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The Snake Pit by Mary Jane Ward (RARE First Edition, Signed), 1946 📜🧠🇺🇸

Name: The Snake Pit by Mary Jane Ward (RARE First Edition, Signed), 1946 📜🧠🇺🇸
Brand: Wall Antiques
Price: 250.00 USD
Availability: InStock

The Snake Pit by Mary Jane Ward (RARE First Edition, Signed), 1946 📜🧠🇺🇸

$250.00

Sale Sold out

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This is a rare first edition of The Snake Pit by Mary Jane Ward, a powerful and groundbreaking work that became a cultural touchstone in the fight for mental health reform.

Published in 1946, this book is a premier acquisition for any serious collector of fine and historically significant first editions.

The book's immense success and its later film adaptation sparked a national conversation about the inhumane conditions in mental institutions and played a significant role in the post-World War II mental health reform movement.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨

The Snake Pit is a fictionalized account of a woman named Virginia Cunningham and her experiences in a state mental institution. The author, an American novelist, drew on her own personal experiences with mental illness to create this raw and honest narrative.

The book's immense success and its later film adaptation sparked a national conversation about the inhumane conditions in mental institutions and played a significant role in the post-World War II mental health reform movement. This book is a unique window into the history of American literature and the ways in which a new generation of writers and artists sought to document and preserve their personal and family legacy.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️✨

Mary Jane Ward (1907-1981) was an American novelist and journalist. Her most famous work, The Snake Pit, drew on her own experiences with mental illness to create a raw and honest narrative that resonated with millions of readers. The book's success launched her career as a novelist and cemented her place in American literary history.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

This book is a tangible link to a pivotal era in American history: the post-World War II mental health reform movement. The book's immense success and its later film adaptation sparked a national conversation about the inhumane conditions in mental institutions and played a significant role in the mental health reform movement.

The book is a unique window into the history of American publishing and the ways in which a new generation of writers and artists sought to document and preserve their personal and family legacy.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This 1946 First Edition is a core acquisition for a collector building a focused library on 20th-century American literature and social history.

It is a perfect fit for a literary historian who appreciates the intersection of a book's status as a cultural touchstone and its role in a major social reform movement.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This 1946 First Edition of The Snake Pit is a genuinely scarce asset.

The book is 79 years old, having survived decades of history.

Its value is overwhelmingly driven by its market scarcity, its historical importance, and its status as a true first edition. This is a premium asset for a discerning collector.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This copy is a genuine and handsome survivor, showing the authentic wear of a cherished book from the mid-20th century.

Binding: The binding is a hardcover and shows authentic wear consistent with its age, including minor shelf wear.
Pages: The pages remain clear and readable.
Structural Integrity: The binding is tight and sound, ensuring the book's structural integrity.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

The book was a best-seller and was later made into a film starring Olivia de Havilland, which was nominated for six Academy Awards.
The book's immense success and its later film adaptation sparked a national conversation about the inhumane conditions in mental institutions.
The book’s provenance, with its personal inscription and an "ex libris" sticker, adds a personal and historical dimension to its history.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