The Out Trail by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1923 First Edition) - Americana Travel Memoir 🏕️🏔️✍️

This is an authenticated First Edition, First Printing of The Out Trail, a collection of travel essays by the celebrated American author Mary Roberts Rinehart.

The book, published in 1923 by George H. Doran Company, is a vivid, humorous snapshot of early 20th-century American adventure and exploration. The volume’s high collectible value is established by its First Printing status, as designated by the "I" code on the copyright page, and is profoundly elevated by the unique personalized bookplate and inscription.

This piece is not just a book; it is a documented artifact of American reading and gift-giving history, making it an acquisition for the sophisticated collector who values traceable, intimate provenance.

2. About the Book/Object 📖✍️✨

The Out Trail is a collection of seven humorous and insightful tales detailing Rinehart’s adventurous travels across the American West, from the Grand Canyon and Puget Sound to the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming.

The essays provide a fascinating look at the logistical challenges and cultural encounters of early 20th-century exploration. The chapters include “Roughing It with the Men,” “The Dude Ranch,” and “Below the Border in War Time,” illustrating the author's wide-ranging adventures.

Rinehart uses a witty, self-deprecating style to document the humor and difficulties of early travel, often observing the difference between Eastern "dudes" and true Westerners. This edition includes striking black and white photographic illustrations throughout, capturing the majesty of the landscapes and the challenges of the journey.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️

Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958) was an American author of immense popularity in the first half of the 20th century, often credited with inventing the "Had I but Known" narrative style in mystery fiction. Before achieving fame, Rinehart was a trained nurse who worked in a busy Pittsburgh hospital, an experience she described as seeing “all the tragedy of the world under one roof”.

Her career spanned poetry, essays, plays, and novels, but her travel writing, including this volume, is a significant part of her legacy. Rinehart was one of the first women war correspondents to travel to the Belgian front lines during World War I and maintained a commitment to adventure and social observation throughout her life. Her ability to blend humor, adventure, and sharp social commentary made her a commanding literary voice for the Progressive Era.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

The book was published in 1923, marking a period of transition in America between the end of World War I and the economic boom of the Roaring Twenties. This was a time when the myth of the American West was fully established in the public imagination, yet the reality of experiencing it was still an arduous undertaking.

The automobile was becoming common, but the infrastructure for modern tourism did not yet exist, making travel a genuine adventure. Rinehart's essays capture this pivotal moment where the wildness of the frontier met the advent of modern transport and the early stages of commercial tourism. The dedication "TO THE MEMORY OF HOWARD EATON," a famous figure in the Wyoming dude ranch scene, further grounds the book in the social history of the American West’s conversion into a recreational destination. The book is a time capsule that chronicles the fading moments of the unexplored West and the beginning of the American vacation era.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This volume is tailored for a Curator of American Travel Literature and a collector of Early 20th-Century Feminine Voices. The Ideal Collector is someone who seeks books that function as primary source documentation of social history and cultural evolution.

The book belongs in a collection focused on Americana, the history of Western tourism, or the development of the mystery genre. The unique Christmas 1925 gift inscription makes it a non-replicable domestic artifact, providing an intimate link to the lives of American readers during the Roaring Twenties.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This book is an authenticated First Edition, First Printing from 1923 and is 102 years old. Its rarity is defined by its specific bibliographical state, confirmed by the "I" printing code. The book has survived a century of circulation and is a cornerstone title for one of America's most successful authors.

While the absence of the dust jacket incurs a mandatory deduction, the unique bookplate and personal gift inscription provide a profound counterbalancing force. This documented historical narrative of a Christmas gift in 1925 elevates the book's value to the Ephemera Premium class. The piece is a strong acquisition for a collector who prioritizes verified, personal history over pristine retail condition.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This is an authenticated First Edition hardcover lacking the original dust jacket. The volume's condition is consistent with an antique volume that has been well-loved and used.

• Positive Qualities:

  • The binding remains square and tight, providing structural integrity for display.

  • The red cloth boards with gilt title are present, and the color remains vibrant.

  • The unique bookplate and personalized inscription are clearly legible on the inside front cover.

  • All photographic plates and the contents page are intact.

• Imperfections:

  • The bookplate on the inside cover covers the original free endpaper.

  • The gilt stamping on the spine is faded and shows rubbing.

  • The cloth boards exhibit general shelf wear and minor rubbing to the corners.

  • The paper shows age-toning, a natural consequence of the century-old stock.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• Mary Roberts Rinehart’s popularity was so immense that she was one of the first authors to earn $65,000 for a single novel serialization in the 1930s.

• The novel's dedication is “TO THE MEMORY OF HOWARD EATON,” a co-founder of the historic Eaton’s Ranch in Wyoming, which is often credited as the first dude ranch in America.

• Rinehart, who covered World War I on the Belgian front, later had an extremely dramatic incident where her long-time Filipino chef shot at her and attempted to attack her with knives before committing suicide in his cell.

• The bookplate inscription "From Sis" on "Xmas 1925" documents the book's specific journey as a Christmas gift, making it a tangible piece of domestic social history from the height of the Jazz Age.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Title: The Out Trail

• Author: Mary Roberts Rinehart

• Year of Publication: 1923 (Copyright and Published Date)

• Publisher: George H. Doran Company

• Place of Origin: New York, Printed in USA

• Format/Binding: Hardcover, Red Cloth Boards

• Edition: First Edition, First Printing (Designated by "I" code)

• Rarity: Moderate Scarcity (First Printing), Unique Personal History

• Verbatim Transcription of Inscription/Marking: "Private Library of Bertha L. Brown-Bowen. From Sis. Date Xmas 1925" (Handwritten on decorative bookplate).

• Verbatim Transcription of Publisher Code: The copyright page contains the code: "The Out Trail. I.".