“WISHING YOU GOOD READING AND LOVE AND JOY ALWAYS!”: VERY RARE FIRST EDITION OF THE BLACK STALLION, WITH DELIGHTFUL AUTOGRAPH PRESENTATION LETTER SIGNED BY WALTER FARLEY “AND THE BLACK STALLION”
FARLEY, Walter. The Black Stallion. New York: Random House, (1941). Octavo, original gray cloth, original dust jacket. Housed in custom cloth clamshell box. WITH: Autograph letter signed. One leaf, measuring 8-1/2 by 11 inches. Housed in a custom full morocco clamshell box. $22,000.
Extremely rare first edition of the first novel in Farley’s beloved “Black Stallion” series, accompanied by an autograph presentation letter on Black Stallion stationery signed by the author: “For all our good friends attending the Special Education School in [Corpus] Christi [?], Texas—wishing you good reading and love and joy always! Walter Farley and The Black Stallion.” Exceedingly rare.
"Whether fans are introduced to Walter Farley's Black Stallion in the original novel form… or on the screen in the highly successful film version [1979], they are meeting one of the most enduring and popular animal characters ever created… While still attending Erasmus Hall High School [in Brooklyn, New York], Farley began to write the story that would become The Black Stallion. The novel was published in 1941 while Farley was a student at Columbia University and over the years was joined by many sequels… The Black Stallion… remains Farley's greatest creation, and devoted horse fans will continue to cheer as the Black and Alec thunder down the homestretch for many years to come" (Silvey, 237-38). With ten black-and-white illustrations by Keith Ward. Owner signature.
Book about-fine, bright dust jacket with minor chipping to spine ends, tape repairs to verso. An attractive near-fine copy with a wonderful autograph letter.