The Editor, the Bluenose and the Prostitute, H.L. Mencken's History of the "Hatrack" Censorship Case
Boulder, CO; (1988): Roberts Rinehart. First Edition. Octavo. Item #026141
First printing. 174 pages. Limited signed edition (No. 49 of 250 copies).Carl Bode who wrote an important biography of H.L. Mencken knew of the eight thick bound volumes in the Enoch Pratt Free Library all labelled "The Hatrack Case". Included here are newspaper and magazine clippings and other sources about one of the most sensational court cases of the 1920's, the attempt to get the April 1926 issue of the American Mercury off the newstand since it contained Herbet Asbury's article "Hatrack" which was consider obscene. It sat buried in the Pratt LIbrary unknown to only a few Mencken scholars for more than thirty years. Here Bode has written the definitive study of the case which was thrown out of court but J. Frank Chase (known as The Last Puritan) was able to get it from going through the mails. This volume is important in dealing with censorship as it existed in the early 20th Century. Bound in white cloth, spine lettering red. A fine copy in cloth covered slipcase with a bit of fading.
Price: $75.00