– 26 – N e w A c q u i s i t i o n s “Let Me Tell You About The Very Rich”: Fitzgerald’s All The Sad Young Men In Original Unrestored Dust Jacket, The Copy Of Actress Gloria Swanson Who Regularly Hosted And Appeared At Parties Attended By Fitzgerald And Who Fitzgerald Included In All The Sad Young Men In The Story, “Rags Martin-Jones,” With Swanson’s Art Deco Bookplate 29. FITZGERALD, F. Scott. All The Sad Young Men. New York, 1926. Octavo, original green cloth, dust jacket. $22,500. First edition of Fitzgerald’s great collection of short stories, in rare original dust jacket. The copy of actress Gloria Swanson, who attended and hosted numerous Hollywood parties Fitzgerald also attended and was referenced as one of the “beautiful people” in the story, “Rags Martin-Jones and the Pr-nce of W-les,” with her Art Deco bookplate. All the Sad Young Men “was Fitzgerald’s strongest collection, with four major stories (“The Rich Boy,” “Winter Dreams,” “Absolution,” and “The Sensible Thing”) as well as five commercial stories… As was his custom, Fitzgerald polished the magazine texts of these stories. He was convinced that the book publication of stories affected his reputation, whereas the magazine appearances were ignored by the critics” (Bruccoli, 272). The lips of the female figure on the dust jacket are fresh and unbattered, indicating that it is from early in the print run. Bookplate of Gloria Swanson, the famous producer and actress nominated for three Academy Awards. In the story, “Rags Martin-Jones and the Pr-nce of W-les,” from All the Sad Young Men, Swanson appears as one of the “beautiful people” disembarking from the ship. Fitzgerald’s notebooks mention his attending numerous parties at Swanson’s or where Swanson was present. For instance, a July 1923 journal entry states: “Intermittent work on novel Constant drinking. Some golf… Parties at Allen Dwans. Gloria Swanson and the movie crowd” (Bruccoli, 215). In fact, according to a 1937 letter to Zelda, Fitzgerald apparently fought with Frank Morgan (the character actor who played the wizard in “The Wizard of Oz”) in a coat closet at Swanson’s house, “but [he] had no recollection of the incident except that he had a scuffle with somebody” (Turnbull, 18; Letter to Zelda, October 8, 1937). Book with front inner paper hinge split, dust jacket with only slight creasing to spine head. A very nearly fine copy with an outstanding association.
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