Barry Cassidy Rare Books -

2005 T Street Sacramento, CA 95811-6823 (916) 456-6307 bcrbooks@ix.netcom.com

Dame Shirley Pseud. For Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clapp Our Summer in the Valley of the Moon
Original four part short story appearing in The Hellmuth World. Hellmuth Ladies' College. London, Ontario, Canada. April through June, 1881. The four parts consist of tear sheets, or pages 56, 60, 64 and 68 of the periodical. The first part is signed by the author "L.A.K. Clappe." Mrs. Clapp's (she used both Clapp and Clappe at various times for her last name) signature is extremely rare. We can find no record of any item signed by her ever being offered for sale. Dame Shirley came to California in 1849 with her husband Dr. Fayette Clapp. In 1851-52 she wrote a series of letters about the mining camps along the Feather River. The letters, published in "The Pioneer" magazine in 1854-55 were known as The Shirley Letters (see Zamorano 80, number 69) and are considered the best account of Gold Rush life. "Our Summer in the Valley of the Moon" is a fictionalized account of a trip by a woman, her brother and his three small children to a resort along the Sonoma River, circa 1860. This story has never been published in book form. The four sheets, 8 by 11 1/2 inches, have some tears to the margins that do not affect the text. They are housed in a cloth slipcase. Condition: Very Good. Early California History. Women's Author. Women in the West. California (Book ID 7224) $2,000.00

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