The Future of the American Negro (A Significant Association Copy)

Boston: Small, Maynard & Company, 1899. Cloth. Near Fine. INSCRIBED BY BOOKER T. WASHINGTON TO SAMUEL PUTNAM AVERY (1822-1904), one of the great New York patrons of the arts. ("The Avery Collection, for example, was formed by New York art dealer Samuel Putnam Avery and given to the New York Public Library in 1900, emerging as the foundational collection of the Library's Print Collection. Avery's intention was to document the art of his own day and he attempted to secure one or more examples of the work of every contemporary artist he had met or of whom he had heard" [NYPL]. He also, not insignificantly, founded the legendary Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia, to this day the largest architectural library in North America). The copy also bears --at both the front and rear pastedowns-- the personal stamp of "Madison S. Jones, Jr", one-time administrative assistant to the secretary of the NAACP as well as director of youth work of the NAACP. An unusually clean, crisp copy to boot of the 1899 true 1st edition. Solid, very impressive and genuinely VG+ to Near Fine (closer to Near Fine), down to its bright gilt-titling along the front panel and spine. 12mo, gilt top-edge, deckled fore and bottom-edges.