Signed book: Looking Forward. Advance Review Issue First edition. NY: John Day Company, 1933. Softcover, 5 x 7.5, 279 pages. Signed and inscribed on the first free end page to Emil Hurja; Roosevelt has also crossed out his printed name on the title page and signed again. Book is housed in a custom clamshell box and slipcase. In very good condition, with soiling and partial separation to front cover, with scattered soiling to back cover, creasing and wear to spine, which is also on the fragile side. The inscribed page also bears a (now detached) slip stating that this is a “review copy for release, Mar 20, 1933.”
Hurja was a pioneer of political opinion polling who advised the president on social and economic reform issues. Well known to rare book aficionados, the initial printing of this book consisted of 3,000 copies, of which 130 were sent to reviewers on March 10, 1933, with the remaining number sent to the bindery. The following day, a number of errors in the text were discovered, and the recipients of the review copies were asked to return the books for correction. This is a rare “corrected” edition from Roosevelt’s first term in office. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
