The Big Fisherman by Lloyd C. Douglas (FIFTH PRINTING), 1948 🎣📜✝️

This volume of The Big Fisherman by Lloyd C. Douglas is an early, documented printing of a major mid-century American religious bestseller.

The book is an authenticated Fifth Printing from Houghton Mifflin Company and features a powerful personal gift inscription dated January 30, 1949.

Its value is secured by the non-replicable Provenance Premium documenting its purchase and ownership by the C. L. Birch family in Whittier, California, in the immediate post-war era.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨ The novel is a work of Biblical fiction that focuses on the character of Simon Peter, the Galilean fisherman who became a central figure in early Christianity. The plot narrates the events leading up to the coming of Jesus, detailing the political tensions and spiritual landscape of the time.

The volume features detailed sketch maps of the Eastern Mediterranean and Palestine, which illustrate the geographical settings for the story. The book’s binding features a unique plaid/crosshatch pattern stamped in blue on the red cloth, with the author's monogram "LD" prominently displayed on the cover .

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️ Lloyd C. Douglas (1877–1951) was an American minister and author whose books dominated the bestseller lists of the 1930s and 1940s, including The Robe and Magnificent Obsession. His novels were influential in popularizing the genre of Biblical fiction.

The publisher, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, was a major house known for publishing significant American authors. The immense size of the First Printing (250,000 copies) confirms the unprecedented commercial power of Douglas's name in mid-century publishing.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜 The book was copyrighted in 1948 and the inscription is dated January 1949, placing the book in the immediate Post-War Boom. This period saw a massive cultural and religious revival in the United States, driving huge demand for books with spiritual and moral themes.

The novel’s publication and subsequent gifting demonstrate the prominent role of religious fiction in post-war American popular culture. The book functions as a tangible record of the literary and social priorities of the American middle class at the close of the 1940s.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️ This volume is an essential acquisition for a curator of Mid-Century American Popular Culture and Religious Fiction.

It is ideally suited for a collector who specializes in Provenance Artifacts from the C. L. Birch collection. The book belongs in a collection that prioritizes non-replicable, personally dated inscriptions that tie the object directly to a specific family and location in Southern California.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️ This book is an early printing (the Fifth) of a massive bestseller. The volume is approximately 77 years old.

Its rarity is low due to the enormous print run. However, the value is significantly elevated by its strong Provenance Premium. The clear, dated inscription "To Daddy with much love from Marjorie January 30, 1949" provides a non-replicable chain of ownership, linking the book to the family address in Whittier, California.

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 red cloth with a plaid/crosshatch pattern stamped in blue .

• Printing: Confirmed as the Fifth Printing, 30,000 copies.

• Inscription: Contains a clear handwritten, dated inscription in green ink on the front free endpaper.

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

• Internal Marks: Contains the printed address of C. L. Birch, Whittier, Calif. on the title page.

• Internal Images: Features blue and white sketch maps of the Mediterranean and Palestine.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The Sales Power: The book was an immediate sensation; the First Printing alone was 250,000 copies, a staggering number for a hardcover novel in 1948.

• The Monogram: The initials "LD" on the cover stand for Lloyd Douglas, the author, used as a subtle decorative flourish by the publisher .

• The Personal Narrative: The inscription "To Daddy with much love from Marjorie" documents a specific family relationship and moment in time.

• The Biblical Context: The novel is dedicated to John Weldon ("Weary") Wilson, emphasizing the author's personal commitment to the book's religious theme.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Object Type: Vintage Novel (Religious Fiction Provenance Copy)

• Author: Lloyd C. Douglas

• Title: The Big Fisherman

• Year/Period: 1948 (Copyright) / 1949 (Inscribed)

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company

• Place of Origin: Boston

• Format/Binding: Publisher’s Red Cloth with Plaid Stamping

• Edition/Rarity: Fifth Printing (Early Edition, Provenance Artifact)

• Transcription of Inscription (Verbatim): To Daddy with much love from Marjorie January 30, 1949

• Transcription of Printed Address (Title Page): C. L. BIRCH 537 SOUTH FRIENDS AVE. WHITTIER, CALIF.