John Shelton Reed (born 1942) is an American sociologist and essayist, author or editor of 23 books, most of them dealing with contemporary America. And at 82 he still has some projects to keep him busy. One of them is a recent bibliographical effort: “In Search of Famous Creoles.”
Ten years ago he ran into a slim volume called Sherwood Anderson and Other Famous Creoles: A Gallery of Contemporary New Orleans. First printed in 1926, it was a collaboration between William Faulkner (as writer) and William Spratling, artist and its illustrator. It was a bit whimsical and in time has become an opportunity to find out where its copies have landed up.
Most books have a publishing history but in most cases, they have disappeared. In a few cases the details have been retained. For Dr. Reed, this book became a challenge when he learned its two print runs are known.
Two editions were released; 250 copies in 1926 and 150 as a second issue in 1927.
With those facts in hand, he began to find every copy he could. How many he found? 129. Most are in libraries and a spattering among dealers and collectors.
And along the way he found evidence of a little bloat. Ultimately, he concluded 432 copies were issued. Of them, 50 were decorated in color by hand.
Ultimately, he concluded the volume’s insubstantial binding may have been the principal reason more copies have not been found.
In our Transactions+, we are showing 16 copies dated 1926, and 2 1927. Most copies Dr. Reed found were in the OCLC.
All in all, his effort yielded a perspective on how collectible paper survives through the years.
Mr. Reed’s bibliographical essay fits into a hard binding issued by Bozart Books.
Be aware, you can make similar studies for material that fits within your interests. Rare Book Hub has captured 15,000,000 auction appearances.
Forum Auctions Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper 28th May 2026
Forum, May 28: Book of Hours.- Heures de nostre dame a l'usaige de Romme, Paris, Antoine Chappiel pour Germain Hardouin, [1504]. £6,000-8,000
Forum, May 28: Colonna (Francesco). La Hypnerotomachia di Poliphilo, second edition, Venice, Sons of Aldus Manutius, 1545. £15,000-20,000
Forum, May 28:The Christ Child holding a crystal orb and surrounded by banderoles with devotional exhortations, on a leaf most probably from a Book of Hours, [Southern Netherlands, last decades of the fifteenth century]. £2,000-3,000
Forum Auctions Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper 28th May 2026
Forum, May 28: Jackson (Shirley). The Haunting of Hill House, first English edition, signed presentation inscription from the author to Claude Fredericks, 1960. £2,000-3,000
Forum, May 28: Lennon (John). In His Own Write, first edition, first impression, signed by the author, 1964. £3,000-4,000
Forum, May 28: Doves Press.- Keats (John). [Poems], one of 200 copies on paper, Doves Press, 1914. £5,000-7,000
Forum Auctions Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper 28th May 2026
Forum, May 28: Rodrigues (João Barbosa). Sertum Palmarum Brasiliensium, 2 vol., first and only edition, Brussels, 1903. £8,000-12,000
Forum, May 28: Newton (Sir Isaac). Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica…editio ultima, auctior et emendatior, Amsterdam, Sumptibus Societatis, 1714. £8,000-12,000
Forum, May 28: Kepler (Johannes). Ad Vitellionem paralipomena, wuibus astronomiae pars optica traditur, first edition, Frankfurt am Main, 1604. £5,000-7,000
Forum Auctions Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper 28th May 2026
Forum, May 28: Tagliacozzi (Gaspare). De Curtorum Chirurgia per insitionem, libri duo, first edition, Venice, Gasparo Bindoni, 1597. £7,000-10,000
Forum, May 28: Lootsman (Jacobsz). The Lightning Colomne, or Sea-Mirrour, containing the Sea-Coasts of the Northern, Eastern and Western Navigation..., 1670. £8,000-12,000
Forum, May 28: Ribelles y Helip (José), Attributed to. An album comprising 33 finely executed watercolours of Spanish costume, bull-fighting scenes, and other genre subjects, [circa 1830]. £10,000-15,000
