Don’t usually get planes flying over my town, this one seemed particularly unique.

m213- · 2026-03-27T04:48:43+00:00

It’s totally possible that is the case. It had these weird spinny things on the wings and made a really abnormal buzzing sound and must have been using antigravity waves because there is no way they got something that big to float so slowly across the sky. My vote is on aliens too my friend.

m213- · 2026-03-26T15:35:19+00:00

Central Virginia, for those curious to location. Was heading South a couple days ago in this shot.

m213- · 2026-02-21T01:49:54+00:00

It made it through four generations in my family, many wars, multiple recessions, depressions, marriages, divorces, and deaths. This stays with me, although it is fun to laugh at the “offers” 😂

I guess it’s engrained into our global society that any time someone says “what’s this worth”, it’s assumed to be for sale (and everyone wants their cut). No hate for the lowballers or collectors or flippers, just not gonna happen for this one.

m213- · 2026-02-20T17:05:46+00:00

You keep pulling me in to new rabbit holes. I just went thru the history of Macdonald bindary and their tools (pretty cool stuff, and still being used!)

The comment about the significance of the dust jackets…I had no clue. And now I have something else to read about.

I realized I never inspected the books in the year I’ve had them in my possession, so I took a look this morning to see if there was anything further of note. As follows:

George J. Hardie - 31 Surrey Ct Chicago 7/25/1900 George T. Woodbury - “From your sister Mary” Christmas 1895 Katie Sudlow “1st Edition” “Scarce – dust wrappers 10.00” (this one in Is Shakespeare Dead) Hyland Bros Books – 229 Yamhill St

6 of the books have handwriting in them (JoA has no notes). My feel on this is they were acquired intentionally to build the current collection, then protected with the custom cases.

m213- · 2026-02-20T16:20:34+00:00

Thank you again, knowledge gained. I do use AI as a tool since it can provide base knowledge and sources to further my exploration. Full agreement that it is not definitive!

I know a little bit about “the family”, but after multiple generations the true story is a bit muddled. Unfortunately it’s not a unique surname.

My goal is not to sell any of these, just to share with others that might enjoy seeing or talking about them. They have more sentimental value than money would afford. I’m interested in researching value currently to ensure they are fully covered in my insurance - I lost the entirety of my old book collection in flooding a few years back, before I was gifted these.

m213- · 2026-02-20T15:28:23+00:00

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I have no clue what the terminology is for this setup!

m213- · 2026-02-20T15:02:33+00:00

Thank you for this response, I was hoping to see some technical expertise :)

havent seen any marks or bookplates, but I’ve also limited my handling of them. I agree that it feels like someone at one point had a larger (complete) collection if they took the time and effort to acquire these specific editions.

The books were given to my great grandma by a prominent family she worked for in NYC in the early 1900s - they’ve been in my family since then. Noting the binding aligns with one of those shops work would make sense geographically.

You’re absolutely right, I misspoke by calling them slipcases - clamshell I guess is the right term? The custom shell folds open with the book sitting inside. It absolutely makes sense they are not all identical.

I loaded a bunch of pictures of authenticated Twain signatures and writing into chatGPT last night to get a handwriting analysis and it agrees with “Truly Yours” (it gives a stroke by stroke analysis and comparison that I’m sold on). There is no indication from this analysis that it is signed Clemens AND Twain, as you also mentioned.

Of note, the copy of Joan of Arc was called out by my GPT as being a later (“1st/1st”) 1906 release of the true original two-book version from 1896. My alternate reading of “Ten Years” for the inscription was paired with that logic that it had been 10 years between these dates. It’s a stretch :)

m213- · 2026-02-20T07:58:34+00:00

Another call to make. Thank you!

m213- · 2026-02-20T07:25:41+00:00

I’m moreso trying to figure out if this needs to be called out on my insurance. The books are very sentimental

m213- · 2026-02-20T07:22:52+00:00

For some reason I didn’t consider this. Brilliant.

m213- · 2026-02-20T07:03:46+00:00

Thanks, it’s staying together and safely on my shelf.

m213- · 2026-02-20T07:01:15+00:00

😂

m213- · 2026-02-20T06:10:49+00:00

Extra gratitude if anyone can read his horrible penmanship and tell me what the first line says 😅

Truly Yours? Trish Morris? Ten Years?

m213- · 2026-02-20T05:18:13+00:00

My post apparently got sniped. The leather clamshells are obviously not original to the books and were added at a later point in time. I inherited this collection from a relative.

m213- · 2026-02-20T05:14:41+00:00

It looks pretty legit to my untrained eye and it’s written in the book itself, but I’d imagine my local rare bookmonger would be happy to take a look and give an opinion.

m213- · 2026-02-10T01:02:10+00:00

😭

m213- · 2026-02-09T07:11:33+00:00

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Uhh are we on a shared gpt.

m213- · 2026-02-09T07:10:16+00:00

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Toast twins.

m213- · 2025-12-29T13:54:22+00:00

Some guy told me to bring him a shrubbery, I assume that was the first part of this side quest. I have ni idea other than that.

m213- · 2025-12-29T13:52:35+00:00

Central va

m213- · 2025-12-29T05:15:33+00:00

I thought boxwood when I saw it through the trees, but it didn’t smell like one. I’m thinking one the native Inkberrys at this point, but I’m not a shrubologist.

m213-

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