A Japanese Nightingale
New York, October, 1901: Harper and Brothers. First Edition. Octavo. Item #031572
25(1) pp. color frontispiece and two other color illustrations by Genjiro Yeto. Winnifred Eaton (1875-1954) was of Chinese-British ancestry and published her first novels using an alleged Japanese name, Watanna. She is credited with being the first Asian-American novelist. A Japanese Nightingale, was her second American noval and it proved extremely successful, being translated into several languages and eventually adapted both as a Broadway play and then, in 1918, as a motion picture. She later became a screenwriter for silents and early talkies for Universal and MGM. Besides the three color plates, there are decorations throughout the book. Bound in a green decorative cloth of pink flowers and dark green leaves, to edge gilt, previous owner's gift inscription,, very minor spots of rubbing to corners. A lovely near fine copy.
Price: $150.00