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Landon, Herman (1882-1960). Enigmatic author of the mystery thriller "The Gray Phantom".Biblio.com

3 AUTOGRAPH NOTES SIGNED by the Enigmatic Author of Mystery Thrillers LANDON HERMAN sending his autograph to the future U.S. Congressman Seymour Halpern including an amusing one saying he never gives out his autograph.

1920réf. 101391New York circa 1920's & 1930's. 1920's & 1930's. Very good. - Three autograph notes signed by the enigmatic author of "The Gray Phantom" Herman Landon. All three are addressed to the future U.S. Congressman Seymour Halpern sending him his autograph. The first an amusing undated note penned on 8-1/4 inch high by 5-1/4 inch wide note paper playfully reads "My dear Seymour Halpern: - I am extremely sorry but I never never give my autograph." Signed in full "Herman Landon". Folded for mailing the edges of the page are slightly darkened and 2 of the corners are slightly chipped. The next also undated is also penned on 8-1/4 inch high by 5-1/4 inch wide note paper and reads "To Seymour Halpern who was kind enough to tell me he liked this book." Signed "Herman Landon". Folded else near fine. The last is dated February 24 1931 and is penned on his personal 8-1/4 inch high by 5-1/8 inch wide stationery with his name embossed at the top. This note reads "My dear Seymour Halpern: - Am very sorry it took your letter such a long time to reach me." Signed "Sincerely Herman Landon". Folded for mailing with the tiniest chip to the top edge. Near fine. The Swedish-born American author Herman Landon 1882-1960 is better known for his mystery thriller "The Gray Phantom" a recurring character . His novels weave intricate plots and compelling characters. Several of his stories were adapted into silent-era movies including "The Way Women Love" "Ogon no dangan" and "A Burglar to the Rescue". The recipient Queens New York Republican Congressman Seymour Halpern 1913-1997 started his political career as a campaign aide to New York's powerful mayor Fiorella La Guardia and first served in New York's State Senate for 14 years before seeking a seat in the U.S. Congress. In Albany Halpern sponsored 279 bills that became law including measures on schools housing civil rights nutrition and mental health. A Liberal he was something of an anomaly as the lone Republican representative from New York City and generally garnered support from Labor Unions and endorsement from the Liberal Party. Yet he never even considered switching parties as he considered membership in the Republican Party a family tradition and commitment. While he found ample time for his private pursuits including painting and collecting autographs he took his legislative duties very seriously. Of these he was proudest of his co-sponsorship of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and of the original 1965 Medicare legislation. New York, circa, [1920's & 1930's].

Blue Mountain Books & Manuscripts, Ltd. · États-Unis500,00 $US≈ 446,71 €

Francis Gerard [Francis Edward Marie Gerard] (1906-1966), English thriller and science fiction writer who settled in South AfricBiblio.com

Francis Gerard thriller and science fiction writer. Two Typed Letters Signed to Eileen Cond discussing his plans for writing and work for the ‘delightful old boy’ Sir Ernest Oppenheimer and his Anglo American Corporation of South Africa.

réf. 2496312 March 1950; ‘P.O. Box 143 Westville Natal South Africa.’ 19 August 1955; Caroline Cottage 1st Avenue Inanda Johannesburg. Good letters the second with biographical content about a prolific yet elusive author. The recipient Eileen Margaret Cond 1911-1984 was an enthusiastic collector of autographs with the ability to draw a more than perfunctory response from her targets. Both letters in good condition on lightly aged paper folded for postage. Each bearing large stylized signature ‘Francis Gerard’ and addressed to ‘Dear Miss Cond’. ONE 12 March 1950. 1p 4to. He reports that he is ‘busy on a new thriller which I have given the provisional title of HORNED HAVEN’ the title does not show up among Gerard’s published works. ‘The General Election in England was followed by us out here with an almost unbearable feeling of tension and for my part I realised that though I am now officially a citizen of this country that I will never make a good South African.’ He reports ‘a tremendous flap about the Seretse Khama business which seems to have been handled just about as stupidly as it could have been’. He is returning her bookplates ‘with Gérard his mark upon them though I still don’t know when you’ll be able to stick the second one into TRANSPARENT TRAITOR. I gather the whole printing and publishing trade is in a parlous condition in England thanks to machinery being worn out and not replaced owing to Cripps’ insistence on all such new tackle being for export only.’ He ends with a warning regarding ‘the temperature in Durban’ for her father. TWO: 2pp foolscap 8vo. A long letter. He has been ‘wandering around Central Africa with a bunch of geologists and mining engineers’ and finding her letter is ‘touched by the continuance of your long-range friendship’. There is ‘little chance’ of his producing another book for some time. ‘When I do it will be a very different kind of book from what I have written in the past.’ The next two paragraphs describe his employment with the Anglo American Corporation of South Africa. ‘My job is a peculiar one half industrial relations and man management half public relations. The AAC is the biggest mining group in the world. It is also an enormously powerful finance house. At the head of it sits Sir Ernest Oppenheimer who despite his fantastic wealth is a most charming and delightful old boy.’ He describes how in his first year with AAC he ‘travelled nearly 30000 miles about Southern and Central Africa by aircraft car jeep horse or on my own flat feet. I went underground in diamonds gold coal copper and base metals. I stayed in palatial guest-houses or at lonely Jesuit missions in the bush. I went through malaria tsetse-fly country where you shot for the pot and kept a wary eye open for crocodile leopard or buffalo and once was fortunate to have my pygmy friends drive a gorilla for me. You do not shoot these. They are Royal Game and if you kill one it costs you a £600 fine.’ He continues for a while before describing his family. A paragraph follows in which he claims not to have ‘sold myself to Mammon’. He praises the ‘Ernest Oppenheimer hospital for Africans at Welkom’ as ‘the finest thing of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere’. He winds up with a paragraph on his ‘financial benefits’ and another on his children’s school results the former beginning ‘Well there it is. This is why Francis Gerard has not appeared on the back of a book for some time.’ 12 March 1950; ‘P.O. Box 143, Westville, Natal [South Africa].’ 19 August 1955; Caroline Cottage, 1st Avenue, Inanda, Johann unknown

Richard M. Ford Ltd · Royaume-Uni250,00 £GB≈ 298,59 €