Nordhoff and Hall, 1932 & 1934

NORDHOFF, Charles (1887-1947) and James Norman HALL (1887-1951). Mutiny on the Bounty. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1932 * Men Against the Sea. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1934. * Pitcairn’s Island. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1934.

First edition presentation copies of The Bounty Trilogy, inscribed and signed by Hall to Charles R. and Theodora Larocque Codman, both fellow authors. The Codmans also owned an extensive collection of Gershwin materials now housed at University of Wisconsin Madison. Mutiny inscribed “For Charles and Theodora with warm regards” on the first half-title; Men Against the Sea inscribed “For Charles Codman from his friend” on the second half-title; and Pitcairn’s Island inscribed “For Theodora Codman with sincere regards” on the first half-title. A particularly interesting set of the Bounty Trilogy as each chapter in all three volumes bears the manuscript initials of either Nordhoff or Hall to indicate which author wrote that chapter.

Three volumes, octavo (206 x 134mm). Original pictorial cloth, stamped in silver, plain endpapers in the first title with pictorial map endpapers in the rest (minor spotting to the block edge and endpapers, small ink annotation to the rear endpaper on Pitcarin's Island, rear board dampstained and spine sunned on Mutiny, spine and about a one-inch section of the lower board sunned on Men Against the Sea, a little shelfwear); pictorial dust jackets on Mutiny and Pitcairn’s Island only (wear to spine panels and flap folds with a few losses at the edges of Mutiny, upper edge chipping and rear flap with some soiling on Pitcairn’s Island). Provenance: Charles R. and Theodora Larocque Codman (presentation inscriptions).