Description
Signed first edition of Memoirs by Harry S. Truman, inscribed to the head of the MPAA, Eric Johnston.
Octavo, [two volumes], xi, 596pp; xi, 594pp. Black cloth, titles in silver on spines, signature of the author in silver on front covers. Stated “First Edition” in both volumes. Top edges dyed green. Both volumes with solid text blocks, faint offsetting to endpapers, touch of wear to cloth panels. In the publisher’s first state dust jackets, both with $5.00 retail price on front flap, bright illustrations, closed tears on spine and front hinge of Volume II, faint soiling to both jacket spines, shelf wear. Includes a laid-in “gift certificate” for the upcoming release of Volume II. (Burns 0016) Housed in custom gray cloth slipcase. Truman inscribed this copy on the dedication leaf, which was defaced above his signature in 2015 by an unknown individual. Attempts were made to remove graffiti, but it was only partially successful.
This copy is inscribed by President Harry S. Truman in Volume I to the head of the Motion Picture Association of America, Eric Johnston: “To the Honorable Eric Johnston / with kindest regards and happy memories of our association, from his good friend, Harry Truman / Independence / April 21, 1956.”
Eric Johnston (1896-1963) was an American businessman and civic leader who served as president of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) from 1945 until his death. In 1947, he played a central role in issuing the Waldorf Statement, a declaration by major Hollywood studio executives at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel pledging not to employ individuals affiliated with the Communist Party, marking the start of the Hollywood blacklist. In 1951 during the Korean War, President Harry S. Truman appointed Johnston as head of the Economic Stabilization Agency, where he oversaw price and wage controls to fight inflation and maintain economic balance. (Provenance: RR Auctions, 2025)
