Mark Twain: A Biography [First Published in 1912, then 1924, then 1928, and thereafter] by Paine, Albert Bigelow [(1861-1937)]; [Clemens, Samuel / Twain, Mark (1835-1910)] - 1928

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1928. First Thus. Hardcover. Fine/Very Good or Better. An EXCEPTIONALLY RARE SET OF ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE'S FAMED BIOGRAPHY OF MARK TWAIN [SAMUEL CLEMENS] PUBLISHED IN 1928 IN THE RARE DUST JACKETS AND RARE SLIPCASE, being the second edition of such Biography in three volumes [AS WAS THE TRUE FIRST EDITION OF 1912, WHICH PRECEDED THE TWO-VOLUME SECOND EDITION OF 1924]. Each Volume of this set bears the Publisher's edition code K-C, showing that each volume was published in November, 1928 and that it is a proper set. This set was issued in a small printing and seldom turns up with all three volumes present and this is the only set with the jackets and slipcase that has been seen at . The volumes are essentially Fine and show only minor surface marking, the upper leading corner of Volume II is nudged and that of Volume III is bumped. The EXCEEDINGLY RARE DUST JACKETS have some modest spine chipping and spotting as well as some old tape repairs inside and outside of jackets, though the jacket panels are generally nice. THE EXCEEDINGLY RARE SLIPCASE is tattered and shows some seam splits, and the case's top panel is detached but present. [Thus, while the case would benefit from an expert restoration, it nevertheless is complete and an ABSOLUTE RARITY as no copies of the 1912 Biography are recorded with the jackets or box, and only one set of a 1923 reprint is known in the jackets and box, making this set just the second example of the Biography with surviving jackets and box, and is, as best we can determine, virtually the only obtainable jackets or box for this classic Paine Twain Biography.

Additional Information:
This is the data an expert bookman know to me has noted over 30 years of collecting Twain and talking with all the big Twain collectors and consulting auction records. There are no copies of the 1912 biography with jackets or box, although the contemporary ads noted a box. There was a three-volume. reprint in 1921 or 1923 with one set that survived in plain brown jackets with spine cutouts and housed in a white box and this 1928 edition clearly was designed to match the royal blue ribbed cloth and the robin's-egg blue jackets of the 1924 autobiography in large 8vo. form. He further notes that this 1928 edition was apparently very small and that it is likely that only probably a few hundred copies of it were published such that odd volumes turn up now and then, but this set is the only complete set this expert has ever seen, with or without jackets and box. Furthermore, only one set of a 1923 reprint is known in its jackets and box, and this set is just the second known example of this Biography with its surviving jackets and box.