34 Theatre World Books, 3 Signed

[mattrett]

Posted: 10/30/23 at 11:20am

I have 34 Theatre World books spanning from the very first, magazine-like edition from 1944-1945 with Laurette Taylor on the cover through the 1977-1978 Carol Channing edition. 

All but 1 is hardcover.

Condition varies, but in general — insides are clean and all pages present (one later edition is missing 1 page). Only 2 were heavily used library editions. The others are dusty and there are clear wear and tear on all of the jackets, some more so than others. Only a couple are so damaged that the covers are in fragments. The others, you see paper loss, some tears, some marks, and when you open the jackets, you'll see yellowing from age and long periods spent in storage. So I would say "good" condition.

The benefits:

Every edition from 1944-1945 through 1977-1978 is here. As such, it is an incredible reference, including every Broadway and many, many, many off-Broadway and out-of-town productions. The famous faces covered are endless and impossible to list, but it's exciting flipping through and seeing Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando, James Dean, Carol Channing, Barbara Bel Geddes, Pearl Bailey, Jane Fonda, Ellen Burstyn, Faye Dunaway, Christopher Walken, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and other golden names when they were absolute newcomers.

Includes legends like Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, Josephine Baker, Henry Fonda, Lucille Ball and more.

Books include countless photos, including many that are not common on the Internet, from obscure productions, and also include lovely full-page photos of spotlighted stars; bios of theater figures that are a trip to read now; and a wealth of obituaries.

THREE of these volumes are signed by the original compiler, Daniel Blum, who died in 1965. These early '50s books were inscribed to 2 different contributing photographers and signed by Blum.

I want to keep this together as a collection. I'm open to offers, but since 3 are signed, and I'm inclined to keep those, I'm more interested in all or nothing. But try me.

BONUS: 1 hardcover of Screen World 1959.

I'm asking $250 for all 34 books + the bonus book, if you pick up in Manhattan/Times Square/Hell's Kitchen area.