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Gitele by Gussie Kimball (SIGNED, First Edition), 1960 📜✍️💖

Name: Gitele by Gussie Kimball (SIGNED, First Edition), 1960 📜✍️💖
Brand: Wall Antiques
Price: 275.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$275.00

Sale Sold out

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This is a first edition of Gitele by Gussie Kimball, a work that also serves as an inspiring autobiography. Published in 1960 by Vantage Press, the book explores themes of resilience, identity, and the search for personal fulfillment. Kimball, who was born in Poland and immigrated to the United States, uses the life of her protagonist to share her own journey, offering a message of hope and personal growth.

This signed first edition with a dedication to her "adopted children Doris + Al" is a unique and one-of-a-kind historical artifact.

The book is a compelling and deeply humanizing portrait of a woman who overcame adversity to find her place in a new world.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨

Gitele tells the story of its protagonist's journey from a childhood in Poland to her life on Manhattan's East Side. The narrative is a story of "hard-won success" and "spiritual growth," filled with a message of "warmly human religious principle". The book's content provides an intimate and honest glimpse into the emotional and intellectual life of an immigrant woman in the mid-20th century.

The book is an essential primary source for any scholar or dedicated reader of women's history or autobiography.
The book's front cover art, featuring a red-haired girl with a cityscape in the background, is a stylistic nod to mid-century book design and visually reinforces the protagonist's journey from the Old World to the New.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️

Gussie Kimball was born in Poland and immigrated to the United States as an infant. Her childhood, save for a few years in Albany, New York, was spent on Manhattan's East Side. Kimball was a humanitarian who devoted her time to charitable causes, most notably the City of Hope, a world-renowned medical center that focuses on cancer research and treatment.

The book itself is described by Louis Tabak, President of the City of Hope, as Kimball's "inspiring autobiography" and a "genuine fulfillment" for the author who "shared her life with us, and for the reader, who may profit from her example".
Her legacy is rooted in her humanitarian efforts and her ability to tell her personal story in a way that provides hope and inspiration to her readers.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

Published in 1960, this book is a reflection of a period of immense social and political change in the United States. The 1950s and 60s saw a renewed focus on the American immigrant experience, with many writers exploring themes of identity, assimilation, and the search for a new life. Kimball’s book, a firsthand account of this journey, is a vital part of this conversation.

Kimball’s book, a firsthand account of the immigrant journey, serves as an important record of the transitional period between the post-war era and the social upheaval of the 1960s.
The book's message of resilience and hope is particularly potent in this context, offering a counterpoint to the growing cynicism and political unrest of the era.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This book is intended for a curator of American autobiography, a scholar of women's history, or a private collector of modern literature. It is an ideal acquisition for an individual who values a book's dual significance as a historical document and a personal artifact of its time.

It is not just for display, but for a reader who is serious about understanding the personal and creative journeys of a generation of pioneers.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

As a rare signed first edition from 1960, this book represents a genuinely scarce non-replicable asset class. The book's value is derived from its market scarcity and its documented history as a pivotal work of American autobiography.

The price is a direct reflection of its scarcity and its documented place in the history of American literature.
This is a non-replicable asset, holding value that far exceeds that of a standard printing. It is a genuine historical artifact that connects the reader directly to the intellectual world of the 20th century.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This copy is a genuine and handsome survivor, showing authentic wear consistent with a book from the mid-20th century.

The binding is a hardcover with its original dust jacket, which is in a distressed state.
The dust jacket has significant wear and a tear, which authenticates its long life.
The author's signature and inscription are clearly visible on the front endpaper.
The pages have some expected discoloration, but the text remains clear and readable.
The book's structural integrity remains solid.

8. Translation of Inscriptions/Ephemera (Conditional) ✍️📜🔤

This book contains a personal inscription from the author to her family. This element transforms the volume from a collectible book into a singular historical artifact. The inscription is written in blue ink on the inside front endpaper.

The inscription reads: "To my adapted children Doris + Al / God bless them / Love / Gussil".

9. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

Gussie Kimball was a dedicated humanitarian who devoted her time to the City of Hope, a world-renowned medical center that focuses on cancer research and treatment.
The book's dedication to "adapted children Doris + Al" adds a deeply personal and historical dimension to its provenance. This is a rare and unique feature for a book of this kind.
The book's publisher, Vantage Press, was a prominent American publishing house that focused on self-published works and a new type of modern literature.
This book is a profound and intimate novel that also serves as an inspiring autobiography, offering a unique perspective on the immigrant experience in America.

10. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