The purpose of this checklist is to help bibliophiles identify and price the first and limited editions of Stuart Cummings Ripley. As most of Ripley's books were published in small editions by minor publishing houses, his books are quite rare and priced accordingly. Pricing is purely estimated, as his books, out of print, have not been available in the bookselling or auction market for many years. Ripley rarely signed books so those with his signature demand a premium.
Ventricle Press, which in 2003 published in trade paperback an omnibus collection entitled Ripley, Selected Writings, was forced to withdraw the book by the author's grandson, Stuart Providence Ripley, who protects the copyrights.
The author of this checklist is grateful to William B. Castenberry, nephew of Ripley's late companion, Jill Castenberry. Mr. Castenberry inherited from his aunt a number of Ripley's books and papers, which he allowed me to examine. The bulk of Ripley's manuscripts and papers are archived at Cummings College in Ohio, although effectively made inaccessible by Mr. Stuart Providence Ripley, who, however, permitted me to examine the archive on two occasions under his watchful eye.
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"mike-vetch," poem published in Cummings College Comedogenic, student humor magazine, winter issue 1911. 4to, wrappers. Printed in edition of 100 copies, of which only one is known to exist. Ripley's first published work. Copy in Cummings College archive.
"Archduke Franz Ferdinand." Holograph manuscript, unfinished. Stapled sheets, 1914. Copy in Cummings College archive.
"Sonnet to Pancho Villa." Ten copies privately printed by hectograph, 1916. One copy known to exist, but illegible, in Cummings College archive.
"Influenza." Holograph manuscript, unfinished. Stapled sheets, 1918. Copy in Cummings College archive.
"Hump the Hun." One-act play. 12mo. Stapled wrappers. Frontispiece Press, Paris. Limited to five signed copies, privately distributed. Never staged. 1918. $8,000.
Catastrophe at Carrizal. 8vo, cloth, green dust jacket. George Allen & Unwin, Ltd., London. 1919. $12,000. Published in cloth by Sirois Books, New York, 1920. $10,000. First regularly published book.
"Ode to Warren G. Harding." 12 mo, wrappers. Le Petit Frasque Press, Paris, 1920. Limited to 25 signed copies, privately distributed as Christmas gift. $7,000.
Fleur. 8vo red cloth, In dust jacket. Auclair & Couturier Publishers, Paris, 1924. $10,000.
Desert Sand. 8vo cloth and boards. In dust jacket. Jarret Books, London, 1924. $12,000. Whistler & Whistler Books, Boston, 1924. $11,000.
Desert Bloom. 8vo cloth and boards. In dust jacket. Jarret Books, London, 1926. $10, 000. Zuni Books, Cleveland, 1926. $9,000.
"Winging with Lindy." Play, unfinished. Typewritten stapled sheets with holograph corrections. 1927. Copy in Cummings College archive.
"Ode to Gene." Poem Dedicated to late Eugene V. Debs. Five pages, wrappers. Far Left Publications, Steubenville. 1928. Twenty-five copies, five numbered and signed, of which just one is known to exist, in private collection. [not seen by this bibliographer] $6,000.
My Town. 8vo cloth. In dust jacket. Wirebach Books, Zanesville, 1928. $14, 000.
Commonality. 4to wrappers. First Issue. S.C. Ripley, editor. Antonym Publishing, New York, 1928. $150. Note: magazine went through eight issues.
Desert Dogs. 8vo cloth and boards. In dust jacket. Buckram Books, Kalamazoo, 1929. $5,000.
At Length. 8vo cloth and boards. In dust jacket. Scioli Books, Philadelphia, 1931. $900.
"Kidnapped!" Typewritten stapled sheets with holograph corrections. Libretto for opera composed by Sergei Prokofiev based on Lindbergh kidnapping, unfinished. Copy in Cummings College archive. 1932.
"Inaugural Poem." Single sheet holograph manuscript dedicated to Franklin D. Roosevelt. 1933. Copy in Cummings College archive.
Time of Darkness. 8vo cloth and boards. In dust jacket. Atlas and Pistol Books, Brattleboro, 1933. $800.
"Dillinger." Typewritten stapled sheets with holograph corrections. Libretto for opera composed by George Gershwin based on the notorious gangster, unfinished. Copy in Cummings College archive. 1934.
Climbing the Hill. 8vo cloth and boards. In dust jacket. Aklonis and Shils Publishers, Inc., Elkhart, 1935. $700
Always at Night. 8vo boards. In dust jacket. Missionary Position Books, Wichita, 1935. $600.
My Time in Merlini. 8vo boards. In dust jacket. Caroline and Cornelius Publishing, Punxsutawney, 1935. $500
Paris in My Youth. 8vo boards. In dust jacket. Honest John Books, Lynchburg, 1936. $400.
Angel in the Clouds. 8vo boards. In dust jacket. Dan McGrew Books, Fairbanks, 1938. $300.
Anatomy of Rebellion. 8vo boards. In dust jacket. Manolo Gomez and Brother Publishing, Seville, 1939. $200.
"World War Two." Play, unfinished. Typewritten stapled sheets with holograph corrections. 1939. Copy in Cummings College archive.
"Pearl Harbor." Typewritten stapled sheets with holograph corrections. Libretto for opera composed by Kurt Weill based on events of December 7, 1941 unfinished. Copy in Cummings College archive. 1941.
In Time of War. 8vo cloth and boards. In dust jacket. Diuretic and Gallstone Books, Tuscaloosa, 1946. $100.
Sweet Sweat. Play. 4to wrappers. Samuel French, Inc. , New York, 1948. Six performances at People's Theater, Red Hook, Brooklyn. $25.
Window on Work. Play. 4to wrappers. By Golly Books, Calcutta, 1949. Eight performances by the Collective Theater Company, Delancy Street Baptist Church, New York. $12.
Art of Carmen. Play. 4to wrappers. Olé Books, Chihuahua, 1951. Four performances by the Cabal Theater Group, East Village Loft and Saloon, New York. $6.
My Front. Play. Typewritten manuscript with holograph corrections, unpublished. 1955. No copy appears to exist. Ten performances by the Experimental Theatre Company, New York. See ripley-huac.htm for more details.
The Raw End. Typewritten manuscript with holograph corrections, unpublished. 1957. Copy in Cummings College archive.
Lost in the Stacks. Typewritten manuscript with holograph corrections, unpublished. 1958. Copy in Cummings College archive.
Recipes by Ripley. 8vo wrappers. Bethany Baptist-Methodist Church, Uhlerstown, 1959. $3.50.
Up From Ohio. Typewritten manuscript with holograph corrections, unpublished. 1961. Copy in Cummings College archive.
Ripley, Selected Writings. 8vo wrappers. Ventricle Press, 2003. Withdrawn. $2.50.
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