A book titled 'The Theatre Guild: The First Ten Years' shown in a clean product shot, with the front cover on the right and the spine on the left. The cover and spine are black with gold text and gold vertical bar graphics.
The front cover of the book 'The Theatre Guild: The First Ten Years' by Walter Prichard Eaton, published by Brentano's. The cover is a warm tan/beige color with black text and a small diamond-shaped logo in the center.
A vintage book or volume with a tan cloth or paper cover, featuring a centered cream label with black decorative border and text reading 'The Walter Hampden Memorial Library at the Players New York' and 'Ex Dono Louis Cladis.'.
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A book titled 'The Theatre Guild: The First Ten Years' shown in a clean product shot, with the front cover on the right and the spine on the left. The cover and spine are black with gold text and gold vertical bar graphics.The front cover of the book 'The Theatre Guild: The First Ten Years' by Walter Prichard Eaton, published by Brentano's. The cover is a warm tan/beige color with black text and a small diamond-shaped logo in the center.A vintage book or volume with a tan cloth or paper cover, featuring a centered cream label with black decorative border and text reading 'The Walter Hampden Memorial Library at the Players New York' and 'Ex Dono Louis Cladis.'.

The Theatre Guild: The First Ten Years

Debs Book Paradise
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Price:
$110.00

Description

Author: Walter Prichard Eaton
Publisher: Brentano's (New York)
Year: 1929 (First Edition)
Edition: First Printing
Format: Hardcover / Black cloth with striking modern art deco yellow-and-gold geometric spine and cover lines
Condition: Excellent / Near Fine

A piece of New York theatrical history, sourced directly from the personal library of a mid-century Broadway actress.
By the close of the 1920s, the Theatre Guild had completely revolutionized American drama. Founded as a small, non-commercial society, the Guild boldly rejected the safe, formulaic melodramas of Broadway to produce challenging, avant-garde works by modern voices like Eugene O'Neill and George Bernard Shaw. In 1929, noted critic Walter Prichard Eaton published this comprehensive history of the Guild's first decade, capturing the creative risks, the backstage politics, and the birth of their groundbreaking subscription-audience model that saved independent theatre.
This first printing from Brentano's is wrapped in an eye-catching, black-and-yellow art deco binding that mirrors the rising graph of the Guild's historic success.
The real magic of this copy, however, is found on its inside cover. It bears a pristine, formal bookplate from The Walter Hampden Memorial Library at The Players in New York City, noting that the volume was a personal gift (Ex Dono) from the actress Ludi Claire. A respected mid-century performer, Claire starred on Broadway in shows like The Prisoner of Second Avenue, The West Side Waltz, and as Katharine Hepburn's standby in The Lion in Winter. Finding a book that actively circulated through the historic Players club—and was handled by a working Broadway actress—gives this volume an exceptional, tangible connection to the history of the American stage.
Condition Notes
  • The Canvas: The original heavy black cloth covers are smooth, deep, and beautifully preserved. The bold yellow vertical art deco bars on the front board and the gold text remain vivid and sharp.
  • The Spine: Flat, secure, and completely square. The yellow accents and gold lettering on the spine are intact with only minor softening at the top and bottom edges.
  • The Interior: Exceptionally crisp. The internal pages are tight and free of any water damage, annotations, or cooking smudges. The Ludi Claire bookplate is perfectly centered on the front pastedown, and the original title page remains clean and clear.