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Auction archive: Lot number 18

Alcoholics Anonymous 1st Edition 7th Printing

Estimate
US$8,000 - US$12,000
Price realised:
US$8,400
Auction archive: Lot number 18

Alcoholics Anonymous 1st Edition 7th Printing

Estimate
US$8,000 - US$12,000
Price realised:
US$8,400
Beschreibung:

viii, [2], 400 pp. 23.5x16 cm (9¼x6¼"), original dark blue cloth, title blindstamped on cover, spine lettered in gilt. First Edition, seventh printing. Inscribed on half-title: "James Wilson, One Day at a Time". In facsimile dust jacket. Considered the most difficult printing to find of all the AA Big Books published. It was the last to be issued in a print run of 5000 and in the larger size format. However, since the next print run was only one month later, which up until this time had previously not been done for the AA Big Book, it is believed only 1000 to 1500 copies were printed because the publisher ran likely out of materials due to the wartime efforts / paper shortages (also a reason for the change to the smaller format for subsequent printings). The next printing increased to 20,000. There is an alternative story circulated that most copies of this seventh printing were lost in the Atlantic Ocean when a ship transporting AA books to troops in Europe had sunk. This scenario is unsubstantiated and likely the materials shortage is the reason for the scarcity. Copies rarely show up on market.

Auction archive: Lot number 18
Auction:
Datum:
21 Nov 2019
Auction house:
PBA Galleries
1233 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
United States
pba@pbagalleries.com
+1 (0)415 9892665
+1 (0)415 9891664
Beschreibung:

viii, [2], 400 pp. 23.5x16 cm (9¼x6¼"), original dark blue cloth, title blindstamped on cover, spine lettered in gilt. First Edition, seventh printing. Inscribed on half-title: "James Wilson, One Day at a Time". In facsimile dust jacket. Considered the most difficult printing to find of all the AA Big Books published. It was the last to be issued in a print run of 5000 and in the larger size format. However, since the next print run was only one month later, which up until this time had previously not been done for the AA Big Book, it is believed only 1000 to 1500 copies were printed because the publisher ran likely out of materials due to the wartime efforts / paper shortages (also a reason for the change to the smaller format for subsequent printings). The next printing increased to 20,000. There is an alternative story circulated that most copies of this seventh printing were lost in the Atlantic Ocean when a ship transporting AA books to troops in Europe had sunk. This scenario is unsubstantiated and likely the materials shortage is the reason for the scarcity. Copies rarely show up on market.

Auction archive: Lot number 18
Auction:
Datum:
21 Nov 2019
Auction house:
PBA Galleries
1233 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
United States
pba@pbagalleries.com
+1 (0)415 9892665
+1 (0)415 9891664
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