Description
First edition, first printing of The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, in the publisher’s first state dust jacket.
Small octavo, 285pp, [3]. Black cloth, title in silver on spine. Top edge dyed red. Illustrated endpapers. With “First Edition” statement on copyright page, indicating a first printing. Rubbing and light soiling to the spine, general toning throughout. Previous ownership inscription opposite the title page. In the publisher’s first state dust jacket, $3.00 retail price on front flap, tape repair to closed tear on verso, light sunning to the spine, wear and chipping at the head of the spine, a very good example.
Het Achterhuis, or The Secret Annex, was first mentioned publicly in an article in Amsterdam in 1946, written by Jan Romein. The diaries were in the hands of Otto Frank, Anne’s father, who was interested in finding a publisher. The newspaper article piqued the interest of Amsterdam’s Contact Publishing, who produced a first edition of 3,036 copies on June 25th, 1947. A second printing of the diaries was published in December of 1947. (Books of the Century, 180, 183) (Anne Frank House)
