Great Possessions by David Grayson (1922 Doubleday Reprint) - Art Nouveau Decorative Binding 🏡🌾📜

This volume is an authenticated later printing (1922) of Great Possessions: A New Series of Adventures, the celebrated nature essay collection by David Grayson.

Published by Doubleday, Page & Company, this book is a key text in the early 20th-century American "back-to-the-land" movement.

The book's collectible value is secured by its stunning, Art Nouveau-style green decorative cloth binding with rich gilt stamping. This piece is a strong acquisition for collectors who appreciate the aesthetic quality of antique book design and the tranquil, philosophical narratives of the American pastoral.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨

Great Possessions is a series of reflective essays that continue the adventures of the author's semi-fictional persona, David Grayson, a gentleman farmer who finds contentment in simple, rural life. The book is a quiet manifesto for a simpler existence, with the "great possessions" being spiritual and emotional fulfillment found in nature, friendship, and work, rather than material wealth.

The book is illustrated by Thomas Fogarty, whose subtle, line-drawn illustrations are perfect complements to the serene prose. The book begins with a beautiful color frontispiece that visually introduces the reader to the gentle, idyllic world of the book. The content list reveals the thematic focus on rural observation and contentment, with chapters like "Adventures in Wintry Earth," "The Hill of Content," and "The Open Door".

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️

David Grayson is the pseudonym for American author Ray Stannard Baker (1870–1946). Baker was a highly respected Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and historian known for his meticulous investigative reporting, often associated with the era's "Muckrakers". However, he created the gentle, philosophical character of David Grayson as an alter-ego to escape the stress of his intense political writing.

The Grayson books, beginning with Adventures in Contentment, became enormously popular, offering a refuge for readers who sought an antidote to the anxiety of industrial America. The peaceful, nature-focused world of David Grayson contrasted sharply with the political turmoil Ray Stannard Baker covered, demonstrating the author's versatility and profound understanding of the American psyche in the early 20th century. The book's illustrator, Thomas Fogarty, was a prominent American artist who worked on numerous popular books and magazines of the era.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

This book was printed in 1922, during the rise of the Roaring Twenties—a period marked by rapid industrial expansion, urbanization, and a concurrent feeling of cultural rootlessness. The original publication in 1917 also coincided with America's entry into World War I.

The vast popularity of David Grayson's writings during this era was a direct reflection of the American public's desire for an escape back to a simpler, more virtuous agricultural life. The book served as a literary prescription against the materialism and frantic pace of modern industrial society. This volume is a cultural time capsule, documenting a powerful literary and philosophical trend that championed the enduring value of the pastoral ideal as America moved into its modern, high-speed era.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This volume is tailored for a Curator of American Pastoral Literature and a Scholar of the "Back-to-the-Land" Movement. The Ideal Collector is a devotee of literary escapism and a collector who appreciates the visual appeal of early 20th-century decorative book design.

The book belongs in a collection that focuses on the Intersection of Journalism and Literature, tracing Ray Stannard Baker's dual career. The vibrant, Art Nouveau gilt stamping makes this volume an ideal display piece that serves as an authentic artifact of the era's decorative aesthetic.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This book is an authenticated reprint from 1922, making it 103 years old. As a later printing of a mass-market bestseller, it is a common edition. The rarity lies with the 1917 First Edition. This later printing status mandates a mandatory deduction from the aspirational collector price.

The book's value is secured by its Aesthetic Premium—the superior Art Nouveau decorative green cloth binding and the sought-after gilt floral design. This decorative style is highly prized, which helps to override the deduction from its reprint status. The volume is objectively a strong acquisition for its clean aesthetic and structural integrity, perfect for high-end shelf display.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This is a 1922 hardcover reprint lacking the original dust jacket. The binding is a green cloth with rich gilt stamping.

• Positive Qualities:

  • The binding is tight and square, providing excellent structural integrity.

  • The gilt Art Nouveau stamping on the front board is bright and crisp, retaining its full aesthetic appeal.

  • The color frontispiece and internal illustrations by Thomas Fogarty are intact and clean.

• Imperfections:

  • The cloth on the spine is worn and soiled, showing moderate discoloration from light exposure.

  • The spine ends and corners exhibit rubbing and fraying, consistent with a book of this age.

  • The pages are uniformly age-toned and slightly brittle.

  • The absence of the original dust jacket mandates a significant deduction.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The author, Ray Stannard Baker, was the first journalist to be granted permission by the Wilson administration to travel through Europe during WWI to report on the conflict for the American public.

• David Grayson's persona was so convincing that readers would often write to him personally, sharing their problems and asking for advice on how to live a more contented life.

• The original content for this book first appeared in The American Magazine, which often serialized popular works before their full book publication.

• The illustrations by Thomas Fogarty were a major component of the book's initial success, providing a charming, idealized vision of the American countryside that resonated with city-dwelling readers.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Title: Great Possessions, A New Series of Adventures

• Author: David Grayson (Ray Stannard Baker)

• Illustrator: Thomas Fogarty

• Year of Publication: 1922 (Printing Date)

• Publisher: Doubleday, Page & Company

• Place of Origin: Garden City, New York, Toronto

• Format/Binding: Hardcover, Green Decorative Cloth Boards, Gilt Stamping

• Edition: Later Reprint Printing (Original Copyright 1917)

• Rarity: Common Edition, High Aesthetic Premium

• Verbatim Transcription of Inscription/Marking: None.