signed first edition Hardcover
1924 · Chicago
by Markey, Gene
Chicago: Covici-McGee Co.. Good+. 1924. First Edition. Hardcover. (quarter-bound tan buckram over paper-covered boards; no dust jacket) [light surface rubbing to lower section of front cover, light-to-moderate bumping to corners (with slight board exposure at all corners), spine cloth somewhat darkened; binding is solid, internals quite clean]. (caricature drawings) INSCRIBED and SIGNED by the author/illustrator, to one "Lucy Keeler" (see note below), beneath her own inscription to him, stating that she had "just purchased / this book will you kindly autograph / same for me so that it will be / invaluable in the next few years?" -- a request to which Markey obliged, writing "To Lucy & Eddie -- / with a profound bow of / gratitude, because they were / the only people to buy this / book. / Faithfully, / Gene Markey" -- with an added small caricature sketch of himself below his signature. Full-page caricature drawings of 58 notables of the day, each accompanied by a witty one-line characterization. Markey had published a similar book, "Literary Lights," the year before, exclusively depicting authors; this volume, though, was clearly about the "Town" of the book's title -- Chicago -- Chicago, with the subjects being prominent men of that city, from literary figures (Sherwood Anderson, Edwin Balmer, Maxwell Bodenheim, Ben Hecht, Edgar Lee Masters, Carl Sandburg, etc.) to those who made their marks (and often fortunes) in other fields (among them Clarence Darrow, J. Ogden Armour, Mayor William Dever, Dr. Morris Fishbein, Samuel Insull, and no fewer than three of the McCormick clan). Markey, a native of Michigan, spent most of the 1920s in Chicago before moving on to Hollywood, where he had only a so-so career as a screenwriter and producer, but became a popular member of the film community -- so popular, in fact, that he managed to marry not one, not two, but three gorgeous actresses in succession: Joan Bennett, Hedy Lamarr and Myrna Loy. He also served with some distinction in the U.S. Navy during World War II, eventually rising to the rank of Rear Admiral. (A NOTE about the inscription from Lucy Keeler: a previous owner of this book had laid in a note stating that the book had been presented to Markey (and then inscribed at her request) by actress/dancer Ruby Keeler, but this simply isn't true: both the lady's own signature and Markey's inscription to her clearly read "Lucy." (See the second scanned image if you don't believe me.) It might also be noted that Ruby Keeler was 15 years old when this book was published, and as far as I can determine was never married to anybody named Eddie.) Signed by Author .
(Inventory #: 27062)