Bidspirit auction | 1936. Burroughs, Edgar Rice. Swords

1936. Burroughs, Edgar Rice. Swords of Mars. Grosset & Dunlap. (DJ) - This octavo-sized hardcover volume is a reprint edition of Edgar Rice Burroughs' science fiction novel, Swords of Mars, published by Grosset & Dunlap in New York. The work is bound in the publisher's red cloth with the title and author's name printed on the spine. The volume is accompanied by its original illustrated dust jacket featuring wrap-around artwork by J. Allen St. John. The front flap of the dust jacket contains a promotional synopsis of the plot, which features the protagonist John Carter on the nearer moon of Mars, Thuria; the number 7575 is printed at the top left of this flap. The rear flap contains a bibliography titled The Books of Edgar Rice Burroughs, listing various Tarzan, Mars, and Venus titles. The interior includes several black-and-white plates by J. Allen St. John, with captions such as I took Ozara in my arms and jumped and A sword flashed inward. The title page credits J. Allen St. John as the illustrator and bears the Grosset & Dunlap imprint. The copyright page states Copyright, 1936, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. and includes a reservation of rights statement. The dust jacket shows significant wear including chipping and small losses at the head and tail of the spine (photo 3) and along the top edge of the front panel (photo 1). There is visible toning and surface soiling to the jacket spine (photo 3) and light foxing to the flaps (photo 4). The red cloth binding shows minor bumping and rubbing at the corners and spine ends (photo 3). Internally, the pages exhibit age-related toning, particularly at the margins, and occasional foxing is present on the preliminary leaves and plates (photo 5, photo 7). The binding remains structurally sound and the plates are intact.