Description
Signed first edition of Here I Stand, the autobiography by musician, actor, football player, and activist Paul Robeson.
Octavo, 128pp. Burgundy hardcover, title in gilt on spine. Stated “First Published in Great Britain in 1958” on copyright page. This English edition precedes the first American edition, published the same year. Solid text block, faint sunning along edges, a near fine example. Previous ownership inscription on front free endpaper, dated 1958. In the publisher’s dust jacket, retail price on front flap, shelf worn, with faint crease lines along hinges. A few short closed tears along edges.
Signed by Paul Robeson on the title page.
Provenance: Doyle Auctions of New York, May 2025. This copy is from the private collection of Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British American novelist. It is inscribed to her father on the front endpaper: “London – August 1958 / To my dearest daddy – with all my love, Barbara.”
Paul Robeson (1898-1976) had a long and diverse public career. He was the only Black student at Rutgers University in 1915 and was twice named All-American while playing football for the college. He earned his LL.B. from Columbia Law School while simultaneously playing in the NFL. Robeson turned to acting after completing his education, performing in Eugene O’Neill’s The Emporer Jones and All God’s Chillun Got Wings. He recorded and released hundreds of songs over nearly forty years, including titles like “Steal Away” and “Were You There.” Robeson was public with his political involvements, openly supporting the Allied efforts in World War II while also supporting civil rights movements and Soviet/communist policies. He was investigated during the McCarthy era, losing rights to international travel until 1958 with the conclusion of the Supreme Court case Kent v. Dulles.
