Wesley

1945 · réf. 140947526 — New York: The Viking Press 1945. First Illustrated Edition. Very Good. First illustrated edition. Association copy signed by John Steinbeck on the half-title page and inscribed "with many thanks" to Peter Kriendler owner of the 21 Club in New York. Bookplate of Jeanette and Peter Kriendler to front pastedown. 131 1 pp. Bound in publisher's gray-brown cloth boards stamped in slate blue gilt lettering to spine color pictorial onlay to front board. All edges stained blue color pictorial endpapers ivory laid paper. Very Good with light rubbing and toning to covers split to upper front hinge light toning and soft ripple throughout. In the original slipcase plain gray paper with color pictorial onlay lightly soiled and toned and split at upper edge. Goldstone-Payne A9.c unlisted third variant printed by Kipe Offset Process Company and bound by H. Wolff Book Manufacturing Company. The 21 Club opened in Manhattan in 1930 as a speakeasy. Patrick Kriendler the brother of one of the two founders became a partner in 1938 after working at the club for most of the previous decade. Steinbeck had a favorite table there and enjoyed Kriendler's legendary customer service. One recent record of the club states that it 'featured sliding doors chutes collapsing shelves and hidden storage areas designed to hide alcohol from law-enforcement officials. Over the years the 21 Club began to attract an elite clientele from the worlds of business entertainment the arts sports and politics. The restaurant was known for its strict code of discipline no staff member was allowed to call a customer by his first name as well as its extravagant expensive menu grouse was served for lunch the day after the shooting season opened in Scotland. The Viking Press unknown books