The Nile: The Life-Story of a River by Emil Ludwig (FIRST ENGLISH EDITION), 1937 🌊📜🗺️

This is a rare First English-Language Edition, First Printing of The Nile: The Life-Story of a River by Emil Ludwig, the celebrated German biographer.

The volume is classified as a top-shelf historical and literary artifact, appealing to collectors of pre-WWII intellectual history and travel non-fiction.

Its value is secured by its verifiable First English Edition status in 1937 and a non-replicable Ex-Libris Provenance from the private library of Fred and Lurine Martin.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨ The book is a sprawling historical and geographical narrative that treats the Nile River as a living entity, blending geography, history, and biography to tell the story of the river's relationship with humanity.

The volume features high-quality production, including a striking Ex-Libris bookplate of a monk writing, confirming the book's place in a serious private library. Key visual components include a large, fold-out color map of the Nile Valley and numerous black-and-white photographic plates, such as "Swamps on the Bahr-El-Ghazal" .

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️ Emil Ludwig (1881–1948) was a German author whose dramatic, engaging biographies made history accessible to a mass audience in the 1920s and 30s. Having emigrated due to the Nazi regime, his later works, like this one, were published in translation, often by American houses.

The publisher, The Viking Press, was known for publishing both literary fiction and important non-fiction works, making this First Edition a highly desirable example of pre-WWII American publishing. The book was translated by Mary H. Lindsay.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜 This First English Edition was published in 1937, a critical year that saw the rise of global tensions leading to WWII. The book’s focus on the history and politics of the Nile Valley, which included major colonial interests (British Egypt and Anglo-Egyptian Sudan), was highly relevant to the geopolitical climate of the time.

The existence of the Ex-Libris bookplate and the handwritten note "great pictures!" documents the book's acquisition and use as a sophisticated piece of popular history by private collectors in the late 1930s. The volume is a tangible record of the intellectual appetite for global and historical narratives during the era.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️ This volume is an essential acquisition for a curator of 20th-Century Historical Non-Fiction and Ex-Libris Provenance.

It is ideally suited for a collector who specializes in First Editions by noted biographers and seeks items that document the history of the private library. The book belongs in a collection that prioritizes geographical and documentary artifacts with verifiable personal ownership.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️ This book is a First English-Language Edition, First Printing, a key bibliographical milestone. The volume is approximately 88 years old.

Its rarity is moderate. However, the value is significantly elevated by its strong Provenance Premium. The intact Fred and Lurine Martin Ex-Libris bookplate and the detailed publishing history provide non-replicable documentation of the book's provenance, securing its investment grade.

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 blue lettering and deep embossing .

• Printing: Confirmed as the First English-Language Edition, 1937.

• Bookplate: Features an intact, pictorial Ex-Libris bookplate for "Fred and Lurine Martin".

• Internal Marks: Contains a handwritten note, "great pictures!" and old price/inventory codes on the endpaper.

• Maps/Illustrations: Includes a large, intact fold-out color map and numerous photographic plates .

• Wear: The cloth binding shows light rubbing and minor fraying at the edges consistent with age.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The Viking Colophon: The title page features the iconic Viking longship colophon of The Viking Press, a symbol of high-quality publishing.

• Ex-Libris Art: The bookplate, featuring a figure writing a manuscript, is an elaborate and custom piece, underscoring the owners' appreciation for books and scholarship.

• The Content Note: The handwritten note "great pictures!" directly references the detailed maps and photographic plates that make this volume a visual delight.

• The Translation: The translation of a major German historical work into English in 1937 reflects the continued intellectual exchange despite the rising political division in Europe.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Object Type: First Edition Historical Non-Fiction (Ex-Libris Provenance Copy)

• Author: Emil Ludwig

• Title: The Nile: The Life-Story of a River

• Year/Period: 1937 (English Translation Publication)

• Publisher: The Viking Press

• Place of Origin: New York

• Format/Binding: Publisher’s Tan Cloth

• Edition/Rarity: First English-Language Edition, First Printing

• Transcription of Bookplate (Verbatim): FROM THE LIBRARY OF Fred and Lurine Martin

• Transcription of Markings (Endpaper): great pictures! / $ 6.50 / Ph. 2.50 / 03-00206