Literary Autographs and Memorabilia Gift Ideas

ERNEST DIMNET The French philosophizing priest, known for his book The Art of Thinking, wishes his friend "bon voyage!", signs name in black ink Autograph letter signed: "Ernest Dimnet" in black ink. 1 page, 6x8 folded. Written on personal letterhead. Original envelope included. Chicago, Illinois. Addressed to Mrs. J. Wainwright, in full: "My Dear Friend, I am glad I am not going to Scranton if you are not going to be there. Scranton to me has been your house and welcome and constantly watchful friendship. Bon voyage to you two. Tres a vous". Ernest Dimnet (1866-1954) was a French cleric, author and philosopher. His best known work, The Art of Thinking (1930) invites the reader into a state of honesty where he evaluates himself as a thoughtful human being, for humans too often only "think of thinking" instead of actually thinking, which obstructs production of any original thought. Dimnet is also well regarded for his books, What We Live By (1932) and for his popular French translations of English books written by Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte. Normal mailing folds. Toned. Corners rounded. Light surface creases. Otherwise, fine condition. read more...

BOOTH TARKINGTON Black and white publicity photograph of Booth Tarkington leaning against a table. Photograph Mount inscribed and signed: "Inscribed with pleasure/for Mr. Bachrach/Booth Tarkington/Aug 23.'32". B/w, 9½x13½ overall, image 7¼x9¼, affixed to 11¼x16½ mat (three surfaces). Also signed: "Bachrach" at lower right edge. American author Booth Tarkington (1869-1946) was awarded two of the first four Pulitzer Prizes in Fiction: (The Magnificent Ambersons, 1919; and, Alice Adams, 1922). His other novels include The Gentleman from Indiana, Penrod, Penrod and Sam, The Two Van Revels and Beasley's Christmas Party. Tarkington was known for his comical (and almost cynical) style of the Lost Generation that characterized the 1920s. Born to a middle class family in the Midwest, he immortalized that part of the U.S. and its class struggles in most of his works. Although best known for his writing, Tarkington also served as a Representative in the Indiana State House of Representatives (1903-1904) and was a world traveler. read more...

UMBERTO ECO This color photograph is signed by the author who wrote The Name of the Rose Photograph signed: "Umberto Eco". Color, 8x11½. Italian philosopher, historian, essayist, and novelist Umberto Eco (1932-2016) is best known for The Name of the Rose (1983), which was made into a feature film starring Sean Connery in 1986. Eco published his first book, Il Problema Estetico di San Tommaso (The Aesthetics of Thomas Aquinas) an extension of his doctoral thesis, in 1956. He later established himself as a foremost thinker in medievalism with his second book, Sviluppo dell'estetico Medievale (Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages) (1959). Eco's tremendous bibliography includes three additional novels, several books on philosophy and three books for children. He holds a long list of academic degrees and has been honored with a number of academic and scientific appointments as well as several literary awards. They include the Prix Medicis Estranger (1982), the Marshall MacLauhan Award (Unesco Canada and Teleglobe, 1985) and the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (France, 1993). read more...

RAY BRADBURY Color publicity photograph of Ray Bradbury wearing glasses with his arms crossed in front of him. Photograph signed: "Ray Bradbury! 4-13-98". Color, 10x8. Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) is the favorite science fiction writer of many readers who don't normally like SF. Among his classic novels - all these became films - are The Martian Chronicles (1950), The Illustrated Man (1951), Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962). His Ray Bradbury Theater ran on TV from 1985 to 1992. The Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated writer won the Science Fiction Writers Association's Grand Master Award (1988) and the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters (2000). Fine condition. read more...

MARGARET MITCHELL Her typed and signed 1937 letter upon learning that Gone With the Wind had won the Pulitzer Prize, addressed to the literary critic who had first predicted that it would, framed with her picture in the Gallery of History style to 30x22. Typed Letter Signed: "Margaret", 1 page, 6½x10. Atlanta, Georgia, 1937 May 4. To Mabel and Edwin Granberry. In full: "Your telegram has just arrived and thank you so very much for it. As soon as I got the news last night I thought of you two and Herschel at the table last summer when you predicted it and I laughed so hard my glasses fell into the gravy. Naturally, this is a happy day for me and a wire like yours adds greatly to my happiness." Typed note by Granberry at lower margin: "(NOTE: GONE WITH THE WIND had just won the Pulitzer Prize. - E.G.)". MARGARET MITCHELL (1900-1949) had won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel, Gone With the Wind, the day before she wrote this letter. Mitchell, who had begun writing her epic about the Civil War and Reconstruction South in 1926, finally submitted her manuscript to Macmillian Company in 1935. read more...

