Looking Backward 2000:1887, Edward Bellamy, Limited Editions Club, 1941, NF HC

Bellamy, Edward, Los Angeles, California: The Ward Richie Press, 1941, #587/1500, Near Fine, 7” x 9 ¼”, 4to, [9], a-r, 1-388, [6]. Illustrated by Elise Cavanna, SIGNED by Elise Cavanna

Near Fine quarto, yellow paper over boards with red geometric design to front cover, red lettering to spine, red gilt to pages, slight edgewear, [9], a-r, 1-388, [6]. Drawings by Elise as half-page images in white and blue or white and red. Elise Cavanna was an American actress, dancer, and painter best known for her comedic film roles of the 1920s and 1930s and her later career as a modernist artist. Introduction by Irwin Edman. Edward Bellamy was a 19th-century American journalist, social commentator, and novelist whose works reflected his vision for a fairer society; his most famous book, Looking Backward (1888), follows a Boston man who falls asleep in 1887 and awakens in the year 2000 to discover a cooperative, socialist utopia free from the economic inequalities and social strife of the Gilded Age, inspiring a national political movement and shaping early progressive thought. A timeless exploration of a visionary socialist utopia that challenged Gilded Age inequalities, brought to life through Edward Bellamy’s influential prose and Elise Cavanna’s striking, signed artwork.

The Limited Editions Club was founded by publisher George Macy in 1929 with goal of delivering a monthly fine press edition of great works in literature, religion, history, philosophy, and poetry. The press worked with some of the best printers in the US and Europe, and sought the best artists to illustrate runs of 1500 or 2000 copies. Amatoria has acquired ~100 Limited Edition Club titles, to see more, visit the collection on our website.