Steinbeck (John) The Grapes of Wrath, first edition, ownership inscriptions of several contemporary Okies on half-title, upper hinge cracked, lacking preliminary leaves, half-title detached, a little foxed, edges spotted, original pictorial cloth, spine faded, 8vo, New York, 1939.

*** The original owner of this copy, Max Berg, was an interior designer from Pennsylvania, who read the book eagerly on its first publication. Soon after, the Daily Worker printed an appeal from some migrant agricultural workers ('Oakies') asking for books to be donated for the local library in California. Max sent several books from his library as gifts, but specifically asked to have The Grapes of Wrath returned after reading. A 1990 newspaper article covering the story notes that “The seven members of the Walter Gore family who had settled in Salinas, Calif. from Oklahoma did indeed return the edition, but not before writing their thanks on the inside cover” (Times Chronicle, Jenkintown, PA, April 25, 1990). The names include Henry Gore, Bess Gore, Nancy Ann Foster, Evalyn Welch, Fred. L. Fried, Mrs. F.L, and lastly, P. McDaniel, with their accompanying dates of reading the work. Berg gifted the copy to Elaine Steinbeck in April of 1990 (letter dated April 10, included with the book), and Elaine passed it on to David Heyler: “Dear David / I want you to have in your collection this book I told you about. It has a lot of history. I have some more publicity about it mixed in with the Grapes file, and as soon as I come across it, I will send it on” (October 21, 1990) (see note to lot 120). A rare historical association copy.

Provenance: The Mary Steinbeck Dekker Family Collection.