One of the rarest of all New Yorker books is the 1926 promotional volume Aces! —All Aces! Produced by the business department to encourage advertising in the magazine during its second year of publication, it opens with a "Dear Mr." letter from advertising manager Raymond B. Bowen to the men, apparently exclusively, of the advertising industry. The book goes on to offer written pieces about New York City and the magazine's preeminent place in any advertiser's strategy. Related spot illustrations abound. Artists include Peter Arno and Eldon Kelley.
This extremely scarce book was recently listed on eBay. The seller noted that no previous sales of this book have been recorded. The book was listed on the auction site at an initial price of $400. A best offer of $275 was met with a counteroffer of $350, which was accepted by the buyer. Postage from Israel and tax brought the total back up to $400.
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| Aces! —All Aces! Some soiling to cover |
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| "Dear Mr. " |
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"Of the Degradation of Democracy —commercially speaking" Peter Arno's signature can be spied in the middle-right spot.The illustration at lower right of Club Lido is by Eldon Kelley from the May 2, 1925 issue |
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| "Who's who in New York" |
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| Ex-library card pocket |
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| Aces! —All Aces! With some separation to the spine |
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| "The Conquest of New York 1926" Again, that's Peter Arno's signature at the lower right. |
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| Aces! —All Aces! eBay listing ended June 20, 2021 https://www.ebay.com/itm/384225769921?hash=item5975a3f9c1:g:yr8AAOSwLd9gyjxU |
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| Aces! —All Aces! eBay item description |
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| Best offer of $275. Counteroffer of $350 accepted. [End of eBay listing] |
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| Club Lido Eldon Kelley The right half of the illustration appears in Aces! —All Aces! |
Note: New Yorker cartoonist Michael Maslin writes about this very copy of the book on his Ink Spill blog here.
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