Author (1871-1955) who was the second wife of Jack London. Collection of 20 TLSs from Charmian London, dated between 1927 and 1931, the majority addressed to book dealer M. L. Herman regarding the acquisition of her husband’s various works. Highlights of the archive are as follows:
November 18, 1927: “That was good of you to offer me The Cruise of the Dazzler. I want it, and at the price of $25 which you name.”
April 19, 1928: “Yes, I want The Cruise of the Dazzler. Will you please send it to me immediately, and if it is actually a first edition in the original binding, I shall send you check immediately. There is one binding I have seen, on this book, and called a first edition, that I am skeptical about.”
April 23, 1928: “You were good to send me the Overland, containing my article and one by Jack London which I especially wanted. As well as a story by our old friend Johannes Reimers. And the signature of Jack, so carefully preserved under wax paper—I’m delighted to have it from you.”
August 9, 1928: “Thanks for your letter if August 5, 1928. I do indeed want all eight (not nine, as your letter says) books: Michael Brother of Jerry, Hearts of Three, The God of His Fathers, Tales of the Fish Patrol, Revolution, War of the Classes, When God Laughs, The Human Drift.”
August 22, 1928: “Herewith you will find one of Jack London’s best portraits, done by Arnold Genthe before he went to make his bigger successes in New York. I have rubber-stamped Jack’s autograph on it.”
October 11, 1928: “I have received The Valley of the Moon. Now I have one COMPLETE set of Jack London First Editions, for sale when I can get a whacking good price for them. And other sets nearly complete.”
March 3, 1929: “Here I am at home again, trying to get abreast of the big accumulation of work neglected during my long illness in the South. I have now looked over my first editions at home, to find out what I am ‘long’ on, and what I need for my sets. I have / No. 1 — My own set of autographed Jack London Books. / No. 2 — One Complete set of Jack London first editions / 3. One set lacking, I think, one book only; but this set has been packed away a long time and I have not time to look into it until probably next year / No. 4 — One set complete except for South Sea Tales, which I hope you can find for me. / No. 5 — One set…South Sea Tales, A Son of the Sun, The Star Rover, The Valley of the Moon / No. 6 — One set still needing — People of the Abyss, Tales of the Fish Patrol, Scorn of Women, The Road, Martin Eden, When God Laughs, The Valley of the Moon, The Star Rover.”
A letter to Leslie E. Bliss, librarian at the Huntington Library, dated March 26, 1929: “This will serve to introduce to you Mr. M. L. Herman, a valued correspondent of mine, who is deeply interested in seeing the Jack London original manuscripts in the Huntington collection. If you can make it convenient for Mr. Herman to visit the Library and be guided to his desire, I shall consider it a courtesy to me as well.”
September 24, 1931: “I did receive the Roscoe Eames Pamphlet. It was his revised edition which I later studied, and which helped me earn my living still later. Mr. Eames was my aunt’s husband. She, (Mrs. Ninetta Eames at that time) was Jack’s first biographer—in the Overland Monthly, you remember, in 1900.”
In overall fine condition. Accompanied several original mailing envelopes, a two-page signed manuscript from Herman, two letters addressed to Herman by T. G. Maurtizen and Eliza London Shepard, and sundry typed sheets, some with ink notations, related to Charmian's book requests.
