One Of Ours by Willa Cather (SEVENTH PRINTING), 1923 📚🧡🏆

This volume of One Of Ours by Willa Cather is an early, documented printing of her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

The book is an authenticated Seventh Printing, confirmed by the rapid succession of printings listed on the copyright page, testifying to its immediate commercial success.

Its value is secured by its key literary milestone (Pulitzer Prize) and its superior Aesthetic Premium, featuring a vivid Art Deco-style orange and white endpaper design .

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨ One Of Ours is a tragic novel that tells the story of Claude Wheeler, a Nebraska farm boy who feels stifled by provincial life and eventually finds meaning serving in World War I. The narrative is deeply divided between the Great Plains setting and the European battlefields, capturing the emotional journey of a generation.

The physical book, published by Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi Books), features a dedication to Cather's mother. The stylized orange and white patterned endpapers are a major visual asset, embodying the clean, geometric aesthetic of the Art Deco era .

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️ Willa Cather (1873–1947) was a seminal American novelist, winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1923 for this novel. Her work is foundational to American regional literature, known for its powerful exploration of pioneer life and identity.

The publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., associated with the Borzoi Books imprint, was a leading promoter of American and European literary modernism in the 1920s. Cather's immense commercial success—requiring the publisher to issue the Seventh Printing within nine months of release—solidified both her and Knopf’s standing.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜 The book was originally published in 1922 and this early printing was released in 1923, placing it squarely at the start of the "Roaring Twenties" and the cultural reckoning after World War I. The novel’s setting in the trenches reflects the enduring trauma and complexity of the war experience for the American home front.

The book’s Pulitzer Prize win in 1923 was a major cultural event that occurred during the brief, nine-month period between its Second and Seventh Printings. This early printing functions as a tangible record of the rapid canonization of Cather's work at the height of the Jazz Age.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️ This volume is an essential acquisition for a curator of American Pulitzer Prize Winners and World War I Literature.

It is ideally suited for a collector who specializes in early printings of Willa Cather’s novels and appreciates the distinct Art Deco-era book design of the Knopf Borzoi imprint. The book belongs in a collection that prioritizes high literary significance and visual excellence.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️ This book is an early printing (the Seventh) of a canonical novel. The volume is approximately 102 years old.

Its rarity is moderate, yet its value is significantly elevated by its status as the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The Art Deco-style orange and white endpapers provide a strong Aesthetic Premium , and the detailed printing history on the copyright page provides non-replicable documentation of its early commercial success.

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 orange title stamping on the cover and spine.

• Printing: Confirmed as the Seventh Printing, June 1923.

• Endpapers: Features vibrant, original orange and white patterned endpapers .

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

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

• Documentation: The copyright page features detailed printing history.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The Prize Win: One Of Ours won the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, beating out Sinclair Lewis’s Babbitt.

• The Dedication: The book carries a touching printed dedication "For my mother VIRGINIA CATHER".

• Knopf's Style: The Borzoi Books imprint, marked by the stylized running dog, was a signature of publisher Alfred A. Knopf, who pioneered modern book design in America.

• The Production Note: The copyright page details the specific manufacturers used, noting the book was "set up and electrotyped by the Vail-Ballou Co." and printed by the Plimpton Press.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Object Type: Vintage Novel (Pulitzer Prize Winner)

• Author: Willa Cather

• Title: One Of Ours

• Year/Period: 1923 (Seventh Printing)

• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

• Place of Origin: New York

• Format/Binding: Publisher’s Tan Cloth (Borzoi Book)

• Edition/Rarity: Seventh Printing (Early Edition, Pulitzer Winner)

• Transcription of Print History (Copyright Page): COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY ALFRED A. KNOPF, Inc. . . . Second Printing, September, 1922 . . . Seventh Printing, June, 1923