First edition of The Fountainhead


Michael Stuart Kelly

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I am copying this post here and will keep it in evidence for a couple of weeks, or until someone comes up with the edition.

Michael

Does anyone have a first edition of The Fountainhead and wish to sell it? A Los Angeles bookseller who specializes in first editions tells me he is looking for this, and will pay several thousand dollars for it (depending on the condition). Alternatively, he will buy just the dust jacket of the first edition.

Anyone interested should contact me, and I will put you in touch with the bookseller.

Barbara

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I am copying this post here and will keep it in evidence for a couple of weeks, or until someone comes up with the edition.

Michael

Does anyone have a first edition of The Fountainhead and wish to sell it? A Los Angeles bookseller who specializes in first editions tells me he is looking for this, and will pay several thousand dollars for it (depending on the condition). Alternatively, he will buy just the dust jacket of the first edition.

Anyone interested should contact me, and I will put you in touch with the bookseller.

Barbara

Michael,

I believe I have a first edition of The Fountainhead but it has no dust jacket and is a library edition! Is this guy interested in such a thing. It is bound in red boards, not leather. I will check it further to be sure but remember how thrilled I was when I found it in a suburban library book sale selling for a pittance!

www.campaignforliberty.com 100867; 25 Jan 101007

Second quarterly meeting of CFL folks in MA this Sunday to tweak mission statement, plan for running folks for Congress and how to deal with challenge of finding a candidate to run against Kennedy replacement appointee, assorted strategic and tactical plans to be discussed including infiltrating both major parties.

gulch

Edited by galtgulch
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I have a poor copy, no dust jacket, from either the first printing or one of the first printings. The covers are green. I have no interest in selling it and I'm pretty sure it has little value. My point is how can you tell if it's a first printing? I once saw another owned by a woman in very good condition who got Ayn Rand to autograph it with an inscription in 1960. It was a downbeat inscription. She must have been really depressed at the time. While it too had no dust jacket it probably is worth quite a bit of money now. I saw it in 1971 or 72. Hard to believe how much time has gone by.

--Brant

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I have a poor copy, no dust jacket, from either the first printing or one of the first printings. The covers are green. I have no interest in selling it and I'm pretty sure it has little value. My point is how can you tell if it's a first printing? I once saw another owned by a woman in very good condition who got Ayn Rand to autograph it with an inscription in 1960. It was a downbeat inscription. She must have been really depressed at the time. While it too had no dust jacket it probably is worth quite a bit of money now. I saw it in 1971 or 72. Hard to believe how much time has gone by.

--Brant

In 1971 or 72, in college at that time, I drove from NYC to the Ford Hall Forum in Boston to attend an AR lecture entitled "The Anti-Industrial Revolution"

Yes, it is hard to believe how much time (and quickly) has gone by.

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Brant: "I have a poor copy, no dust jacket, from either the first printing or one of the first printings. The covers are green. I have no interest in selling it and I'm pretty sure it has little value. My point is how can you tell if it's a first printing?"

Brant, if it's a first printing, it will say so at the bottom of the copyright page. (There's no such thing as "one of the first printings.") And if it is a first printing, it is likely worth many thousands of dollars, even if it's not in good condition, and even without a dust jacket.

Barbara

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Brant: "I have a poor copy, no dust jacket, from either the first printing or one of the first printings. The covers are green. I have no interest in selling it and I'm pretty sure it has little value. My point is how can you tell if it's a first printing?"

Brant, if it's a first printing, it will say so at the bottom of the copyright page. (There's no such thing as "one of the first printings.") And if it is a first printing, it is likely worth many thousands of dollars, even if it's not in good condition, and even without a dust jacket.

Barbara, the reason I said "first printings" is the funny printing history of "The Fountainhead" which started out effectively in bits and pieces. Then Bobbs-Merrill farmed out the printings to other firms that had paper allocations during WWII which permitted them to churn out even more copies than BM could.

As I've indicated before, David Laurance Chambers, who didn't like Ayn's novel, was a friend of my Grandfather, Irving Brant, and Bobbs-Merrill published almost all his books including the 6 vol. Madison bio., a very good one on the Bill of Rights ("The Bill of Rights, Its Origins and Meanings") and a bad novel. It was a prestige thing, for I don't think B-M ever made any money from Irving B. It's interesting to compare my Grandfather's bad novel and Ayn Rand's great one and to know how Chambers tried to reject Rand's but had no problems with his. There is so much of the arbitrary involved. It just proved that when it came to literature, DL Chambers didn't know it when it hit him upside the head.

