Gretchen Warren — Humanity Twenty-Six Poems

Oxford, Basil Blackwell, 1953. First edition. Hardback. A very scarce presentation copy by Gretchen Warren, and owned at one time by Robert Woods Bliss. A very scarce presentation copy of this first edition, in original pattern pictorial boards.This copy is signed and inscribed by the author in swirling hand to the front free endpaper. The penultimate publication of Gretchen Osgood Warren - an American poet, singer and actress from a wealthy Massachusetts family - who died in 1961.Warren was painted by John Singer Sargent, and was photographed by Arnold Genthe. Her nephew was the Irish politician Erskine Hamilton Childers, who would go on to serve as the fourth President of Ireland between 1973 and 1974.This copy also boasts the bookplate of Robert Woods Bliss to the front paste down. Bliss was Chief of Western European Affairs in the U. S. State Department between 1920 and 1923, and, together with his wife, collected many pieces of historical artwork.In 1940, Bliss donated his estate, Dumbarton Oaks - which is named on the bookplate - to Harvard University, together with the art contained within. Bound in original pictorial boards. Externally, smart. Slightly rubbed to extremities. Head and tail knocked. Partly closed tear to paper at spine. Loss to paper to spine and extremities. The odd mark to boards. Bookplate of Robert Woods Bliss to front paste down. Age toning to bookplate. Author's ink inscription to front free endpaper. Small area of spotting to front endpapers. Internally, firmly bound. Pages generally bright and clean. Very Good . Ill.: None. Very Good .