The Allen Koenigsberg Phonograph Collection
Lot 3122:
Description
This incredibly scarce, original March 17, 1892 edition of The Nugget Library (No. 144), published by Street & Smith at 31 Rose Street in New York, features the legendary early science-fiction adventure tale “Tom Edison Jr.’s Chilian Explorer; or, The Sea and Air Terror.” As a prime example of late 19th-century American pulp Americana, this newsprint publication represents the peak of the “Edisonade” subgenre, capturing the era’s fascination with technological marvels through its spectacular wood-engraved lithographic cover illustration of a futuristic military airship. Tom Edison Jr. tried hard to get out of his famous father’s shadow and lent his name to several ventures that caused the family great embarrassment with him ultimately being forced to change his name. This item consists of the original newsprint issue kept in a protective plastic sleeve, which also houses a photocopy of the front cover page positioned behind it for reference. Physically, the piece shows significant objective wear consistent with its extreme age, including deep uniform toning to the newsprint, highly brittle and tattered edges, extensive chipping, and a major tear on the upper right side of the front cover with a partially detached fragment; please note that this piece is exceptionally fragile and will require professional conservation for stabilization and long-term preservation. H 14.25″, W 11.5″, D 0.1″. Please see photos for condition. From the Allan Koenigsberg collection.
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