The Culture of Cities~Lewis Mumford~1938~Stated First Edition~Signed~Association Copy~Inscribed to Paul Sears~Paul J. Woolf Photo Plates

Category: Books, Movies & Music > Books > Antiquarian & Collectible

Format: Hardcover (Library Binding / Ex-Library Rebind)

Author: Lewis Mumford

Publisher: Harcourt, Brace and Company (New York)Year

Published: 1938 Edition: Stated First Edition / First Printing

Special Attributes: Signed & Inscribed by Author, Association Copy, Illustrated with Photo Plates

Provenance: Personal gift from Lewis Mumford to pioneering ecologist Paul B. Sears

An extraordinary piece of 20th-century intellectual history: A unique association copy connecting two pioneers of environmental and urban thought. This is a Stated First Edition (1938) copy of Lewis Mumford’s masterpiece, The Culture of Cities, personally inscribed and signed by Mumford to the famous American ecologist and conservationist Paul B. Sears. The beautiful handwritten ink inscription on the flyleaf reads:"To Paul Sears, in admiration of Deserts on the March — Lewis Mumford. 6 May 1938".

The Historical Significance: Paul B. Sears wrote Deserts on the March in 1935, a groundbreaking book that warned the world about the ecological dangers of the Dust Bowl and soil erosion. Lewis Mumford, writing The Culture of Cities in 1938, was heavily inspired by regional ecology and sustainable living. This volume captures a direct moment of mutual respect and intellectual crossover between two legendary figures who helped shape modern ecology and urban design.

Beyond the iconic text, this first edition is richly illustrated with striking modernist photo plates capturing the rapidly changing 1930s cityscape. Included within its pages is the brilliant, atmospheric night photograph "New Riverside Drive Expressway" by acclaimed architectural photographer Paul J. Woolf, captioned by hand in the plate block.

The fact that it is a smooth-surfaced, original photograph bound directly onto a thick white card within the book tells us exactly what rare artifact you are holding.

This is a deluxe, limited-edition presentation copy or an official publisher's promotional layout of Lewis Mumford's The Culture of Cities. Rather than printing the photo onto a standard page using ink dots, the publisher hand-mounted an authentic, original photographic print directly onto thick display board to elevate the edition's prestige and association. Fine art photography collectors value it as an authentic 1930s Paul J. Woolf original print. A size of 4 x 5 inches is highly typical for an original 1930s vintage photograph by Paul J. Woolf.

During the Depression era, architectural photographers heavily relied on standard 4x5 large-format view cameras. This means your item is very likely a contact print—a photograph made by placing the large negative directly onto the photographic paper. Contact prints are prized by collectors because they preserve the absolute crispest details and highest clarity possible from the original shot.

ROCK-SOLID PROVENANCE & PERSONAL OWNERSHIP PROOF. This volume features incredible, airtight documentation of its journey through history. The inner front cover contains the official vintage bookplate from the Harwood Foundation Library (University of New Mexico) in Taos, New Mexico.Remarkably, the bookplate features a typed "PRESENTED BY Paul Sears" acquisition mark. This proves that this book was not just a random library copy—it was a cherished volume held in the personal library of Paul B. Sears himself before being donated to the university library. The inner pages bear official, crisp "Discarded by Library" stamps, confirming that this museum-worthy piece was legally decommissioned and released by the institution into the private market.

Inscription/Autograph: Hand-signed and dated (May 6, 1938) by Lewis Mumford with a clear, beautiful fountain pen inscription to Paul Sears.

Binding: Heavy-duty Library Binding. This copy is bound in sturdy commercial library cloth designed for institutional durability.

Library Markings: This is an ex-library copy. It contains standard internal library stamps, card pocket remnants, or marking indicators typical of a decommissioned institutional volume.

Internal Text Block: Pages are tightly bound. A number of pages at the lower right hand corner have a small corner stain probably due to exposure to water or dampness. See photos. Two pages have a small tear. See photos. Expect standard age-toning typical for a 1930s volume. The internal photo plates remain crisp, vivid, and beautifully intact. While ex-library markings normally see a lower valuation due to re-binding, the breathtaking, rock-solid provenance of a personal inscription between Mumford and Sears makes this a museum-tier piece for collectors of environmental history, sociology, and premium rare books.

Paul Bigelow Sears (December 17, 1891 – April 30, 1990) was an American ecologist and writer. During the Dust Bowl and his tenure at the University of Oklahoma, Sears wrote Deserts on the March, one of the first books to communicate ecological principles to the general public. His best known book, Deserts has gone through eleven printings of its four editions, most published by the University of Oklahoma Press. The first edition was last republished by Island Press in 1988 as part of its Conservation Classics series.

In the mid 1960s, Sears retired to Taos, New Mexico, where he participated on local boards and committees, “taught dozens of local youngsters to play violin,” and “continued his work to make this planet a better place.” He taught a course in environmental biology in 1977 at Fort Burgwin, New Mexico, a research facility 10 miles from Taos which is owned by Southern Methodist University. He died in the medical center at Plaza de Retiro on April 30, 1990.

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