LEIGH, WILLIAM R.; FOREWORD BY JAMES L. CLARK — The Western Pony

NY, Huntington Press. 1933, First Edition. Cloth, 4to over 9¾" 12" Tall. Ill.: William R. Leigh. Hard Cover, a rare copy with impeccable provenance from the collection of the distinguished Western American and United States Army historian, Roy Edgar Appleman; immaculate, tight textblock with top edge gilt; deckled fore edge; lightly worn, Brick-Red cloth with gilt pony silhouette-over-black leather inlay on front cover; laid in is a typed/signed letter dated February 29, 1944, from William Leigh to a then young Lt. Roy E. Appleman, inviting him to stop by his (Leigh's) studio at 200 West 57th Street, New York City, to look at some of his paintings. Appleman had previously written Leigh about an exhibit that had closed and Leigh's very cordial response must have prompted Appleman to call on him sometime later, probably in 1946; a hand-written notation on the front end paper by Appleman, dated 2 Nov 1946 reads as follows: "Roy E. Appleman/ Mr Leigh told me the plates were in 16 color process, made in Vienna. The publisher contracted or promised 1000 copies, but only 500 of the book were manufactured. 2 Nov 1946"; Appleman's notation continues: "this book, long out of print, I obtained from Mr. Leigh at his home. He had only one other copy." Wright Howes' USiana bibliography states that only 100 copies were printed, so this begs the question of who has their facts straight? This copy does NOT have an additional, signed color print laid-in, however, on the second front free end paper is the following ink notation in the author's hand as follows "W. R. Leigh / Arizona and New Mexico have provided me with / more thrills than any other spots on earth, and / I have traveled around the globe. / W. R. L."; Howes L-242, Adams/Rampaging Herd 1325. Near Fine. Signed by Author.