The Christmas Story from David Harum. Illustrated from Mr. Charles Frohman's Proclamation of David Harum

New York: Appleton, 1900. From the Bart Auerbach Collection. Minor wear at ends of spine and some edges, two small spots on front cover. In very good condition. 8vo. Illustrated. Original stamped maroon-brown leather wrap-around wallet binding with fastening tab. First edition thus. Printed at head of title-page: "Wm. H. Crane Edition" (he played Harum in the production). A separately-published chapter from the 1898 bestselling local color novel about an upstate New York country banker and horse trader, with the binding in the format of a country banker's billfold. The Preface is by Ripley Hitchcock, senior editor at Appleton who was instrumental in getting the novel published. He and his wife Martha did the dramatization of 'David Harum', which has a very successful theatrical run and was made into two movies (one in 1934 starring Will Rogers). BAL 21314, state A ("probably issued in a leather wallet, but not seen"). (BA).