Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass

Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass

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Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
  • Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass
Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass

Bret Harte’s Tales of the Gold Rush – Illustrated by Fletcher Martin, Introduction by Oscar Lewis – 1944 Heritage Press Hardcover with Slipcase & Sandglass

$16.95 $29.95 $16.95 each

A handsome 1944 Heritage Press edition of Tales of the Gold Rush by Bret Harte, illustrated by Fletcher Martin with an introduction by Oscar Lewis. This beautifully designed mid-century volume collects 13 of Harte’s California Gold Rush stories, including The Luck of Roaring Camp, The Outcasts of Poker Flat, Tennessee’s Partner, Miggles, The Iliad of Sandy Bar, and others.

Published by The Heritage Press, New York, in 1944, this edition features the distinctive Heritage Press decorative binding of marbled gold-paper boards with a white linen/cloth spine, stamped in brown lettering. The book is housed in its original gold-toned paper slipcase, and the photographed copy also includes the original Sandglass Number X:31 publisher's insert.

Bibliographic records identify the edition as xii, 223 pages, approximately 26 cm tall, with illustrations by Fletcher Martin and an introduction by Oscar Lewis.

The Heritage Press edition is particularly attractive to collectors because it was a reprint of the Limited Editions Club production and received the full decorative treatment associated with the George Macy/Heritage Press books. Contemporary descriptions of the edition identify the boards as marbled gold paper, the spine as white linen, and the slipcase as matching gold paper.

The photographed book is especially appealing as a vintage Western literature, California Gold Rush, Heritage Press, or decorative bookshelf piece. The warm copper, brown and gold presentation and Fletcher Martin's striking illustrations give it considerably more visual character than an ordinary vintage text edition.

The original Sandglass X:31 is an especially nice inclusion for collectors, as Sandglass notices were supplied with Heritage Press editions to provide information about the book, its production, illustrations, paper and binding. The Sandglass included with this copy is visible in the photographs.

Details

  • Title: Tales of the Gold Rush
  • Author: Bret Harte
  • Illustrator: Fletcher Martin
  • Introduction: Oscar Lewis
  • Publisher: The Heritage Press
  • Publication Date: 1944
  • Place of Publication: New York, New York
  • Edition: 1944 Heritage Press edition / first edition thus
  • Language: English
  • Format: Hardcover
  • Binding: Decorative marbled gold-paper boards with white linen/cloth spine
  • Size: Approximately 6.75"H × 10.25"W; exact dimensions may vary slightly
  • Illustrations: Color illustrations by Fletcher Martin
  • Stories: 13 Gold Rush-era stories
  • Slipcase: Original gold-toned paper-covered slipcase included
  • Sandglass: Original Sandglass Number X:31 included
  • Subject: California Gold Rush, American West, Western literature, short stories
  • Genre: Classic Literature / Western Fiction / Americana
  • Era: 1940s / Mid-Century
  • Country of Publication: United States
  • Country of Origin: United States — the edition was published by The Heritage Press in New York; the photographed copyright material identifies the special contents as copyright 1944 by George Macy Companies, Inc.
  • Dust Jacket: None; the original slipcase serves as the publisher's protective case
  • ISBN: None originally assigned; modern marketplace ISBNs associated with this edition are retrospective/catalog identifiers
  • Included: One 1944 Heritage Press hardcover, original slipcase, and Sandglass X:31

Library records specifically catalog the edition as The Heritage Press, New York, [1944], with xii, 223 pages, color illustrations, and the note that it was issued in a slipcase.

Condition: Vintage New Condition

The book itself remains very attractive, with its distinctive gold decorative boards, white cloth spine, illustrated interior, and original Heritage Press presentation. The binding appears intact, the text block appears complete, and the photographed pages are generally clean and readable.

There is, however, substantial visible vintage/age-related wear, particularly to the exterior and slipcase. The photographs show rubbing and surface wear to the gold boards, edge and corner wear, discoloration/soiling to the white cloth spine, and wear/chipping around the upper spine area.

The original slipcase is included but shows considerably more wear than the book, including rubbed/chipped edges, worn corners, surface loss, discoloration, and general age-related deterioration. This should be considered part of the item's vintage character rather than a pristine collector-grade slipcase.

The interior photographs show the book to be complete and beautifully illustrated, with normal age toning to the paper.

Original Sandglass Number X:31 is included.

Please review all photographs carefully, as they are part of the description and show the actual item being offered.

Styling: This is an especially strong vintage literary display book.

The combination of the gold/copper marbled boards, white cloth spine, dark brown lettering and colorful Fletcher Martin illustrations gives this Heritage Press volume a wonderfully warm Old West / California Gold Rush aesthetic.

It works beautifully as:

  • Vintage bookshelf décor
  • Library or study décor
  • Western-themed interior styling
  • California history display
  • Americana décor
  • Literary collection display
  • Heritage Press collection
  • Coffee-table book styling
  • Gold Rush or Old West themed décor

The interior is particularly decorative. Fletcher Martin's illustrations use a limited palette of burnt orange, copper, brown, cream and yellow, creating an unmistakably mid-century interpretation of the Gold Rush era.

The book includes 13 stories, among them “The Luck of Roaring Camp,” “The Outcasts of Poker Flat,” “Tennessee’s Partner,” “Miggles,” “Brown of Calaveras,” “The Iliad of Sandy Bar,” and “How Santa Claus Came to Simpson’s Bar.”

Heritage Press collectors may also appreciate that this was a 1944 production associated with the George Macy publishing tradition and that the original Sandglass X:31 and slipcase remain with the book. A collector reference identifies it as a reprint of Limited Editions Club No. 160 / 15th Series, Volume 8. 

Shipping: It will be shipped securely in protective packaging to help prevent bending, scuffing, corner damage, rubbing, or additional wear during transit.

Shipping costs are calculated at checkout and are paid by the buyer.

One of a kind. Once this Ugly Duckling finds its new home, it's gone.

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