WILLIAM STYRON William Styron signs an autograph quotation. Autograph Quotation Signed: "William Styron", 1p, 7¼x10¼. Roxbury, Conn., 1977 June 1. Inscribed and captioned at lower portion: "from the last page of The Confessions of Nat Turner to the Rev. M.J. Forewood with greatest admiration and respect on his 100th birthday." In full: "'Yes, I think just before I turn to greet him, I would have done it all again. I would have destroyed them all. Yet I would have spared one. I would have spared her that showed me Him whose presence I had not fathomed or maybe even known. Great God, how early it is! Until now I had almost forgotten His name. 'Come!' the voice booms, but commanding me now: Come, My son! I turn in surrender. Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Oh how bright and fair the morning star.'" William Styron (1925-2006) was awarded the 1968 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for The Confessions of Nat Turner, a first-person account of an 1831 slave rebellion. In 1980, Styron published his other best known novel, Sophie's Choice. Fine condition. read more...

ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING and ROBERT BROWNING Framed authentic autographs from both authors, complete with an image of both of them and commemorative plaques. Autograph Note signed: "With the most earnest wishes for the success/of the Woman's Hospital in New York,/from/Elizabeth Barrett Browning" and "and Robert Browning./London, October 21.56", 5½x3½. Poets ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING (1806-1861) and ROBERT BROWNING (1812-1889) signed this card as they finished reviewing the proofs of Elizabeth's “Aurora Leigh”, the day before leaving for Paris on their return trip to their home in Florence, Italy. The couple had been staying in London while visiting poet John Kenyon, Elizabeth's cousin. Kenyon was dying and Elizabeth dedicated “Aurora Leigh” (1857) to him. Elizabeth died in 1861, 15 years after secretly marrying Robert Browning over her father's objections. Elizabeth Barrett Browning is best known for Sonnets from the Portuguese (1850), in which she expresses her love for Robert Browning. read more...

WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet and playwright sends a letter regarding a touring of his plays! Typed Letter Signed: "Yours/WB Yeats"  8x10 page. 18. Woburn Buildings, Euston Road., 10th July, 1911. To: Dear Madam. In full: You wrote to me some months ago about a play of mine called “The Green Helmet”. Owing to a forthcoming visit of my own Company to the States, I have placed that play and all my others plays in the hands of Mr. Curtis Brown who has arranged the tour. I think it better to write this to you to prevent any misunderstandings. WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS (1865-1939), an Irish poet, was one of the greatest poets of the English language. He co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre in 1899 in Dublin; it became the Abbey Theatre in 1904. Renowned for both his plays and his poetry, Yeats won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923. His works drew on Irish legends and folklore and had a strong mystical bent. Although an Irish patriot, Yeats condemned what he considered excesses of the Nationalist movement. He served two terms in the Senate of the Irish Free State (1922-1928). Normal mailing folds. read more...

HENRY MILLER The author inscribes a program for Exhibition of oil paintings by Bezalel Schatz at the San Francisco Museum of Art Inscribed Program signed: "This copy for/L. G. Hellstrom/of Solna/with warm greetings/Henry Miller/Big Sur, Calif./4-21-50", 24p, 8¼x10½. Program for Exhibition of oil paintings by Bezalel Schatz at the San Francisco Museum of Art, August 16-September 11, 1949. Foreword by Henry Miller. Signed on inside of back cover. American author Henry Miller (1891-1980) is best known for his controversial 1934 novel, Tropic of Cancer, which along with Tropic of Capricorn, chronicled Miller's life as an expatriate in Paris (1930-1939). First published in France, the works resulted in a 30-year censorship debate in the U.S., which Miller finally won. While in Paris, Miller, the author of more than 36 works, became involved with married author Anais Nin. Ironically, it was Nin, not Miller who documented their romance, which inspired the 1992 film, Henry and June (June Edith Smith Mansfield, a former taxi driver and the second of Miller's five wives, who also had an affair with Nin). Lightly creased and soiled. Otherwise, fine condition. read more...