Helen of the Old House by Harold Bell Wright (FIRST PRINTING), 1921 🎄📜🇺🇸

This is a rare First Edition, First Printing of Helen of the Old House by Harold Bell Wright, a best-selling American novelist.

The volume is classified as a top-shelf documentary artifact, appealing to collectors of American popular literature and personalized gift inscriptions.

Its value is secured by its verifiable First Printing status in 1921 and a non-replicable, dated personal inscription confirming it was a gift on Christmas 1921.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨ The novel is a contemporary drama that addresses the social and labor issues of the American manufacturing industry in the early 1920s. The plot is structured into two main parts: "The Interpreter" and "The Two Helens," following the protagonist's journey through industrial conflict and moral choices.

Harold Bell Wright’s novels were notable for their strong moralizing themes and accessible prose. The book is bound in a bright red publisher’s cloth, with the title and author stamped directly into the fabric . The powerful, dated inscription transforms this copy into a unique cultural artifact of the Roaring Twenties gift culture.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️ Harold Bell Wright (1872–1944) was an American clergyman and author who became arguably the first author to sell over a million copies of a single book. His novels, including The Shepherd of the Hills and The Winning of Barbara Worth, were characterized by their unambiguous moral plots and widespread appeal to the American middle class.

Wright’s books were cultural phenomena, often reflecting the social anxieties and populist concerns of the era. The publisher, D. Appleton and Company, was a major international house with offices in New York and London, confirming the book’s institutional standing as a major commercial release.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜 This First Printing was published and gifted in 1921, placing it squarely at the start of the American "Roaring Twenties"—a period defined by economic expansion and radical social change. The novel’s theme of industrial and labor conflicts was timely, reflecting the sharp post-World War I friction between factory owners and workers.

The inscription of "Christmas 1921" documents the specific moment this copy entered circulation as a seasonal gift. This volume functions as a tangible record of the literary tastes and social priorities of the American middle class at the beginning of the Jazz Age.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️ This volume is an essential acquisition for a curator of American Popular Literature and Gift Culture History of the 1920s.

It is ideally suited for a collector who specializes in documented First Editions with traceable personal inscriptions. The clear, dated inscription and the likely association with the C. L. Birch collection in California provide a powerful Provenance Premium, elevating it above standard collector copies.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️ This book is a First Edition, First Printing, a key bibliographical milestone. The volume is approximately 104 years old.

Its rarity is moderate as a high-volume title, but the value is significantly elevated by its strong Provenance Premium. The handwritten inscription, dated Christmas 1921, documents the personal history of the book in its year of publication, making it a non-replicable artifact of personal and publishing 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 bright red publisher's cloth with the title stamped into the cloth .

• Printing: Confirmed as the First Printing.

• Inscription: Contains a clear, detailed handwritten inscription on the front free endpaper.

• Wear: The spine shows light fading and minor fraying at the head and foot, and the cloth shows light handling marks consistent with its age.

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

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The Million-Copy Author: Harold Bell Wright was a publishing giant, whose unprecedented sales figures made him a cultural celebrity of the era.

• The Dated Gift: The inscription "from Aunt Mattie Christmas 1921" documents the specific date and relationship of the gift, providing a charming personal narrative.

• The D. Appleton Imprint: D. Appleton and Company was a prestigious publisher known for releasing high-profile American and international works, giving this First Edition a strong institutional backing.

• The Sequel Connection: The book’s title and content connect to the earlier social commentary novels of the period, reflecting Wright’s commitment to addressing contemporary industrial issues.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Object Type: First Edition Novel (Literary Provenance Copy)

• Author: Harold Bell Wright

• Title: Helen of the Old House

• Year/Period: 1921 (Copyright and Publication)

• Publisher: D. Appleton and Company

• Place of Origin: New York and London

• Format/Binding: Publisher’s Red Cloth

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

• Transcription of Inscription (Verbatim): To C L Birch from Aunt Mattie Christmas 1921