Butler, Ellis Parker
Pigs is Pigs
Chicago and New York: (Printed for private distribution by Railway Appliances Company December, 1905). First edition. Square 12mo. Unpaginated (20 pp.). Signed and inscribed with a verse by the author on inner front wrapper, and with a doodle of a pig by him: "'Pigs is Pigs' in Flushing And 'Pigs is Pigs' in Cork, but 'Pigs ain't Pigs' in butchers' shops Because their pigs is pork." With a typed letter, signed by the author tipped onto title-page, to author George Barr McCutcheon, regarding this copy of this "prior to First Edition" printing, as well as the below second edition; with a small doodle of a pig, also by the author. Text printed in black and in red. With illustrations by Will Crawford. Publisher's stiff pictorial wrappers, printed in red and in black; book-plate of Lillian Gary and Robert C. Taylor on inner front wrapper, armorial book-plate of McCutcheon on same; in quarter red morocco and red cloth slip case and chemise; book-plate of Robert S. Pirie on inner front board of chemise.

Together with:

Butler, Ellis Parker
Pigs is Pigs
Chicago and New York: (Printed for private distribution by Railway Appliances Company...January, 1906). Second Edition. Square 12mo. Unpaginated (20 pp.). Signed and inscribed with a verse by the author on inner front wrapper, and with a doodle of a pig, and self-portrait, by him: "I cannot draw a perfect pig, As you can plainly see, But I should worry! Neither can A perfect pig draw me." Text printed in black and in red. With illustrations by Will Crawford. Publisher's stiff pictorial wrappers, printed in red and in black; same book-plates as above; in matching chemise, and housed in above slip case.

Fine inscribed copies of these two privately printed editions of Ellis Parker Butler's highly popular story of a railway agent and his guinea pig woes, preceding the 1906 "first edition" by five months. As Butler explains in his typed letter included here, the "first edition" published in April 1906 by McClure, Phillips & Co., etc., was actually preceded by this very edition. "It seems that when 'Pigs is Pigs' appeared in the American Mag. in Oct 1905 it attracted some attention, and a concern named The Railway Appliances Company, Succeeding Q & C Company, Chicago and New York, hastened to ask permission of the Colver Publishing Co. for the right to use the story. This permission was granted and the story was published as a booklet...The booklet was in such demand that they printed a 'second edition'...These are, therefor, 'prior to First Edition' printings, and I have two copies of each. I think they must be very rare by this time--I never saw any copies but those I have..."

Lot includes a copy of the first hardcover book edition (New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1906). With the morocco book-plate of Barton Currie on front paste-down, as well as the book-plate of Robert S. Pirie. In fall-down-back box. Lot also includes an issue of American Illustrated Magazine for September 1905, the first appearance of Butler's story in print.