Lot 4: JAMES BALDWIN Go Tell It On the Mountain James Baldwin "BALDWIN, James (192

JAMES BALDWIN Go Tell It On the Mountain James Baldwin "BALDWIN, James (1924-1987). Go Tell It On the Mountain. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1953. "A bright presentation copy of the first edition of Baldwin's debut book, inscribed by the author: ‘For Gene, in admiration of his perseverance, Jimmy B’. Baldwin’s novel draws heavily on his personal experience growing up in Harlem, his family environment and the wider affects of the Great Migration from the South during the early 1930s. The author began writing an iteration of the book as early as 1938, first showing a complete manuscript to novelist Richard Wright in 1944. However, it wasn’t until 1952 that the book reached the offices of Alfred A. Knopf, with the publisher agreeing to release Baldwin’s work later that year. Today, Go Tell It On the Mountain is considered one of the seminal texts of African-American experience during the early 20th century. "Octavo. Original brick-red cloth, upper cover and spine lettered in gilt, lower cover with publisher’s device blindstamped in lower right corner, top edge stained blue (bottom edge very lightly worn, head and tail of spine lightly bruised); original pictorial dust-jacket (short tears to edges and along rear flap fold, some wear and fading to spine and minor soiling to back cover, two small dampstains); housed in modern black cloth clamshell box, spine lettered in gilt. Provenance: authorial presentation inscription to ‘Gene’.