Croyance

1942 · rif. 461134 — 1942. Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. A collection of five books from the poet Faith Van Valkenburgh Vilas. They included two Inscribed association copies one Signed copy of an unpublished poetry collection and a rare promotional flyer. All are first editions. Three are hardcovers with original or contemporary dustwrapers and two are paperback originals. Overall very good with moderate wear and some with dampstaining or soiling. Vilas 1878-1955 was a poet and playwright who graduated from Lewis Institute in Chicago and authored five collections of poetry and 14 plays. She read and lectures across the county and on radio in the Washington DC where she lived with her husband who was a prominent Milwaukee lawyer served on the Federal Trade Commission. The works here appear to have come from the Palmer family of Bethesda Maryland with three books inscribed or signed to them and two of them with notes from Vila in the text adding background or explaining the inspiration behind various poems. An interesting collection of poetry from a successful but now overlooked poet. List: Fiat Lux Let There Be Light: A Modern Mystery Play. New York: Samuel French 1922. Acting edition. Octavo. 26pp. Stapled printed wrappers. Good only with dampstain at the edges oxidation at the staples and splitting at the spine ends. The Drummer of Fyvie and Other Verse. New York and Reader Editions Inc. 1926. First edition. Octavo. 95pp. Very good gray boards with paper label in very good homemade marbled dust wrapper with the title in silver. Inscribed by the author: ‘To our dear new old friends The Palmer Family – This book. Please accept it as “the Guerdon of a grateful quest’ - Faith Van Valkenburgh Vilas. January 1942 Betheda -Maryland-.” Aromancy and Other Verse. Philadelphia: Dorrance and Company 1929. First edition. Octavo. 71pp. Near fine black cloth boards with gilt lettering in very good printed dustwrapper with some toning small stain and edgewear that including nicks and tears. Inscribed by the author: “For Richard Palmer with my affection and admiration Faith Van Valkenburgh Vilas. This little volume with notes in the margins!!! The last day of 1942-.” The text is marked in more than nine places with corrections notes or comments on the origin of the poem or the person who inspired it. Certificate of Flight. New York: Loker Raley 1939. First edition. Octavo. 79pp. Brown cloth boards with gilt lettering and spider web patterned acetate dustwrapper. Near fine with a tidemark affecting bottom corner of the text block in about very good dustwrapper toning chipping and splitting at the front flap fold. A collection of verse. OCLC locates two copies Yale and University of Miami. Flyer: Faith Vilas. New York: Helen M. Fowles 1942. Single quarto sheet folded once to make four pages. Near fine with horizontal crease and contemporary ink corrections. A flyer providing a biography of Vilas along with blurbs for “Certificate of Flight and Fiat Lux and a note listing her poetry readings on WWDC radio in Washington DC. Suggested Titles For Book. Rye New York: Mrs. Charles A. Vilas no date. Small quarto. Perfectbound in printed wrappers. 46pp. Fair condition with heavily spoiling several interior pages trimmed and rear wrap detached but present. A preliminary collection of previously published poetry for an intended book. The front wrap lists six possible titles and the first page is Signed by Vilas who has also annotated 10 pages. hardcover books