Books

"The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams. Random House, NY. 1945 first American edition, first printing. Signed by the author and 7 performers from 5 productions of the work on front free endpaper, signatures of an additional 5 associated performers loosely inserted, photographic frontispiece and 3 plates, ink ownership inscription of George Freedly to endpaper, original cloth, light rubbing and fading to tips of spine and corners, dust-jacket, spine ends and corners chipped and creased, spine with short internal vertical tear. Williams' first major play with signatures of cast members covering over four decades of different performances. Besides Williams the signature to the endpapers are those of George Gizzard, Jessica Tandy, Bruce Davidson, Amanda Plummer, John Heard, Julie Harris and Rosemary Murphy. The signatures of Kirk Douglas, Jane Wyman, Julie Hayden, Eddie Dowling and Laurette Taylor are those loosely inserted (Hayden, Dowling and Taylor formed part of the first cast) along with a programme for a performance at the Theatre Royal, Brighton in 1948. George Freedly was the Theatre Librarian and the New York Public Library, his inscription includes his address and a note of his reviewing the play for the August 1945 issue of Modern Theatre. Unique copy with wonderful provenance of William's first major play and one of the highlights of his career.

The Glass Menagerie is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. It is one of his most well-known works and considered a classic of the 20th-century theater.