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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Arthur Rackham: Aesop's Fables Limited Edition, No. 1103/1450

David Brass Rare Books, Inc., of Calabasas, California, offers a signed, limited edition of Arthur Rackham's exceptional Aesop's Fables (William Heinemann, 1912). 

The price is $3,250.

Title page

Signed limitation page, no. 1103 of 1450

I am most intrigued by the announcement of a 1912 exhibition of Rackham's original book illustrations at London's Leicester Galleries:

The North Wind and the Sun

The Oak and the Reeds

Arthur Rackham
AbeBooks listing accessed May 24, 2026

https://www.abebooks.com/signed/Aesops-Fables-RACKHAM-Arthur-illustrator-AESOP/32452382040/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=img

Arthur Rackham
AbeBooks item description

Arthur Rackham
AbeBooks store description

Note:  I was not able to attend the Arthur Rackham exhibition at Leicester Galleries in 1912 and neither were my great grandparents. Still, I might like to see the price list, from anyone who may have benefitted from art-loving great grandparents who were also pack rats.

Longtime readers may recall that I am also looking for a price list or catalogue from Peter Arno's 1932 exhibition at the Leicester Galleries.  

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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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A Signed Copy of Spots by Suba: From The New Yorker

Spots by Suba:  From The New Yorker is exactly what the title indicates. The 1944 book collects spot drawings by Susanne Suba that were originally published in the pages of The New Yorker. The signed first edition sold in November on eBay was no doubt a rarity, but that doesn't mean it was expensive. 

Susanne Suba
eBay listing ended November 26, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/205862771079?

Susanne Suba
eBay item description

Note:  I can't get enough of interesting signed books related to The New Yorker, such as this one by Susanne Suba. If your library boasts such a volume, why not let me take a look at it. It might make for a future post.

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Another Signed Copy of They Moved My Bowl by Charles Barsotti

I think we can all agree that any book collecting New Yorker cartoonist Charles Barsotti's dog cartoons is a cause for celebration. The Moved My Bowl, published in 2007, fits the bill. A signed copy was recently offered on eBay, now the second to appear on this blog.

Barsotti boldly signed the book in blue marker on the front free endpaper. It is perhaps not the most perfect signature, the bottom of the last two letters having shifted upwards a bit.

Like the cover cartoon, a number of the drawings take place on psychotherapist's couches. 

Barsotti's line is simple, but his humor can be deeply moving, as with the cartoon set in heaven.

As the title page says, the foreword is by Barsotti's fellow New Yorker cartoonist George Booth, who brings a drawing of a cat along to the festivities. Reproduced after that is a 1990 letter from Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, a.k.a. Sparky, which may or may not have set this whole project in motion.

The signature bled through the page a bit.

In 2013, I posted a similar copy of this book after it sold on eBay for $15. This time the asking price was $25—but there was a best offer option.

Charles Barsotti
eBay listing ended January 2, 2026

https://www.ebay.com/itm/277601698683

Charles Barsotti
eBay item description

The eBay seller raised the price from $17.99 to $25.00, then accepted a best offer for $17.50.

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