Baker's Friends
Encased in a brown leather box, embossed with a liquor bottle and the formula for alcohol, the manuscript of Charles Jackson's international best-seller, The Lost Weekend, was presented to the Dartmouth College Library by the author on October 28.
This was another gift acquired for Baker through the remarkably productive efforts of the Friends of the Dartmouth Library. The presentation was the occasion for a reception in Baker's Treasure Room in honor of Mr. Jackson, whose residence in Orford, N. H., for a number of years has made him one of Dartmouth's neighbors and friends.
"Not valuable but please save" was the instruction to the printer penned by Mr. Jackson on the cover of the original LostWeekend manuscript. As it turned out, lots of libraries, including Yale's, considered it valuable and would gladly have accepted it; but Mr. Jackson wanted to save it for his children and did—until Prof. Herbert F. West '22, secretary of the Friends, persuaded him that Dartmouth was a more appropriate recipient.
In their quiet and tireless fashion, the Friends of the Dartmouth Library have thus obtained for Baker an increasingly valuable collection of manuscripts, rare volumes, first editions and other bibliographical items. During the past ten years the ALUMNI MAGAZINE has announced many of their major acquisitions. The efforts of the Friends continue under the direction of Professor West and George Matthew Adams of New York, chairman and himself a most generous donor of his collections of rare books. The organization now has a membership of approximately 250 persons.
Recent donors to Baker Library, through the Friends, include Mr. Adams, Miss Use Bischoff, John R. McLane '07, E. A. Hill '24, Paul Sample '20, Prof. Ray Nash, Mrs. Bella C. Landauer and Col. Marston Drake, New York book dealer and father of Raynolds Drake '49.
Miss Bischoff has given two original Brady photographs of Lincoln taken during the Civil War. Mr. McLane presented 12 first editions of the novels of Thomas Hardy, thereby adding to his previous gift of Hardy items. Mr. Hill's gift was 21 first editions of A. E. Coppard, including a rare copy of The Higgler.
Paul Sample '2O, Dartmouth's artist in residence, has given 13 notebooks filled with pencil and watercolor sketches made in the South Pacific as a war correspondent for Life, together with 17 original watercolors. Professor Nash has given a large collection of printed and photographic material on the United Nations.
Dartmouth's Kipling collection has been augmented by several autograph items from Mrs. Landauer; 29 first editions from Colonel Drake, including two especially rare volumes; and 15 first editions from Mr. Adams.
With contributed funds the Friends of the Dartmouth Library are able occasionally to purchase rare books, and by this means they have recently acquired a first edition of Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Dartmouth men interested in the program of the Friends may obtain information by getting in touch with Professor West, guiding spirit of the organization since its beginning.
