Dr. Seuss Signed and Inscribed, 1st/1st Ed. "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street"

New York: The Vanguard Press, 1937. Hardcover.

A wonderful and important association copy of the 1937 True First Edition, with the boy wearing White Shorts on the Front Cover (Younger & Hirsch, 14-15pp.) of Dr. Seuss's first published children's book, "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street". SIGNED and INSCRIBED by Dr. Seuss with an early signature. This remarkable Association copy is lacking its first printing dust jacket however, a later printing jacket is supplied to protect the book. The book shows light soiling (especially at the rear panel), a bit of wear along the edges and clear tape evenly reinforcing the spine. There's also pencil to the copyright page and light creasing along the lower-edges of the pages. Still though, it's solidly Good+ to VG- and is sturdy and very presentable. The later printing jacket is in good condition with chipping and intact tears.

This copy is not only inscribed by Dr. Seuss, but perhaps just as significantly, is also inscribed by Mike McClintock, the key figure in the original publication of the book. McClintock was not only the book's editor (and its earliest champion) but was also the husband of Helene McClintock (to whom the book was dedicated) and the real-life father of "Marco" McClintock, the little boy after whom Dr. Seuss named the main character. In fact, in his inscription, just below Dr. Seuss, McClintock signs "Ditto-Mike McClintock (Marco's father)". To quote a passage from; "9 Things you may not know about Dr. Seuss", "A chance sidewalk encounter led to Dr. Seuss's first children's book. After a 27th publisher rejected his first manuscript, Dr. Seuss walked dejectedly along the sidewalks of New York planning to burn the book in his apartment incinerator. On Madison Avenue, however he bumped into Dartmouth friend Mike McClintock, who that very morning had started a job as an editor in the Vanguard Press Children's section. Within hours the men signed a contract and in 1937 Vanguard Press published "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street", which launched the extraordinary literary career of Dr. Seuss. "If I had been going down the other side of Madison Avenue, I'd be in the dry-cleaning business today", he said later.

A remarkable Association copy with historical importance.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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