Three signed and inscribed Jack London books, one with a signed photo.

Three books, all of which are reprints, 2 Regeant Press, one Macmillian. Signed to Peter William Putnam Bluett, an engineer whom London stayed with in Hawaii. Bluett engineered the Kohala Ditch that brought water from the high ground of Hawaii to the cane fields there. He is mentioned in Charmian London's biography of Jack. A copy of a letter from his grand-daughter explaining the origin of these books comes with the books. All the books have been rebacked (see the photo), South Sea Tales is rebacked without its spine (please see the photos).

The inscriptions were done in 1916 about three months before Jack London's death in January 1916. There is a photo of Jack and Charmian London tipped into Love of Life which is dated 1915 and signed by both Charmian London and Jack London. The corner of the bottom right is missing, not affecting Jack's signature (see photo). The photo I have here shows a dark area on the bottom left of the photo-this is a shadow, the photo is fine in that area.

The three books come with a folding box as shown. Books are tight and still readable and in good condition.

The book shown here, Lost Face, is a 1910 second printing and contains Jack's most famous short story "To Build A Fire." Also has a small photo of Charmian on a horse, dated 1917. This is probably something that she gave Bluett after Jack's death, and was pasted in.

These are great Hawaiian-Jack London items with a good association, inscribed in a troubled period towards the end of Jack London's life-he died Nov. 1916. At that time of his life he was groping for spiritual meaning to life, while his wife was going from the spiritual to the physical aspects of life for meaning.

John Anthony Miller, Ventura, California.
Phantom Bookshop