III
Presentation Copies
Of particular importance to scholars is Cabell's collection of some
750
presentation copies containing 577 heretofore unreported letters. They are
from such people as Sinclair Lewis, H. L. Mencken, Ellen Glasgow,
Stephen
Vincent Benét, Hugh Walpole and George Jean Nathan, to mention
but a
few.
Cabell treated his books as miniature filing cabinets, placing letters
as
well as other memorabilia in them. He began this practice early in life and
continued it until his death. When he was young he carefully tipped in the
letters, photographs, caricatures and so on. Often he would meticulously
fasten the letter to the front pastedown endpaper and the envelope to the
back, as he did for correspondence from F. Scott Fitzgerald. In later years,
however, he simply laid the letters in. The following samples indicate the
kinds of things one finds in Cabell's books. Letters are addressed to Cabell
unless otherwise indicated; ALS indicates signed autograph letter, TLS
signed typed letter:
- Cabell, James Branch. Some of Us: An Essay
in
Epitaphs. New York: Robert M. McBride and Co.,
MCMXXX.
- Autograph: James Branch Cabell, / his book
- ALS: From Frances Newman, Atlanta, Georgia, 1927, 3pps. ALS:
From Theodore Dreiser, n.p., 30 March 1934, 1p. TLS: From Seward
Collins, New York, 28 April 1930, 1p. TLS: From Sinclair Lewis,
Washington, D. C. 13 Jan. 1920 1p. TLS: From Sherwood Anderson,
Marion, Virginia, 6 March 1934. 1p. TLS: From Joseph Hergesheimer,
Rockbridge, Alum Springs, Virginia, 27 Aug. 1921, 1p. TLS: From H. L.
Mencken, Baltimore, Maryland, 8 Aug. 1930, 1p. Laid in: Assignment of
copyright for A Note as to Sinclair Lewis, to Cabell from
The
American Mercury, 29 Sept. 1930. Laid in: Agreement between
McBride and Co. and Cabell to publish Some of Us, 12 June
1930.
Laid in: 4 typed, corrected in autograph, slips of corrections and
emendations for Some of Us.
- Clark, Emily. Innocence Abroad. New York and
London:
Alfred A. Knopf, 1931.
Autograph: For James Branch Cabell / in gratitude and admiration / from
Emily Clark. / February 1931, the tenth birthday of / The Reviewer, whose
story he helped to / make worth telling.
ALS: From Amélie Troubetzkoy, Albemarle, County, Virginia, 15
July
1921, 4pps. ALS: From Frances Newman, Atlanta, Georgia, 12 Dec. 1920,
4pps. ALS: From Julia M. Peterkin, 1112 West Ave., Richmond, Virginia,
Saturday, 1p. TLS: From Ellen Glasgow, Castine, Maine, 22 Aug. 1933,
3pps. TLS: From Du Bose Heyward, Henderson, North Carolina, 27 April
1932, 1p. Laid in: Telegram from Carl Van Vechten, New York, 14 April
1932, 1 line. Laid in: Newspaper clipping regarding Cabell and Julia M.
Peterkin. Laid in: Newspaper clipping regarding Preface to the
Past.
Laid in: Newspaper clipping regarding Innocence Abroad.
Laid in: 2
pieces of minutiae.
- Howells, William Dean. The Sleeping Car. Boston:
James R.
Osgood & Co., 1884.
Autograph: Thomas Branch from his son C. W. Branch, April 3rd / 85
ALS:
From Howells, New York? 5 Nov. 1909, 2pps.
- Nathan, George Jean and others, eds. The American
Spectator
Year Book. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Co., MCMXXXIV.
Autograph: Property of / James Branch Cabell
ALS: From Eugene O'Neill, Sea Island, Georgia, 29 Oct. 1934, 1p. ALS:
From Theodore Dreiser, New York, 7 April 1937, 1p. ALS: From Ernest
Boyd, New York, Saturday, 2pps. TLS: From Nathan, New York, 8 Aug.
1932, 1p. Laid in: Certificate of ownership of 8 shares of stock in
The
American Spectator; dated 7 Oct. 1933. Laid in: Statement for
royalties
for Nathan from Frederick A. Stokes Co., Publishers from 1 Jan. 1936 to
1
Jan. 1937. Pasted in: Newspaper clipping regarding Nathan and
others.
