Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats
New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1939. Hardcover.
Very Good book block, overall. Discoloration to the top edge of the case, and some soiling to the price clipped jacket, which bears some chipping and closed tears. Early American edition. 46 pages. 6.25” x 8.25”.
Originally written as a series of whimsical poems for his godchildren, T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats was compiled and published in 1939. The poems inspired Andrew Lloyd Weber’s musical, Cats (1981).
This early US edition features a bright orange jacket, illustrated by Eliot. The title page is also on orange stock and illustrated, a distinction from the UK edition published by Faber and Faber, which has a yellow jacket and an unillustrated title page.
“The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn’t just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES…”
Price: $150.00