THE BROWNINGS: A Victorian Idyll

New York: Brentano's, Publishers, 1929.. 1929.. Good. - Octavo, reddish brown cloth titled in gilt within a decorative gilt frame on the front cover. The binding is rubbed & bumped wirh a few tiny stains to the front cover. The spine is darkened with its its gilt titling & decorations almost obliterated. [xx] & 289 pages. Illustrated with 6 black-and-white plates, including a frontispiece. Good. <p>First edition.<p>From the library of Hettie Gray Baker with her book label, signed by David Loth, tipped onto the front pastedown. Tipped onto the front endpaper is an interesting typed letter signed from David Loth expressing his pleasure that she liked his book and saying he is glad to sign her bookplate. He goes on to disagree with some observation she has made about the Victorians: "They did of course think a great deal about children, but all the evidence seems to me to show they didn't talk about them, that is engaged couples didn't. Nor do I believe Browning was referring to a child of theirs when he wrote of a possible 'claimant' for her money. After all she had a lot of penniless brothers and sisters and he knew she had often wanted to give money to them...."<p>Hettie Gray Baker (1881-1957), was a pioneer woman in the film industry. As a film editor and writer she contributed to numerous films, including writing scenario and story scripts for several silent films based on Jack London classics. Among these were "Burning Daylight: The Adventures of 'Burning Daylight' in Alaska" (1914), "The Valley of the Moon" (1914), and "The Chechako" (1914). She edited legendary Western film director John Ford's early film "The Iron Horse" (1924). She later became known for her knowledge of Siamese cats and wrote several cat books, including "Cat Tales" published by Farrar Strauss and Young.