- Viereck, George Sylvester. Roosevelt: A
Study in
Ambivalence. New York: Jackson Press, Inc., 1920.
ALS: From Viereck, New York, 17 Feb. 1920, 1p. TLS: From Theodore
Roosevelt, The White House, Washington, D. C., 2 Nov. 1905, 1p. Pasted
in
slip on which is printed: With compliments of George Sylvester
Viereck.
Often these complimentary copies bear lengthy inscriptions, as do
many
of the editions from Sinclair Lewis, H. L. Mencken, Hugh Walpole, Ellen
Glasgow, Joseph Hergesheimer, Thomas Beer, and others. These
inscriptions are of two types: first are the brief sentiments or appreciative
comments followed by the signature of the sender. Volumes bearing such
material are, of course, valuable to the collector of first editions, but to the
scholar they have little or nothing to say. Much more important to the latter
are books containing comments which reveal an author's attitude toward his
works. A number of volumes in the library fall into this category. The
following are examples:
- Glasgow, Ellen. Life and Gabriella: The
Story of a
Woman's Courage. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday Page and Co.,
1916.
Bp. Autograph: James Branch Cabell
Autograph: James Branch Cabell, / with cordial greeting, / Ellen Glasgow
/
"God offers to every / mind its choice / between truth and / repose."
ALS: From Glasgow, 1 W. Main St., Richmond, Virginia, n.d., 2pps. Laid
in: Newspaper clipping regarding Glasgow.
- Hergesheimer, Joseph. Quiet Cities. New York:
Alfred A.
Knopf, MCMXXVIII. Autograph: James Branch Cabell
Autograph: Joseph Hergesheimer / Dear James / Here are the cities / I live
in
and to which we / two have the secret key / for / James Branch Cabell /
June
twenty-fifth / 1928.
- Mencken, H. L. A Book of Calumny (First
Printed as
"Damn"). New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1918. Bp.
Autograph: James
Branch Cabell
Autograph: Dear Cabell: / Hidden in this / book / deep down, are / one or
two genuinely / lofty thoughts. / H. L. Mencken / 1921.
- Sterling, George. Beyond the Breakers and Other
Poems. San
Francisco: A. M. Robertson, 1914. Bp.
Autograph: For / James Branch Cabell / this valuable work on / Natural
History. / George Sterling. / San Francisco, / Feb. 9th 1920.
ALS: From Sterling, San Francisco, California, 4 June 1921,
2pps.
- Sterling, George. The Caged Eagle and Other
Poems. San
Francisco: A. M. Robertson, 1916. Bp.
Autograph: Dear Mr. Cabell: / Please / don't read the "war-poems!" / Your
admirer, / George Sterling, / San Francisco, Feb. 9th, 1920.
ALS: From Sterling, San Francisco, California, 14 August 1921,
3pps.
- Van Vechten, Carl. The Merry-Go-Round. New
York: Alfred
A. Knopf, MCM-XVIII. Bp. Autograph: James Branch Cabell
Autograph: For James Branch Cabell / These tarnished wooden horses. /
Carl Van Vechten / Nov. 27, 1923. / New York
- Walpole, Hugh. The Duchess of Wrexe, Her
Decline and
Death: A Romantic Commentary. New York: George
H. Doran
Co., 1914. Bp.
Autograph: THIS / IS / FALSE . . . / Almost all through — / To
James
Branch Cabell / from Hugh Walpole / April 6, '20.
- Walpole, Hugh. Fortitude; Being a True and
Faithful
Account of the Education of an Adventurer. New York: George H.
Doran Co., 1913. Bp.
Autograph: This is crude but genuine _____ / To James Branch Cabell /
from his friend / Hugh Walpole / April 6, '20.
- Walpole, Hugh. The Secret City: A Novel in
Three
Parts. New York: George H. Doran Co., 1919. Bp.
Autograph: The only part of this book / is in Background / To James
Branch
Cabell / from / his friend / Hugh Walpole — / April 6,
'20.
Cabell's library, then, is of central importance to scholars of modern
literature. His directions to future editors, inscriptions in source books, and
the numerous manuscript sheets and letters as well as the books in his
working library are essential to editing and understanding the man and his
work. Also the presentation copies, containing hundreds of letters and
inscriptions, comment in penetrating detail on a myriad of modern authors.
His library preserves a large segment of material relevant to the complete
study of modern literature.
