The Grapes of Wrath [First Edition with Matching Wrapper in Custom Clamshell]

First printing denoted at copyright page: "Copyright 1939 by John Steinbeck. First published in April 1939." Rare first state dust wrapper with "First Edition" stated at front flap. Beautifully signed by John Steinbeck in black on sigature cut neatly adhered at title page: "John Steinbeck". Very attractive fountain signature. Oatmeal colored full cloth pictorial boards, moderate shelf wear, light fox. Pages very good, clean; no writing. Tan pictorial endpapers with sheet music in reddish-brown to old plantation melody "Battle Hymn of the Republic" by Julia Ward Howe, moderate toning near hinges. Light brown top-stain. Bind fine, square; hinges intact. Original first printing dust wrapper, moderate shelf wear, rub, toning; unclipped 2.75, protected in new clear sleeve. Stated "First Edition" at lower front flap corner; first editions are often married to a later printing wrapper that has been clipped. Classic wrap-around cover art of caravans headed west in their rudimentary 1930s vehicles. Rare very good first printing in near very good first issue wrapper. This first edition is preserved in a beautifully designed and handcrafted custom clamshell case. Clamshell features blind-stamp design to its cover after original art of Elmer Hader's "Depression family" in a sky blue, felt-like material of Nuba. A supple and durable covering, Nuba possesses a texture of velvety soft, Italian nubuck leather. "Italian nubuck" is a premium material of meticulous craftsmanship made from the outer layer of the hide creating its distinctive rich and velvety texture by sanding the grain side of the leather. Spine features impressed gilt titles with date and place of original publication. Sides of case are finished in a fine sand colored cloth. Interior of case features same soft and durable Nuba in black and is perfectly sized to accommodate this classic and very important first edition. The classic American novel of the Depression era and struggles of the Joad family as they move west through the Dust Bowl. John Steinbeck focuses on the Joads, a family of tenant farmers driven from their Oklahoma home by drought, economic hardship, agricultural practices and bank foreclosures, forcing them to the road. Steinbeck's most popular novel was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the basis for the classic 1940 John Ford Academy Award-winning film starring Henry Fonda. The novel while depicting hardship and tragedy is sheer delight, heightened for the reader by the presence of a few gently satirical notes - almost as though Steinbeck was poking occasional fun at his characters and himself. Beneath the theme, the reader finds subtle and poignant patterns which will give a grateful awareness of why John Steinbeck occupies his eminent position among novelists. The novel also explores themes of conversion and self-sacrifice in the characters Casy and Tom, who achieve spiritual transcendence through conversion. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s lasted from 1928 to 1942 as the plains and prairies of America were left intensely dry with many years receiving less than half the normal precipitation. The phenomenon was caused by this severe drought and also the failure to prevent erosion. Dryland farming practices were a leading cause along with the depletion of the natural topsoil by settlers. Devestatingly, the Dust Bowl nearly exactly coincided with and contributed to the severity and duration of the Great Depression. These events lead many to migrate from the midwest to California. Printed in U.S.A. by Stratford Press. 619 pages. Insured post. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.…