--Brant

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Brant: "I have a poor copy, no dust jacket, from either the first printing or one of the first printings. The covers are green. I have no interest in selling it and I'm pretty sure it has little value. My point is how can you tell if it's a first printing?"

Brant, if it's a first printing, it will say so at the bottom of the copyright page. (There's no such thing as "one of the first printings.") And if it is a first printing, it is likely worth many thousands of dollars, even if it's not in good condition, and even without a dust jacket.

Barbara, the reason I said "first printings" is the funny printing history of "The Fountainhead" which started out effectively in bits and pieces. Then Bobbs-Merrill farmed out the printings to other firms that had paper allocations during WWII which permitted them to churn out even more copies than B-M could. I assume that THE first printing was distinguished in some physical way from all printings that followed, but am not sure. I have another early copy which indicates nothing at all which printing it was. As for the first mentioned copy I have, it's buried in a thousand or so other books I have in storage in a shed in my front yard, so I can't easily go to and check for comparison.

As I've indicated before, David Laurance Chambers, who didn't like Ayn's novel, was a friend of my Grandfather, Irving Brant, and Bobbs-Merrill published almost all his books including the 6 vol. Madison bio., a very good one on the Bill of Rights ("The Bill of Rights, Its Origins and Meanings") and a bad novel. It was a prestige thing, for I don't think B-M ever made any money from Irving B. It's interesting to compare my Grandfather's bad novel and Ayn Rand's great one and to know how Chambers tried to reject Rand's but had no problems with his. There is so much of the arbitrary involved. It just proved that when it came to literature, DL Chambers didn't know it when it hit him upside the head.

--Brant

edit: I just remembered that when B-M published "Friendly Cove," D.L. Chambers was long dead. Sorry, D.L. Addendum II: My Grandfather's book, which I have not yet read, "The Road to Peace and Freedom," was published in 1943. Never heard of it? Well, now you have. (Directed not particularly to Barbara.) You've heard of Rand's. Brant's novel was written in the 20's or 30's and published, finally, in the 60's. B-M refused to issue a second printing. I think it was because enough was enough if not too much already.

--Brant

Edited by Brant Gaede
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  • 1 year later...

I am copying this post here and will keep it in evidence for a couple of weeks, or until someone comes up with the edition.

Michael

Does anyone have a first edition of The Fountainhead and wish to sell it? A Los Angeles bookseller who specializes in first editions tells me he is looking for this, and will pay several thousand dollars for it (depending on the condition). Alternatively, he will buy just the dust jacket of the first edition.

Anyone interested should contact me, and I will put you in touch with the bookseller.

Barbara

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I have a first edition, I believe; however, it may not be so. It is a 1943 copy, with dust jacket, but lacking the "First Edition Statement" on the copyright page. If that statement is simply "First Edition," then I do not have one, but I have a very nice printing of the first edition. Perhaps a response from a knowledgeable party could clear up the issue.

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  • 4 months later...

I have what I believe to be a first edition in mostly pristine condition, no yellowing on the pages, though missing the inside binding page (not a printed page) Bobbs-Merrill , 1943, brick red binding, all errors, has an exlibris of bob and rose smith sticker on the inside front cover, otherwise no markings, spine is straight, corners are square. unfortunately no dust jacket. Gold on cover and spine in good shape, very minor discoloration on top of spine on cover. just picked it up recently and from what I have found online it looks pretty legit. It's a very clean copy.

I am copying this post here and will keep it in evidence for a couple of weeks, or until someone comes up with the edition.

Michael

Does anyone have a first edition of The Fountainhead and wish to sell it? A Los Angeles bookseller who specializes in first editions tells me he is looking for this, and will pay several thousand dollars for it (depending on the condition). Alternatively, he will buy just the dust jacket of the first edition.

Anyone interested should contact me, and I will put you in touch with the bookseller.

Barbara

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  • 7 months later...

Michael,

Are they still looking for first editions of "The Fountainhead" I do have one possibly two I am willing to part with. They are first editions, published 1943 and I have checked for the printers errors

Page 9: the "9" looks like an "o" at the bottom

Page 321 Line 5: "refrred"

Page 381 Line 4: "G.W. the 'G' is shorter

Page 480 Line 2: "Domininque"

If they are still interested feel free to put me in touch with them. I have pictures I could send.

P.C.

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