Earl Vandale on the Trail of Texas Books
signed first edition
1965 · Canyon, Texas
by Haley, J. Evetts
Canyon, Texas: Palo Duro Press, 1965 First edition. One of 500 copies designed and printed by Carl Hertzog at El Paso, Texas. Small quarto (9½x6 inches). 44pp. Frontis portrait, 4 photographic plates of rare titles. Red cloth, gilt lettering on spine and front cover. A very fine copy. This copy is a wonderful association copy with a presentation inscription SIGNED by the author to Ben E. Pingenot: "For Ben E. Pingenot in appreciation of a real enthusiast for Texana - from his friend, J. Evetts Haley, Sept. 19, 1965." Ben E. Pingenot (1926-1999) was a well-known collector of Texana and, from 1987, a Texas bookseller. This handsome work is a biography of Earl Vandale, a collector of fugitive and elusive Texana documents, whose passion in pursuit of books set him apart from various collectors. He sold his collection of Texana in January of 1948, acquired by the University of Texas Board of Regents, for $100,000. Ben made a note about this book: "One of the best works on Texana bibliomania." Original announcement laid in. Note: Ben's vast collection (including this particular copy) was sold by Dorothy Sloan Rare Books, September 22, 2000.. Signed by Author. (Inventory #: 8074)