Behind the Scenes: or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House
New York: G.W. Carleton & Company, Publishers, 1868.
First edition, first printing. 371, [1], [8, ads] pp. Publisher's brown cloth, rebacked with original spine laid down, some reinforcement to tips, blue endpapers with old Lockwood, NY bookseller's ticket on paste down. About Very Good overall with bottom corner of front board worn, cloth slightly stained and rubbed, spine cloth shows rubbing along now-smoothed-over creases, light staining along fore edge, former owner's names on front free endpaper, a few reading smudges and light corner creases to contents.
The memoirs of an ex-slave who became a successful dressmaker in Washington, D.C., published for the financial and reputational benefit of Mary Todd Lincoln after the assassination of her husband, President Abraham Lincoln. The book caused a falling-out between the former first lady and the author, which wrecked her career. Rare in commerce nowadays.
Price: $2,500.00