The Star Speaker: A Complete and Choice Collection of the Best Productions by the Best Authors, with an Exhaustive Treatise on the Subject of Vocal and Physical Culture and Gesturing
Published by Star Publishing Company, Jersey City, NJ, 1894
- First Edition
- Signed
- Hardcover
- Used

Seller: Main Street Fine Books & Mss, ABAA, Galena, IL, U.S.A.Main Street Fine Books & Mss, ABAA
AbeBooks seller since March 11, 1998
Condition: Used
£ 229.95
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Small 4to. Mustard cloth with silver lettering and silver/brown pictorial giltstamping. xv, 599pp, 96pp. Tissue-guarded color frontispiece, numerous illustrations and line drawings, full-page color plates, floral endpapers. Very good. Mild binding edgewear only, with spine lightly shellacked and hand-lettered paper shelf label near foot of spine; text block, tight and bright and near fine. Tight and nice first edition. This hefty anthology pairs a large assortment of prose and verse from an enormous array of authors ranging from William M. Thackeray and Washington Irving to Bret Harte and Walt Whitman with lessons on orating -- how-to's on "Vocal Culture" (Breathing, Gutteral Quality, Pure Tone, Vanishing Stress, many others), "Gesturing" (Adoration, Clinched Hands, Cursing, Modesty, etc.) and "Physical Culture" (Arm Movement, Chest Expansion, Poising, Unequal Breathing, etc.). Best of all, the noted platform speaker who posed in oratorical splendor for all the color plates (and is given "Our Encore Department," a tribute by the publisher's near the end of this book), Lucia B. Griffin, boldly inscribes and signs it on the inner flyleaf: "Hon. W.B. Allison, / with compliments of / Lucia B. Griffin, / Albia, Iowa." Griffin (1865-1940) carved a career as a recitationist and impersonator, but a 1902 railroad accident caused severe head injuries and in 1940 she burned to death when her home in Albia, Iowa caught fire -- "Penniless and alone," as one essay described her. Delightful front board pictorial stamping shows encircled portraits of Shakespeare, Dickens, Lincoln and Webster alongside a standing Senator Chauncey Depew. From the library of William B. Allison (1829-1908), the powerful Iowa Republican who, as U.S. senator from that state (1873-1908), was one of the "big four" who controlled the Senate; as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee for most of those years, he championed tariff legislation and co-authored the Bland-Allison Act of 1878; as member of the Senate Finance Committee he was often courted by U.S. presidents to hold cabinet positions. Early 20th century bookplate on front pastedown notes "This book is part of Allison Memorial Collection Gift of Mrs. Jennie A. Brayton" and until deaccessioned was part of Allison's non-circulating collection at his hometown public library across the street from his Dubuque residence. According to Leland L. Sage in his 1956 biography "William Boyd Allison: A Study in Practical Politics," Allison owned "hundreds of books on government, economics, history, banking, finance, and the tariff [as well as] volumes of American and English literature. An omnivorous reader, Allison doubtless read most of these volumes, if only for relaxation from the strain that accompanied his efforts to solve the many problems facing the Nation.".…
Seller Inventory # 49752
Bibliographic details
- Title
- The Star Speaker: A Complete and Choice Collection of the Best Productions by the Best Authors, with an Exhaustive Treatise on the Subject of Vocal and Physical Culture and Gesturing
- Author
- KIGHTLINGER, Flora N.
- Publisher
- Star Publishing Company, Jersey City, NJ
- Publication year
- 1894
- Signed
- Signed
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Edition
- First Edition.
- Seller catalogs
- Books
Main Street Fine Books & Mss, ABAA
Galena, IL, U.S.A.
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 5 to 14 business days | 3 to 6 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 4.54 | £ 9.84 |
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Store description
Main Street Fine Books & Manuscripts has been buying and selling quality books, autographs and ephemera since 1991. We specialize in general antiquarian, first editions, signed books and autographs and documents. We are members of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), Midwest Antiquarian Booksellers Association (MWABA), Universal Autograph Collectors Club (UACC) and The Manuscript Society.
Specialty
Americana, Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, U.S. Grant, American History, Literature, Military History, Autographs, Letters, Documents, Historical Manuscripts, General Antiquarian and O.P.Association member
Members of these associations are committed to maintaining the highest standards. They vouch for the authenticity of all items offered for sale. They provide expert and detailed descriptions, disclose all significant defects and/or restorations, provide clear and accurate pricing, and operate with fairness and honesty during the purchase experience.Seller's business information
Main Street Fine Books & Manuscripts, Ltd.
9304 Saturn Ln
Galena, IL U.S.A. 61036
Terms of sale
Main Street Fine Books & Manuscripts accepts most credit cards. Checks are welcome. Institutions will be accommodated as their procedures require. Shipping is additional and will be quoted at the time an order is placed. EU customers: you are responsible for return shipping for "Right of Withdrawal" returns. Every effort has been made to describe each book and any defects accurately. If an item proves unsatisfactory for any reason, it may be returned pursuant to ABEBooks' policy. We would appreciate a courtesy notification if an item is being returned.
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Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
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If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
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We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Main Street Fine Books & Mss, ABAA, 9304 Saturn Ln, 61036, Galena, Illinois, U.S.A., without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
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