Negro Folk Songs as Sung by Lead Belly
New York: The Macmillan Company, 1936. 1st Edition. 8vo. Very Good / Very Good-. Item #15665
A beautiful 1936 1st Edition in the RARE original publisher dust jacket.
An oral autobiography of Lead Belly, born Huddie William Ledbetter (1888-1949), features original lyrics and scores in addition to life stories and other biographical material.
Lead Belly was a gifted musician, usually playing a 12-string guitar, but also proficient on the mandolin, accordion, piano, harmonica and violin.
Lead Belly served several prison sentences over the course of a 24 year period, ending in 1939, for a variety of charges, including twice for murder. It was during one of these sentences that he was 'discovered' by the Lomaxes, who were working on a project for the Library of Congress recording different styles of Southern music. They recorded hundreds of his songs during 1933 and 1934 and the rest, as they say, is history.
Tan cloth with titling stamped in red to the front board and spine. Square tight binding. Clean interior, save for the small name 'Huddy Ledbetter' (not Lead Belly's signature), written in pencil to the front pastedown. Mild rubbing and edge wear with some light soiling to binding.
Dust jacket with moderate soiling and edge wear, mainly along the top. Presents handsomely in archival mylar.
Price: $1,750.00