Lee, Herper (1960) ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, US first edition in original first state dust jacket

Nelle Harper Lee (1960) ‘To Kill a Mockingbird‘, US first edition, first printing, published by Lippincott. One of only 5,000 first edition copies printed. Winner of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize.

Condition: a near fine book in a very good, original and unrestored dust jacket. The book is in lovely condition. No fading to the boards, the cloth spine has no rubbing and no wear. No foxing anywhere. Slight toning to top page block edge. One tasteful bookplate on front pastedown is the only flaw. The dust jacket is the original wrapper without any restorations. It is the correct first state with the following first issue points as called for: 1) no reprint indications at the bottom of the front flap. 2) Truman Capote paragraph printed in green at the top of the front flap 3) Jonathan Daniels blurb at the back flap 4) Rear panel shows Harper Lee photograph credited by Truman Capote. The dust jacket is in very good condition. It has been price clipped. Slight edge wear to spine folds and minimal rubbing. Very clean without any foxing.

5,000 copies were initially printed. Most of them went to public libraries receiving the usual stamp and readership treatment. Most of the fragile dust jackets have not survived the passage of time. Sometimes dealers supply later print dust jackets or jackets with missing flaps. Those are worthless and to be avoided.

Adapted as a motion picture in 1962 starring Gregory Peck who was immortalised in his role as Atticus and won the Academy Award (Peck and Lee became life-long friends). The film won two more Oscars in the Screenplay and Art Direction categories.