Burroughs, Edgar Rice (1931) ‘Tarzan the Invincible’, US first edition, rare publisher’s dummy

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1931) ‘Tarzan the Invincible’, US first edition, publisher’s dummy copy, published by Tarzana. Octavo. Publisher’s original binding royal blue cloth lettered in red. The upper text block edge is unstained (unseemingly the first edition which is stained in red). In the original unlaminated dustjacket as issued. The printed pages consist of the half title, frontispiece illustration page by Studley Burroughs, title page, copyright page, contents page and the first two pages of chapter one. The rest are blank. 

The Publisher’s (or printer’s) dummies were mock-ups of the final printed book to show its size and appearance to salesmen and book dealers. 

One of only thirty copies (Zeuschner, 2016, p.55). Exceedingly scarce.

Condition: Book square and tight, spine unfaded, lettering extremely bright, pages free of any marks with just a hint of age toning and offsetting to first free endpaper. Minuscule wear to boards. The dust jacket by Studley Burroughs is bright and unfaded, with the spine showing no trace of toning, with minor edgewear and faint creases and a 8mm closed tear to the front flap.

A gorgeous near fine copy in a superior dustjacket of a rare format of the first book published by Burroughs with his own publishing house.