The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Early 1940 Printing), Newbery Honor 📜❄️🚂

The volume presented is an early 1940 printing of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s historical novel, The Long Winter, published by Harper & Brothers. This is a First Edition, Later Printing of the sixth book in the famed Little House series, printed in the same year as the June first impression. The internal publisher’s code "11-0 G-W" indicates this copy was produced in November 1940, specifically for the high-volume holiday market.

This printing is a strategic acquisition for collectors of American children’s literature, issued immediately following the novel’s popular and critical success, which led to its recognition as a 1941 Newbery Honor Book. The book is an authentic artifact from the era of its literary debut, featuring the original illustrations by Helen Sewell and Mildred Boyle.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨ The Long Winter is an autobiographical work of historical fiction detailing the true story of the Ingalls family’s survival during the brutal winter of 1880–1881 in De Smet, Dakota Territory. The narrative vividly describes the nearly seven months of blizzards that cut off the nascent town from all supplies, forcing the family and its neighbors to rely on ingenuity and grit.

The themes of the book center on pioneer resilience, the importance of self-sacrifice for the greater good, and the power of family unity in the face of natural danger. The table of contents highlights the severity of the crisis with chapter titles like "THREE DAYS' BLIZZARD", "NO TRAINS", and "COLD AND DARK". The book contains the original color frontispiece and black-and-white illustrations by Sewell and Boyle, which capture the early aesthetic of the series.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️ Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867–1957) was an American author who transformed her childhood experiences as a pioneer into one of the most beloved series in children’s literature. She began writing her novels later in life, and her work provides a detailed, primary-source account of the American frontier experience.

Wilder's writing style is noted for its clear, unadorned prose that appeals to both children and adult historians. Her books, including The Long Winter, have garnered immense critical acclaim, with this specific title being a Newbery Honor recipient. Her narratives provide a crucial perspective on the physical and psychological challenges faced by homesteaders in the late 19th century.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜 The book was published in 1940, a period when the United States was watching the growing global conflict with apprehension. World War II had begun in Europe, and the U.S. was shifting its industrial capacity toward national defense, though it had not yet formally entered the conflict.

In this time of national anxiety, The Long Winter offered a powerful cultural message. The story of the Ingalls family surviving an environmental catastrophe through community, hard work, and self-reliance served as an affirmation of traditional American values and collective fortitude. The book became a subtle, powerful instrument of cultural reinforcement during a period of rising global uncertainty.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️ This early printing is curated for the collector who specializes in canonical American children’s literature and Newbery Award recipients. It is an ideal acquisition for a scholar of 20th-century American pioneer history or a curator assembling a collection focused on the literary documentation of frontier life.

The book’s early 1940 printing date and inclusion of the original Sewell and Boyle illustrations—before the iconic 1953 Garth Williams re-illustration—make it a key transitional piece for a bibliographical collection. It speaks directly to the discerning buyer who values the original publication state of a classic text.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️ This copy is an Early Printing of the First Edition, published in November 1940, just a few months after the book's debut. The item is currently 85 years old.

Its market value is secured by its status as a Newbery Honor book and its proximity to the true first impression. All early printings from the original 1940 run are sought after, as they precede the massive reprinting waves of the post-war era. Its relative scarcity, coupled with its documented original illustration state, positions it as a stable, mid-level asset for a modern first-edition collection. The binding is structurally sound, a quality that increases its long-term investment viability.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨ The condition is reported with a transparent, appraiser-like neutrality, based on physical examination and the provided photography.

• Positive Qualities: The cloth boards are square and the orange coloring is bright, with the black spine lettering fully legible. The binding remains tight to the text block, indicating careful shelf storage. The original color frontispiece is intact and vibrant.

• Imperfections: The spine ends are lightly worn and show minor compression. There is evidence of general wear along the bottom edges of the boards. The text pages show small brown stains located throughout the pages—an indication of foxing typical for a book of this age and paper composition.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The Long Winter is considered by many scholars to be the most historically accurate of the Little House books because the events were so traumatic that Wilder's recollection was exceptionally vivid.

• The chapter "The Wheat in the Wall" is based on the true event of the Ingalls family discovering hidden wheat to grind, a crucial detail that scholars often cite as a miracle of resourcefulness.

• The book was a Newbery Honor Book in 1941, the third of five Newbery-related awards the Little House series received.

• The internal publisher’s code "11-0 G-W" confirms this copy was printed in November 1940, in time for the first Christmas following its initial publication.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Title: The Long Winter

• Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder

• Copyright Year: 1940

• Printing Year: November 1940

• Publisher: Harper & Brothers Publishers

• Place of Origin: New York and London

• Binding: Hardcover cloth boards

• Edition: First Edition, Early Printing

• Rarity: Early Printing of a Newbery Honor Classic

• Transcription: The internal publisher’s code on the copyright page is transcribed verbatim as: "11-0 G-W".