Bidspirit auction | 1930. Coulson, Major Thomas. Mata

1930. Coulson, Major Thomas. Mata Hari: Courtesan and Spy. Blue Ribbon Books. (DJ) - A photoplay tie-in edition of Mata Hari: Courtesan and Spy by Major Thomas Coulson, O.B.E., published by Blue Ribbon Books of New York. The title page is enclosed in a decorative border and bears the publisher's brb logo, transcribing as MATA HARI / Courtesan and Spy / By / MAJOR THOMAS COULSON, O.B.E. / BLUE RIBBON BOOKS / New York. The copyright page states Copyright, 1930, by Harper & Brothers / Printed in the U. S. A. and notes the printer as The Cornwall Press, Inc., Cornwall, N.Y. This hardcover volume is bound in red cloth and features an illustrated dust jacket promoting the 1931 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film starring Greta Garbo. The text is supplemented by several black-and-white film still plates, including Greta Garbo seated in a robe before a mirror and Garbo in costume appearing before a man at a desk. An interior page features a handwritten ownership inscription in black ink reading Miss Helen Ann Harvey / 406 Lake Ave. / ROCHESTER, N.Y. The rear dust jacket flap contains an advertisement for the Rainbow Bindings series from Blue Ribbon Books. The dust jacket is in poor condition with significant loss at the head and foot of the spine, numerous tears, and creases along the edges (photo 1, 2, 3). The spine of the jacket shows a large section of loss at the top, partially obscuring the title (photo 3). The interior pages exhibit age-toning and scattered foxing, most notably visible on the title page and the page bearing the ownership inscription (photo 5, 7, 8). There is a vertical tear to the outer edge of the page bearing the ownership inscription (photo 5). The binding appears stable but shows wear consistent with the jacket's condition.