Recollections of A Savage Ex-Libris Seattle Hotelier

Description

Recollections Of A Savage by Edwin A Ward. New York: Frederick H Stokes. Undated.

This memoir by portrait artist Edwin A Ward, Recollections of a Savage , serves as an anecdotal history and description of The Savage Club, a British gentleman’s club founded in 1857, offering profiles of its membership from the arts, literature, law, music, and science. In Ward’s estimation as a member of more than 30 years, “They were vigorous people who ate well, drank well and stuck to their job whatever it was.”

This ex-libris copy belonged to Brownie W. McCormick, the wife of Robert C. McCormick, the former owners of Seattle’s New Richmond hotel from its opening in 1911 until 1949. They appear to have been a colorful couple.

Per the research of Dr. Duane Denfield, “An early newsworthy event occurred on May 1, 1914, when owner Robert McCormick fired a pistol in his hotel. He was shooting at his father-in-law, G. J. Williams, who was in a room on the eighth floor. McCormick fired three bullets through the room door but did not hit Williams. When police arrived and demanded he surrender his pistol, McCormick refused. It took four policemen to overcome McCormick and during the struggle a fourth bullet fired. In court, McCormick’s lawyer pleaded him guilty to discharging a firearm within the city limits. He received a light sentence of a $100 fine.”

8vo, pp307, green cloth boards with title and author stamped to front board and spine. Minor wear to spine edges, vertical ink stain to spine. Small spot on back board. Ex-libris book plate of Brownie W. McCormick on front pastedown. Pages toned but clean. Warping to top fore corner of pp 155-166. Good condition.

If you enjoyed this book, you might also enjoy this early legal treatise on the insanity defense with the noted bookplate of historian, book collector, and Catholic Priest Monsignor Joseph M. Gleason.