Capital City by Mari Sandoz (FIRST EDITION), 1939 🇺🇸📜📰

This is a rare First Edition, First Printing of Capital City by Mari Sandoz, a canonical author of American Western and Plains literature.

The volume is classified as a top-shelf documentary artifact, appealing to collectors of Great Plains literature and American political and social fiction.

Its value is secured by its verifiable First Edition status in 1939 and its function as a powerful social commentary novel published at the precise start of World War II.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨ Capital City is a controversial novel that satirizes the political and media corruption within a fictional Midwestern state capital. The book’s unflinching critique of American democracy and power structures led to significant debate upon publication.

The book was published as an "Atlantic Monthly Press Book," signifying its high literary standing. The cover features a striking, bold Art Deco-influenced design, with the title CAPITAL CITY stamped in red, surrounded by radiating lines that suggest energy and perhaps, conflict . The novel’s themes of public versus private morality provide a fascinating window into the political anxieties of the late 1930s.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️ Mari Sandoz (1896–1966) was an award-winning American author and historian, widely known for her authentic and unflinching accounts of life on the Nebraska Great Plains. Her classic non-fiction work, Old Jules, cemented her reputation for factual rigor and powerful narrative.

Sandoz was known for tackling controversial political and social issues in her work, a trait that gave her a devoted following but also garnered criticism. The volume was published by Little, Brown and Company, a major Boston house with a history of publishing significant American literary figures.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜 This First Edition was published in November 1939, a historically precise date that places it at the close of the Great Depression and just two months after the start of World War II in Europe (September 1939).

The novel’s themes of corruption and political decay reflected the deep societal malaise and distrust of authority that developed during the Depression. The publication functions as a tangible record of the complex and volatile political atmosphere in the United States immediately preceding its entry into the global conflict.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️ This volume is an essential acquisition for a curator of American Political Fiction and Great Plains Regional Literature.

It is ideally suited for a collector who specializes in documented First Editions by influential women writers of the 20th century. The book belongs in a collection that prioritizes sociological and political narrative and the complex history of the American West.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️ This book is a First Edition, First Printing, a key bibliographical milestone. The volume is approximately 86 years old.

Its scarcity is moderate as a major trade edition, but its value is maintained by its First Edition status and its political notoriety at the time of publication. The Art Deco-style cover design adds an Aesthetic Premium, and the handwritten price provides a traceable retail history.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨ The physical condition has been assessed directly from the provided high-resolution photography. The book is deemed to be in Very Good Antique Condition.

• Binding: Bound in original publisher's tan cloth with the title and author stamped in bright red .

• Printing: Confirmed as the First Edition, Published November 1939.

• Cover Art: The Art Deco-influenced cover design is clear and vibrant, showing minimal fading .

• Wear: The cloth binding shows light rubbing and darkening along the spine and edges consistent with its age.

• Internal Marks: Contains a handwritten pencil price of "$25" on the front free endpaper.

• Text Block: The text block is secure and clean, with light toning appropriate for its age.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The Nebraska Controversy: The novel was thinly veiled satire of Lincoln, Nebraska, and the powerful figures there were highly offended by Sandoz's portrayal of the political machine.

• The Art Deco Design: The book’s cover features a striking graphic of radiating lines, a clear influence of the Art Deco aesthetic on 1930s commercial book design .

• The Borzoi Connection: Sandoz's earlier books were published by Knopf (Borzoi Books), and while this was published by Little, Brown, the move was noted in literary circles.

• The Atlantic Monthly: The "Atlantic Monthly Press Book" mark confirms the book was selected for publication through the literary arm of one of America's most prestigious literary and intellectual magazines.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Object Type: First Edition Novel (American Political Fiction)

• Author: Mari Sandoz

• Title: Capital City

• Year/Period: 1939 (Copyright and Publication)

• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

• Place of Origin: Boston

• Format/Binding: Publisher’s Tan Cloth (Atlantic Monthly Press Book)

• Edition/Rarity: First Edition, First Printing (Documentary Artifact)

• Transcription of Markings (FFEP): $25 (Pencil Price)