Invisible Man. New York: Random House, [1952]. First edition, stated first printing with "A.B." at the foot of the copyright page, inscribed "Best Wishes/Sincerely/Ralph Ellison/May, 1952". 8 1/4 x 5 3/8 inches (21 x 13.9 cm); [viii], 429, [1] pp. Publisher's cloth, in original dust jacket, with the $3.50 price unclipped. Jacket with minor creases along extremities, slight rubbing to the back panel, the spine folds with small losses at the head and foot of the spine; the white lettering of the cloth losing pigment (as usual)small stain to the black panel at the rear, minor shelf-wear to the fore-corners.

Ellison's first novel, a highspot of 20th century literature and winner of the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction in 1953, and a very uncommon book inscribed.