Burroughs, Edgar Rice (1930) ‘Tarzan at the Earth’s Core’, US signed and inscribed first edition, family association copy

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1930) ‘Tarzan at the Earth’s Core‘, US first edition, first printing, published by Metropolitan. Inscribed by the author to his son Hulbert on the ffep: “To Hulbert | with love | Papa | Tarzana | California.”

Condition: the book is square and tight; bright lettering, with just a touch of wear to crown and extremities of boards; foot of spine and bottom corners very lightly bumped, faint offsetting to endpapers, small hole to fore-edge margin of pages 141-142. Otherwise, top text block edge clean and pages unblemished. The original dust jacket shows the correct price on front flap and is unrestored. Panels and lettering colourful, spine unfaded. A few nicks to fold tips and crown, two closed tears, both 1 cm long, at the back panel edge and back fold. 

A lovely near fine book in a very good to near fine example scarce original and unrestored dust jacket.

This is the second and last ERB title published by Metropolitan. Although the first issue print run was about 15,000-20,000 copies, this title is particularly uncommon in nice condition as Burroughs collectors know. This copy is most likely one of the fifteen received by Burroughs for presentation on November 13, just six days after publication (see Zeuschner, ERB The Bibliography, p. 401).