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(KENT, Rockwell) VOLTAIRE, François-Marie Arouet de.
Candide.
Illustrated by Rockwell Kent.
First edition thus, first impression. One of a limited edition of 1470 numbered copies signed by the artist on the limitation leaf. With the expurgated plate tipped-in between the front blanks and inscribed by Kent, "The only unexpurgated copy inscribed to Stephen Etnier by Rockwell Kent. Nov 1928". Etnier was an American realist painter and one of Kent's protégés. Loosely inserted is another copy of the suppressed plate, signed in pencil by Kent. Accompanying it is a typed letter dated December 1937 on Random House stationery from then-president of the firm, Bennett Cerf, to Etnier, enclosing "a special copy of the suppressed Kent plate, signed by him". Below Cerf's signature Etnier has written in pencil: "All prints like this were made without my permission by the Brick Row Bookshop, Cambridge, Mass when I had the slip cover made. Stephen Etnier". It is also accompanied by a brochure of unknown origin illustrating the published and suppressed plates, and the related text. Despite Etnier's note that the loose plate was copied from his volume, this may not be the case, as the image in the brochure reproduces the pencilled Kent signature on the loose plate, which is in a completely different location than the one on Etnier's original tipped-in plate. The loose plate also bears the mark of a paperclip, indicating it may have been a publisher's file copy. As the loose plate is signed and came directly from the president of Random House, it seems unlikely that it originated surreptitiously from the Brick Row Bookshop. More likely is that Random House issued the unnamed brochure and that its president later mailed the file copy of the plate to Etnier.
Tall quarto. Original brown cloth, titles, pictorial design, and ruling to spine and upper board gilt, patterned endpapers. Housed in a brown quarter morocco slipcase and chemise. Engraved title page and illustrations throughout by Rockwell Kent. Top corner bumped. An excellent copy.
