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TBCL The Book
Collector's Library - Capote - Spring - 2011
C A P O T E
Earliest Capote Ever....
Truman Capote [Truman Streckfus Persons], [September 30,
1924 – August 25, 1984] was born in
New Orleans
, the son of a salesman & a 16-year-old beauty queen. His father, Archulus
"Arch" Persons, worked as a clerk for a steamboat company. Persons
never stuck at any job for long & was always leaving home in search for the
new opportunities. The unhappy marriage gradually disintegrated, & Capote's
parents divorced when he was four. Truman Mother, Lillie Mae Faulk Persons, had
three sisters; Mary Ida Carter & Lucille Faulk Ingram of Monroeville, Ala.,
& Marie Rudisill, aka [Tiny] of Beaufort, S.C. After the divorce, his
mother, moved off to
New York
, leaving young Truman, then 4, with his three spinster
Monroeville
cousins, the Faulks: Jenny, Callie, & Sook. Next door were A. C. &
Frances Finch Lee & their daughters Alice & Harper. Harper became one of
Truman's playmates, & a lifelong friend. Truman wrote copiously about cousin
Sook. She became the model for the loving, elderly spinster in several Capote's
pieces: A Christmas Memory, A Thanksgiving Visitor & The Grass Harp.
Capote's mother, Lillie Mae, wrote letters & telephoned to her son, often
crying that she had no money & no husband. When his mother married again,
this time to a well-to-do businessman, Capote moved to
New York
, & adopted his stepfather's surname in 1935.
Outside of the cousins Truman lived with as a child, Lucille Faulk Ingram
& her daughter were his closest kin. As a fledgling writer looking for
solitude, it was in comforts of Lucille Ingram’s home that Truman began to
write his first novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms & so it began.
Several of
the items in this collection are the Lucille Faulk Ingram Family Copies &
include the following:
Capote's
True Original Birth Certificate
Truman
Capote's original Birth Certificate - issued in the parish of New
Orleans & registered the 3rd day of October, 1924 & showing the
birth of Truman Streckfus Persons, September 30th, 1924.
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A
unique document. A bit tattered but still quite bright & clean. In 1928,
when Truman was 4, the Certificate was given by Capote's mother, Lillie Mae
Faulk Persons [soon to be Capote] to her sister, Lucille Faulk Ingram for
safekeeping. Lillie Mae was off to
New York
to make a new life leaving Truman to the care & nurturing of his
Monroeville
relatives. $35000
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Inscribed by Capote To His Aunt, Lucille Faulk Ingram
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Capote,
Truman. A CHRISTMAS MEMORY. Signed.
New York
: Random House, 1966. Beige boards with teal blue spine. First trade
edition. Book fine. In original slipcase, with pasted-on printed
photograph on the cover. No DJ, as issued. Presentation Family Copy: Inscribed
by Capote to his Aunt & Cousin:
“For Lucille and Cecilia with much love from Truman.” In
near fine or better condition. An extraordinary Example. $18750
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Outside
of the cousins Truman lived with as a child, Lucille Faulk Ingram &
her daughter were his closest kin. As a fledgling writer looking for
solitude, it was in comforts of Lucille Ingram’s home that Truman
began to write his first novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms & so it
began.
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Inscribed
By Capote - [Joanne Carson]
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Capote,
Truman. ONE CHRISTMAS. INSCRIBED [Joanne
Carson]. New York: (1983). First Edition. "For John and Joy, two very /
special people./ Please
look after my dearest / little friend [Joanne]
for me. / Love, / Truman."
John was a film director doing interviews with Joanne Carson - Johnny's second
wife & Truman's best friend in the world. $5500
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Inscribed
By Capote - [Joanne Carson]
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Capote, Truman. A
CHRISTMAS MEMORY. INSCRIBED [Joanne Carson]. Random House n.d. (1966). Hardcover. Early trade edition. Gilt titled
black boards, red slipcase with pasted on TC photo. A near fine copy. No DJ, as
issued. INSCRIBED on the third free
endpaper, "For John and Joy / Merry Christmas, / '82 / Truman Capote."
