NAME DROPPING: TALES FROM MY BARBARY COAST SALOON - Rare Fine One-Of-A-Kind Copy of The First Hardcover Edition/First Printing: Signed, Dated (In The Year of Publication), And Inscribed by Barnaby Conrad With Original Drawing

Conrad, Barnaby (Author/Artist) & Spiegel, Clara Gatzert (Recipient)

ISBN 10: 006258507X / ISBN 13: 9780062585073

Published by New York City, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994, 1994

About this Item

1st Printing. Signed. 212 pages. Published in 1994. Rare Barnaby Conrad and Clara Gatzert Spiegel collectible item. A fine copy of the author's memoirs, signed by Barnaby Conrad with a one-of-a-kind presentation/portrait on the book itself. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now rare. Presents Barnaby Conrad's "Name Dropping". Oh, memory. "Diplomat, bullfighter, writer, artist, Conrad has led a colorful life. This aptly titled memoir contains anecdotes about well-known friends and acquaintances, including Bing Crosby, Truman Capote, David Niven, Lucille Ball, and Sinclair Lewis. Many of the stories recount evenings at El Matador, the San Francisco carbaret Conrad opened with the proceeds from his best-selling novel, 'Matador' (1952) " (William Gargan). A larger-than-life figure who has written numerous books and remains the only American matador ever, Barnaby Conrad is also a brilliant artist. His portraits of various figures are interspersed throughout the book. An absolute "must-have" title for Barnaby Conrad collectors. This copy is magnificently signed, dated (in the year of publication), and inscribed in blue pen on the half-title page by the author: "Lots of X'Mas love to Clara from Mary and Barny 1994". In addition, Barnaby Conrad drew an exquisitely detailed portrait of the recipient, Clara Spiegel, catching a monster-size trout fish. This title is a contemporary classic. This is the only such signed, publication-year dated, and inscribed copy (with original drawing) of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Clara Gatzert Spiegel (1904-1997) was the quintessential American cosmopolitan figure, a cross between Brooke Astor and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The wife of the Chicago-based magnate Frederick W. Spiegel, she was a bona-fide member of the American elite. She was also an accomplished novelist, short story writer, and patron of the arts. Her biography recounts how she caught a 23-inch trout while seated in a wheelchair two weeks before her death in 1997 at the age of 93. A rare signed copy thus. Two of the iconic American figures of the 20th century. A fine collectible copy. ISBN 006258507X. Seller Inventory # 14844

Bibliographic Details

Title: NAME DROPPING: TALES FROM MY BARBARY COAST ...

Publisher: New York City, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994

Publication Date: 1994

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Fine

Dust Jacket Condition: Fine

Signed: Signed by Author

Edition: 1st Edition.

About this title

Synopsis:

Part saloon, part salon, Barnaby Conrad's El Matador was nestled in the heart of San Francisco's cabaret and nightlife district. There, within the space of a few blocks of North Beach's Barbary Coast, one could catch Johnny Mathis singing at Ann's 440 Club, cross the street to the Swiss American Hotel where Lenny Bruce once thought he was a bird and attempted to fly out of a second-story window, and walk a couple of blocks to the Hungry i to check out newcomers like Mike Nichols and Elaine May, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, Barbra Streisand, and the Smothers Brothers. Still, despite the accumulation of dozens of bars, restaurants, and night spots, the area lacked "a truly chic and comfortable [club], a place where attractive and interesting people could congregate over a martini."
Conrad's El Matador stylishly filled the void. On any given night, one might find Noel Coward, Marilyn Monroe, Truman Capote, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, or Tyrone Power in the club, or hear Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Eva Gabor, George Shearing, or Andre Previn take over the piano.
In Name Dropping, Barnaby Conrad vibrantly evokes this bygone era. Charming, personable, and witty, the author is both celebrity and fan as he shares vivid, hilarious, and surprising anecdotes, delightfully dropping famous names all the while.