Various (Barrie, J.M.; Bergengren, Ralph; Bornstein, George; Boswell, James; Croly, Henry; Goldstein, Laurence; Howells, William Dean; Ibsen, Henrik; James, Henry; van Westrum, A. Schade; Zangwill, Israel et al.)

The Lamp: A Review and Record of Current Literature Vol. XXVIII No. 1 (February 1904) with: Ephemera

New York, NY, USA: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1904. First Edition, First Printing. Softcover. "He had one of those long... faces, all in a straight line, slightly hollow cheeks, and a long chin. It was clean-shaven, and a heavy mop of black hair was falling over his eyes." (excerpt, Ramblings, pg. 59). Offered today is The Lamp Vol. XXVIII No. 1, Charles Scribner's Sons' house review journal of current literature. The Lamp was not an independent magazine, it was the temporary name for The Book Buyer, started in 1867. For volumes 26–29 (1903–1905), Scribner's rebranded it as The Lamp: A Review and Record of Current Literature. It reverted to The Book Buyer afterward and ran until 1938. So the cover may say The Lamp, but it's the same continuous serial as The Book Buyer. Each number carried illustrated author profiles and portraits, reviews and notices of newly published books, literary news and gossip, bibliographical notes, and Scribner's own advertising for forthcoming titles, a mix of criticism and publisher promotion aimed at book buyers and the trade. Featured in this issue: an original essay by British author Israel Zangwill (1864-1926); progressive political philosopher Herbert Croly (1869-1930) writing on British author of The Turning of the Screw, Henry James (1843-1916); Dutch literary critic A. Schade van Westrum's (1865-1917) interview with American realist novelist William Dean Howells' (1837-1920), paired with a portrait by Zaida Ben-Yusuf, a celebrated turn-of-the-century photographer; a review of Scottish diarist James Boswell's (1740-1795) chapbooks from children's poet Ralph Bergengren (1871-1947); a "rambling" on the appearance of Irish poet W. B. Yeats (1865- 1939; see quoted above); a color portrait of a copyrighted sketch of George B. Tobin by Norwegian artist Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) & a stunning photograph of Peter Pan author, J. M. Barrie (1860-1937) plus much, much more. Third Mind Books has found & retained a handwritten letter in cerulean blue ink from University of Michigan professor & poet Laurence Goldstein ("Larry") to George Bornstein (verso page is an intra-office memo revealing a printed list of students accepted to the New England Literature Program) where Goldstein refers Bornstein to the Yeats "Ramblings" (pgs. "59-62"). From the collection of the late, great aforementioned George Bornstein (1941-2021), scholar, author & academician here at the University of Michigan- a quintessential Man of Letters. Trade-Format Softcover in Sewn Binding: First Edition, first & only printing. A most collectible piece of literary history in its rarest contemporary form with extremely relevant association & very distinguished provenance, greatly enriched by the poet--to-poet, professor-to-professor handwritten letter. In relatively fine condition with moderate age-toning mostly to fine edges of front, back covers & spine; mild-to-moderate rubbing & bumping of corners to same; one quarter inch enclosed tear at top fine edge/corner of front cover; moderate tearing to top & bottom of spine; very mild creasing to bottom corner of front cover; minor chipping to bottom corner of back cover; rusting of staples with some mild-to-moderate bleeding/spot-staining nearby; moderate age-toning & rubbing to text block. Interior fine with moderate age-toning mostly to blank margins & fine edges of page leaves; mild-to-moderate bumping/dog-earing to top & bottom corners of same. Fine. [Item #9202]

Price: $200.00