Vintage matte-finish 8.25 x 10.75 studio portrait, signed and inscribed “To Edward Quintaro, greetings & all good wishes. One of the most striking differences between a cat & a lie is, that a cat has only nine lives.—Puddinhead Wilson’s Calendar. Truly yours, Mark Twain. Jan. 1905.” Double-matted and framed to an overall size of 15.25 x 17.75. In fine condition.
Quintaro, the photo’s recipient, was a fellow author and undoubtedly an admirer of Twain’s work. The famous quotation gracing this image is derived from his novel, The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson, written in 1893 and sold to Century Magazine. Having lost control over the way in which the novel was presented, the magazine editors chose to present the work in installments, with each issue containing a pocket calendar.
This item was a play on the structure of the novel itself, which includes at the head of each chapter a couple of witty maxims, ostensibly from a calendar the protagonist has created for his own amusement. The gimmick was so successful that Twain would later publish Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar in his 1897 novel, Following the Equator. Both sets remain some of the more oft quoted of Twain's witticisms. A grand pose of the author with a classic, characteristically wry—and true—observation! Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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