Mitchell, Margaret (1936) ‘Gone with the Wind’, US signed and inscribed first edition in beautiful first state dust jacket

Margaret Mitchell (1936) ‘Gone with the Wind‘, US first edition, first printing, first state, published by MacMillan with May 1936 printed as called for. Signed and inscribed by author Margaret Mitchell on the front free endpaper: “For Meta Barker | a real historian | Margaret Mitchell” The book comes with the original, unrestored first state dust jacket with all issue points: USD 3 on the bottom of the front flap, and with the “Gone with the Wind” title printed on the second column of the back panel.

Provenance: Jennie Meta Barker (1883-1978) was an Atlanta native and a history teacher at Commercial High School who developed a course on Atlanta history for teachers new to the Atlanta school system.

Condition: a near fine copy in like dust jacket. The book’s boards retain their original grey colour, light shelf wear to edges but nothing excessive. No foxing, no stains, no bookplates. Internally clean. The dust jacket is the first state specimen without any restorations whatsoever. It is NOT price clipped, vibrant in colour without any fading on the spine. Slightest of edge wears. No tears. A wonderful copy and a spectacular dust jacket.

Margaret Mitchell’s bestselling ‘Gone with the Wind’ is a landmark novel which won the 1937 Pulitzer Prize, and the 1936 National Book Awrd. The story was famously adappted 1939 starring Clarke Gable and Vivien Leigh, in turn one of the best known and successful films of all time. Much like Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, ‘Gone with the Wind’ remained Mitchell’s only book published during her lifetime. Margaret Mitchell died in 1949 after being hit by a drunk driver.