; original blue publisher's cloth stamped with yellow; in unclipped jacket; 8 x 5 ½ in.

4) My House is Far Away. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1944. First edition, octavo, publisher's cloth stamped with blue; in the unclipped dust jacket; 7 5/8 x 5 1/2 in.

5) The Locusts Have No King. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1948. First edition, octavo, signed by Powell in ink on front free flyleaf; original green publisher's cloth stamped with white and black, top edge tinted; with the unclipped pictorial dust jacket; 8 x 5 1/4 in.

6) Sunday, Monday, and Always. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1952. First edition, octavo, inscribed by Powell: "For George, love Dawn" in ink on the front free flyleaf; original publishers sage cloth backed yellow boards, spine stamped with yellow; with the original unclipped dust jacket designed by William Barss; 8 1/8 x 5 1/4 in. (6)

Powell's witty and biting satiric tone garnered her praise and many awards in the 1960s. In the 1970s, Powell's work slipped into relative obscurity, only to be rediscovered around 1987. In that year, Gore Vidal wrote an essay in praise of her unique voice. "She needs no interpretation and in her lifetime she should have been as widely read as, say, Hemingway or the early Fitzgerald or the mid O'Hara or even the late, far too late, Katherine Anne Porter. But Powell was that unthinkable monster, a witty woman who felt no obligation to make a single, much less a final, down payment on Love or The Family; she saw life with a bright Petronian neutrality, and every host at life's feast was a potential Trimalchio to be sent up." (Quoted from Vidal's essay, "Dawn Powell, the American Writer.")

Property from the Estate of Michael Feingold (1945-2022).

  • Condition: 1) Dance Night: front hinge starting, corners pushed, a deep line gouge affecting fore edge and touching front board edges; jacket chipped, a bit rubbed.
    2) Angels on Toast: spotting to joints; light soiling to jacket, verso toned, small losses to edges, spine panel sunned.
    3) A Time to be Born: corners bumped; sections of loss to upper edge of jacket, chipping, creasing, and a few tears.
    4) My House is Far Away: spine caps just pushed, minor foxing to endpapers; jacket with area of loss to tail of spine panel, chipping and creases to edges, one or two closed tears.
    5) The Locusts Have No King: extremities bumped; front flap of jacket detached and laid-in, two aged tape repairs to upper edge, small area of loss to lower spine panel, edges chipped, particularly at lower flap, a few small closed tears.
    6) Sunday, Monday, and Always: front hinge cracked, extremities bumped, offsetting to endpapers; jacket with small sections of loss to edges, spine panel sunned.


    Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

    Condition reports and additional images are provided as a courtesy and should be used by you to aid in the formation of your own opinion regarding condition. All material is sold subject to Swann's standard Terms and Conditions of Sale as published in our catalogues and posted on our website, and include the following terms: (1) all property is sold "as-is"; and (2) works cannot be returned on the basis of condition.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Upon request, Swann will facilitate the shipping of purchases to out-of-town buyers at an additional charge for packing, shipping and insurance, but will not be responsible for any loss, damage or delay resulting from the packing, handling and shipping thereof. Unless specific instructions are received, Swann is the sole judge of the method to be used for shipment. Packing and shipping costs will be noted on the invoice mailed to successful bidders after the sale, and are based on the actual costs involved. Be advised that a full commercial invoice must accompany any purchase shipped outside the US.

May 23, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
New York, NY, US

Swann Auction Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$0 - $100,000:
27.00%
$100,001 - $1,000,000:
22.00%
$1,000,001+:
12.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $149 $10
$150 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $5,999 $200
$6,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 + $50,000