Go Tell It On the Mountain - photo 1
Go Tell It On the Mountain - photo 2
Go Tell It On the Mountain - photo 3
Go Tell It On the Mountain - photo 4
Go Tell It On the Mountain - photo 5

Go Tell It On the Mountain

Lot 4
28.09.2023 13:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 9 828
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1016511
Lot 4 | Go Tell It On the Mountain
Estimate value
£ 3 000 – 5 000
Go Tell It On the Mountain

James Baldwin

James BALDWIN (1924-1987). Go Tell It On the Mountain. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1953.



A bright presentation copy of the first edition of Baldwin's debut book, inscribed by the author: ‘For Gene, in admiration of his perseverance, Jimmy B’. Baldwin’s novel draws heavily on his personal experience growing up in Harlem, his family environment and the wider affects of the Great Migration from the South during the early 1930s. The author began writing an iteration of the book as early as 1938, first showing a complete manuscript to novelist Richard Wright in 1944. However, it wasn’t until 1952 that the book reached the offices of Alfred A. Knopf, with the publisher agreeing to release Baldwin’s work later that year. Today, Go Tell It On the Mountain is considered one of the seminal texts of African-American experience during the early 20th century.



Octavo. Original brick-red cloth, upper cover and spine lettered in gilt, lower cover with publisher’s device blindstamped in lower right corner, top edge stained blue (bottom edge very lightly worn, head and tail of spine lightly bruised); original pictorial dust-jacket (short tears to edges and along rear flap fold, some wear and fading to spine and minor soiling to back cover, two small dampstains); housed in modern black cloth clamshell box, spine lettered in gilt. Provenance: authorial presentation inscription to ‘Gene’.

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.09.2023 – 28.09.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.