Madman's Drum: A Novel in Woodcuts
New York: Jonathan Cape Harrison Smith, 1930. First trade edition. Hardcover. SIGNED. Octavo [22 cm] 1/4 black cloth over black and white pictorial paper over boards with a paper title label on the spine. With the publisher's black top stain. Black endpapers. There is a thin loss from the head of the backstrip, which measures 1" wide by under 1/4" deep. There are several short splits in the cloth at the foot of the backstrip, and there is a large area of light glue staining on the front pastedown. The text block is just beginning to crack about 3/4 of the way in. In a dust jacket, with darkening (more pronounced on the spine), periodic small chips to the edges, and a 4" closed tear to the bottom edge. The jacket's spine is also creased. Despite these flaws, the jacket is quite attractive. Dance 005. Very good minus / very good. Item #55004
Lynd Ward (1905 - 1985) was an American artist most famous for his wood engravings — in particular, his novels without words, in which he tells a story only with woodcuts. His style mixes Art Deco with German Expressionism. This is the second of Ward's six wordless novels. This copy is signed by Lynd Ward on the half title page.
Price: $800.00