Fine Books & Manuscripts Lots 1-365 Jack Charles Davis was an attorney, collector, and a philanthropist dedicated to promoting the economic and community development of his hometown, Lansing, Michigan. He and his wife Susan dedicated their time and resources to numerous nonprofits in the region. Davis’s son, Greg, recalls how Jack came to be a collector: “My dad’s fascination with collecting modern first edition books emanated from his life-long thirst for knowledge.” Davis’s early interest was in Impressionist art, and son Greg remembers fondly his father’s lessons about Pointillism, which he shared not just with his children, but with public school children in his area. Davis, eager to share his love of art with his children, took son Greg and daughter Jennifer to the see Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte at the Art Institute of Chicago. According to Greg: “I still remember him moving my sister and me back from Seurat’s painting so that we could observe how each minute point of color would coalesce into an elaborate image simply by changing our perspective.” Davis “was a collector at heart, and with the escalating prices being paid for Impressionist art, he wanted to find an alternative – something he could feel passionate about collecting. He revisited his love of existential philosophy, having studied the works of Sartre, Camus, and other existentialists, and later came to deeply appreciate the plays of Samuel Beckett – Waiting for Godot was his favorite. As he became reacquainted with the writings of these luminaries, he began to collect their books.” Over the next several decades, Jack expanded his collection, branching out beyond modern books into manuscripts, autographs and other collectibles. After Davis passed away in 2020, his family recalls with gratitude the opportunity they had to review his extensive collection, prompting many fond memories, including their many visits with their father to bookstores across the country and other parts of the world. Son Greg remembers his father buying him James Bond books during these visits: "I read them all, and to this day, Ian Fleming’s iconic character holds a special place in my heart, in no small part because those stories remind me of the grand adventures I had with my father over the years.” Daughter Jennifer, upon seeing the works of Tom Stoppard, George Bernard Shaw, Harold Pinter, Eugene O'Neill and Neil Simon, remembered her father’s infectious love of theater, and the books brought to mind the many performances she attended with her father and at his suggestion. The proceeds of the sale of Jack Charles Davis’s collection will fund community-based charitable giving, long a passion of Davis and Susan. “This is the perfect epilogue to Jack’s life,” Susan says, “Jack spent his life collecting and giving back, and now the sale of his collection will help us continue that good work.” The collection is offered on behalf of the family through the coordination of MS GIFT, the sponsoring organization of Morgan Stanley’s donor advised fund and other charitable giving strategies. MS GIFT services close to 15,000 donors and has granted in excess of $3.8B since inception.
1 ADAMS, Douglas (1952-2001). The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. New York: Harmony Books, 1980.
2 ADDAMS, Jane (1860-1935). Twenty Years at Hull-House with Autobiographical Notes. New York: Macmillan Company, 1910.
8vo. Half-title. Original purple cloth-backed blue boards; in unrestored unclipped dust jacket.
8vo. Photographic frontispiece, numerous full-page and in-text illustrations by Norah Hamilton. Original maroon cloth gilt, pictorial label of Hull House on upper cover. Provenance: Louisa F. Parkhurst (gift inscription, 1911, on front free endpaper); M. B. Lorshman? (signature on front free endpaper).
FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, REVIEW COPY, with publisher’s review slip, “News Harmony” sheet, and two promotional photos laid in. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was first published in London in 1979. The publisher›s sheet includes excerpts from the work and a blurb. A VERY FINE COPY. $400 - 600
FIRST EDITION. Jane Addams, co-founder of both Hull House and the American Civil Liberties Union, was one of the most prominent reformers and social activists of the Progressive Era, and is recognized as the founder of the social work profession in the United States. In 1931, she was the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. [With:] ADDAMS. A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1912. 8vo. Original blue cloth gilt. FIRST EDITION, WITH A CLIPPED SIGNATURE OF ADDAMS LAID IN. Originally published as a series of articles in McClure’s Magazine, Addams’ work looks at the issue of prostitution, particularly how it affects young girls. $250 - 350
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THE LIBRARY OF JACK CHARLES DAVIS