This is a Joanne Carson association copy. John was a film director doing a
series of interviews with Joanne Carson - Johnny's second wife & Truman's
best friend in the world. Joanne arranged for Truman to inscribe copies of A
Christmas Memory & One Christmas for John. A copy of an explanatory note in
Joanne's hand accompanies this book. "In
Hollywood
,
California
, in 1982, I directed a mini series of interviews with Joanne Carson, Johnny
Carson's second wife." That year John was given an inscribed copy of
"One Christmas." The next year, as John continues, "I was given a
different book also signed by Truman, 'A Christmas Memory.' It was his last
Christmas before his untimely death. Every time he would visit
Hollywood
he would stay at Joanne Carson's guesthouse in Hollywood Hills on Sunset Blvd.
He died in her guesthouse on August 25, 1984. Joanne and Truman were best of
friends and he always spoke very highly of her. I'll never forget that during
the interview Joanne would ask Truman's opinion about different female stars of
the past, such as Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Greta Garbo and Ava Gardner.
In 1982, the move '10' was still, once in a while, the
Hollywood
buzz. When Joanne asked Truman about his opinion of Bo Derek he stopped and
looked around the set. Joanne asked him again, thinking perhaps he didn't hear
her and Truman slowly looked over at Joanne and said 'Bo Derek who?' If you
remember his slow, deliberate mannerisms, can't you just see him doing that? A
photo of Joanne Carson, Truman Capote, and John is included with this book along
with Joanne's handwritten note. $4500
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FROM THE LIBRARY OF TRUMAN CAPOTE
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Capote,
Truman. THE
GREEN WITCH. Greenwich, Conn. High School Writings. May, 1947. FROM THE LIBRARY OF TRUMAN CAPOTE
stamped on the cover. His Copy.
With the original catalogue card from the Gotham Book Mart who sold much of the
Capote Library items in the 1980's. $2750
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Inscribed by
the young Capote to his younger cousin Cecilia [Faulk Ingram]
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[Capote, Truman]. ANIMAL STORIES BY GEORGES DUPLAIX. Inscribed.
New York
: Simon and Schuster, 1944. Rare Family Copy. First Edition Inscribed by
the 20 year old Capote to his younger cousin Cecilia. 'To Cecilia,
the cutest girl who ever sat in my lap, with love, Truman, Christmas,
1944." Folio. 92 pp. A wonderful copy in original pictorial
boards, expertly restored by our paper conservationist. This unique
example is complete with Cecilia's childhood pencil drawings & her
ownership name. $3500
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IN COLD BLOOD
Advance Review Copy.
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Capote,
Truman. IN COLD BLOOD. A True Account of a Multiple Murder and
Its Consequences. ADVANCE COPY FOR BOOKSELLERS.
New York
: Random House, 1965. Black top stain. FIRST TRADE EDITION. Signed by
the Author. Perhaps the title that he will be best remembered for.
SIGNED by Truman Capote on a specially bound-in page. A beautiful
fine copy in dustwrapper. One of an undisclosed number of copies
prepared for Kroch & Brentano's
First Edition Circle
in
Chicago
with the original K&B special printed bookmark. An elusive issue in
spectacular collector’s condition. $1850
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Presentation
Copy to TC's Aunt, - Aunt Lucille Faulk
Ingram
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Capote,
Truman. IN COLD BLOOD. A True Account of a Multiple Murder and
Its Consequences. FAMILY COPY.
New York
: Random House, 1965. FIRST EDITION. Black top stain. Presentation
Copy. This is TC’s Aunt Lucille Faulk Ingram's own copy with a
Random House " Complements of " printed card taped to the
front pastedown on which is written in a presumed secretarial hand in
blue ink: " ...the
author, who wishes you a Merry Christmas".
On the front fly, Aunt Lucille Ingram has neatly inscribed in red
ink: “Given to Lucille Ingram by Truman Capote". She has also
signed the back endpapers twice. Near fine in a very good dustwrapper
with some old tape remains visible. [old tape removed]. A very special
copy of one of Capote’s highlights.
$6500
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