Nelson Rockefeller's Copy of The Lonely Ones by William Steig

New Yorker cartoonist William Steig's book of drawings The Lonely Ones was published in 1942. The book has a foreword by The New Yorker's drama critic Wolcott Gibbs. Steig inscribed a copy to Nelson Rockefeller, the son of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and the grandson of the founder of Standard Oil. Nelson Rockefeller was an avid art collector and patron of the arts. An AbeBooks listing of the book informs us that Rockefeller kept a woodcarving by Steig on his desk in New York. Steig wrote, "Best wishes to / Nelson Rockefeller / from / William Steig / I hope you like these / drawings." Did the future Governor of New York and Vice President of the United States appreciate them? The AbeBooks seller, First Edition Rare Books, LLC, of Cincinnatti, notes that "This copy appears unread"—so, asked and answered.

William Steig
AbeBooks listing accessed June 29, 2026

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/Lonely-Foreword-Wolcott-Gibbs-Steig-William/32467844220/bd

William Steig
AbeBooks item description

Note:  William Steig's woodcarvings are new to me. In 1939, Time magazine wrote about an exhibition of these pieces here. His Proud Woman from 1941 is in the collection of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum here. An example appears on Artsy here. There is another on Reddit here. Now, does anyone have a photograph of the one Nelson Rockefeller kept on his desk?

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Patrick Callahan's Copy of Stay Hungry by Charles Gaines

Every now and then I like to indulge my antiquarian side. Last spring, a signed copy of the 1972 novel Stay Hungry was sold on eBay. The author, Charles Gaines, inscribed it to Patrick Callahan of New Orleans. It was sold on eBay by the seller rialtos, who always does such a commendably thorough job of scanning his books and writing his copy. 

Charles Gaines
eBay listing ended June 8, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/205540401711?itmmeta=01K39JYESBTAM74EJP7PRPB74S&hash=item2fdb29a22f:g:l8gAAOSw5VhoQ071&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA4FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1dvmKyjJ2KNhTVp7DyQ1J5TCDSfo%2By3%2F4gqCs1FVZoUascMGrexBKci4Xl3evlAuKr5C189FabKMa%2FVkViMO3G1TO%2FowgAvZ6oQDgO9vJSYM8NGbXvkkMnVirQwkAqgThkDl5ph63PQyp2q8QPPiRnNE416GlTX7k5yYKHDfGKB8q%2FzWpjyx%2BZXJ9WdIxRdu8pHbLeP7FJx97ILXywPVO4MqA%2BOO2KednXIgnkv%2FmJzE2e5sWURHwXA%2F9T2Ck9DHCH5KKTTzEZwwKAzqw61Pt3K%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-Ls-bKaZg&pfm=1

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Robert Benchley's Copy of The Making of a Magazine: A Tour Through the Vast Organization of The New Yorker by Corey Ford

It was the humorist Corey Ford who gave the name Eustace Tilley to The New Yorker's dandy peering at a butterfly through a monocle. Rea Irvin drew him on the cover of the first issue, of course, but it was the illustrator Johan Bull who depeicted him in Ford's satirical history The Making of a Magazine: A Tour Through the Vast Organization of The New Yorker (1926).

Robert Benchley's copy was inscribed to him by Ford. It was offered on eBay in August for $700. The price was slowly lowered until the book sold for $275 in late November.

Corey Ford
eBay listing ended August 28, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/116744600621?itmmeta=01K4TTMQGXRKAKXDWCYJ1MQME3&hash=item1b2e853c2d&pfm=1

Corey Ford
eBay item description

Sold!

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Jane Colson's Copy of Write If You Get Work: The Best of Bob & Ray

eBay seller rialtos offered a wonderful book last June, a doubly-signed copy of Write If You Get Work: The Best of Bob & Ray and, as usual, he describes it so well I have nothing to add. This, my friends, is a blogger's paradise.

Bob & Ray
eBay listing ended June 10, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/205551230685?itmmeta=01K39JYESB9Y9VPXNQS8KRW8AX&hash=item2fdbcededd:g:TeMAAOSwHIVoSKbV&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAAwFkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1fK1xv0KZjqPXVOp0qJOPrWk5BJl4V3F3nk0HwfglQi5aQGIbXvznxbGHI3zAcdgJY66YQnUZVGTn0hS1n0ymx

7fUyL3RJCjrKrLmvQKn488yjUUd0Q1ZaemqN5JFZrQSqxq4FCnozS0MmY0NCEgceI7L%2F5AQSbKjx2oL99RQJ5wV3It4VqhuTA7uFJq1l38SzlbPd%2BWaGKWg1%2F1d6Z6veU1bdUEHLYZnbMn4eXu%2FrpzQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-Ls-bKaZg&pfm=1

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