Lady with a Spear by Eugenie Clark (1953 First Edition, Book Club Edition) - Famous Ocean Scientist Memoir 🐠🗺️🇺🇸

This volume is an authenticated First Edition, Book Club Edition (BCE) of Lady with a Spear, the pioneering memoir by the renowned American ichthyologist Eugenie Clark. Published in 1953 by Harper & Brothers, this book is a celebrated piece of 20th-century scientific travel writing and a landmark work for women in science.

The book's collectible status is secured by its historical importance and the presence of the full original illustrated dust jacket. Its value is further enhanced by the Ex Libris bookplate for "Mr. & Mrs. C. Lester King". This volume is a strong acquisition for collectors of scientific Americana and documented personal libraries.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨

Lady with a Spear is a personal memoir detailing Eugenie Clark's early career as an ichthyologist, specializing in tropical fish and marine life. The book recounts her adventures exploring the tropical waters of three oceans, including the Red Sea, the South Pacific (Palau and Guam), and the West Indies.

The book's content provides a compelling narrative that is both a warm personal story and a sound scientific observation. The chapter titles map her ambitious expeditions, with entries such as "Underwater off Southern California," "Guam: Whisky and Raw Fish," and "Kwa jalein: The Poisoners and the Poisoned". The volume includes 16 pages of photographs and decorations by the author, showcasing her deep connection to her subject matter. Full-color maps are present on the endpapers, illustrating the vast scope of her scientific explorations.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️

Eugenie Clark (1922–2015) was a pioneering American ichthyologist known as "The Shark Lady" for her groundbreaking research on sharks and other marine life. Clark, born in New York City, was an American of Japanese descent whose early fascination with marine life began at the New York Aquarium.

She was one of the first scientists to use SCUBA gear for underwater research, opening up new avenues for marine biology. Her early fieldwork in Micronesia and the Red Sea led to the founding of the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory (now Mote Marine Laboratory). This book, which was a Literary Guild selection, brought her scientific adventure story to the American public, firmly establishing her as a cultural icon and a role model for women in science.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

This book was published in 1953, during the height of the Cold War and the beginning of the post-war economic boom in America. The decade was defined by scientific progress and a strong, though often traditional, view of women's domestic roles.

Clark's work provided a powerful, counter-narrative, presenting a female scientist engaging in ambitious, physical research in remote global locations. Her expeditions to areas like the Red Sea and Guam reflect America's increasing geopolitical interest and post-war access to these regions. This volume is a time capsule that documents the early application of SCUBA technology for scientific purposes and the rise of the female scientist, capturing a moment when exploration and gender roles were being dramatically redefined in the American consciousness.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This volume is tailored for a Curator of Scientific Americana and a Scholar of the History of Oceanography. The Ideal Collector seeks books that document the groundbreaking work of women pioneers in STEM fields.

The book belongs in a collection focused on Marine Biology, Underwater Exploration, and the History of the National Geographic Society. The elaborate Ex Libris bookplate for "Mr. & Mrs. C. Lester King" makes it a desirable piece for those who collect the documented library history of the mid-20th century.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This book is an authenticated First Edition from 1953. The printing code "F-C" confirms its early printing status, but the Book-of-the-Month Club (BOMC) trademark identifies it as a BCE. The BCE status dictates a mandatory deduction from the much scarcer retail First Edition.

The book's value is secured by the iconic, visually strong dust jacket and its association with a literary and scientific icon. The unique Ex Libris bookplate for Mr. & Mrs. C. Lester King provides a strong Ephemera Premium. The volume is a strong acquisition, as it is a clean, complete copy of a landmark memoir with traceable personal history.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This is a First Edition, Book Club Edition hardcover with the original dust jacket.

• Positive Qualities:

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

  • The yellow cloth boards and turquoise spine are clean and retain their original color.

  • The Ex Libris bookplate for "Mr. & Mrs. C. Lester King" is neat and intact on the front endpaper.

  • The original illustrated dust jacket is present and retains the striking collage design.

• Imperfections:

  • The dust jacket shows moderate wear, rubbing, and chipping along the edges and spine.

  • The jacket spine is moderately sunned.

  • The book contains no later printing statement, but the BOMC trademark on the rear flap indicates a likely book club edition.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• Clark, an ichthyologist, spent part of her childhood at the New York Aquarium, which served as her initial inspiration for studying fish.

• The book's dedication reads: "To the memory of Howard Eaton," a renowned figure in the Wyoming dude ranch scene and the original subject of Kipling's poem L'Envoi.

• Eugenie Clark later became known as "The Shark Lady" for her bold work studying shark behavior and discovering that some species of shark did not need to keep moving to breathe.

• The beautiful maps of the Pacific Ocean and Red Sea on the endpapers visually chart Clark's ambitious expeditions to places like Guam, Kwajalein, and the Palaus.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Title: Lady with a Spear

• Author: Eugenie Clark (Eugenie Clark Konstantinu)

• Year of Publication: 1953 (First Edition Date)

• Publisher: Harper & Brothers, Publishers

• Place of Origin: New York, Printed in the United States of America

• Format/Binding: Hardcover, Yellow/Turquoise Cloth Boards with Original Illustrated Dust Jacket

• Edition: First Edition (F-C Code), Book Club Edition

• Rarity: Common Edition (BCE), Unique Personal History

• Verbatim Transcription of Inscription/Marking:

  • Ex Libris Bookplate: “Mr. & Mrs. C. Lester King”.

  • Publisher Code: "F-C".