On offer is a wonderfully preserved book of vintage stamped letters from 1925 and 1926. One of only a handful still in circulation, "Letters from a Globetrotter" is a travelogue in the form of a series of subscription letters written by Elmer D. Raymond, founder and president of the Round-the-World Society. This particular collections title page has "Volume Two" printed on it. Included in the book are close to 30 typewritten, mimeographed letters, over 65 real stamps with postmarks and cancels, and three black and white photo plates. There is also a fold-out map of the world, and a black sketch with blue background drawn by the author. Each letter in this collection is numbered with a roman numeral (LIII being the first) , and addressed to Mrs. Geo W Acker of Port Gibson, Mississippi. The return address of the letters is the Round-The-World Society in New York, NY. The letters include stamps on the front (some letters with one stamp, and some with up to five or ten) , and about three pages of typed text inside. Every letter is titled, eg, "THE FOUR CITIES OF THE SEVEN HILLS," and includes a location at the top, before the greeting of "Dear Friend: -" The contents of the letters are fascinating, as Raymond uses his words to paint vivid pictures of the people, culture, history, and current events of the places he visits. The travelogue begins en route to Fez, Morocco, with letter LIII. Raymond sets the scene, writing, "To-day we are awakened by the bells of a caravan drawing through Taza. First you think Santa Claus is paying a belated visit, but soon you hear the shouts of the driver: 'Ahr zitt! Ahr zitt! ' Santa Claus wouldnt talk Arabic to his reindeers." Raymond travels around Morocco before moving on to Monaco and into Italy. The collection ends with letter LXXIX in Greece. The leatherette two-hole binder measures 6" x 9". The screw posts used for binding are intact, and the cover, letters, map, plates, and stamps within are in great condition. In this stunning artefact of travel writing, Raymond captures the readers imagination from the opening lines of each letter. He provides a remarkable illustrated depiction of one (possibly American) mans travels in North Africa and Europe in the 1920s. For a collector, there is a wealth of stamps mailed to the United States from numerous fascinating locations. This is one of two volumes of "Letters from a Globetrotter" in our collection. Both are relatively unique, with overlap of only twelve letters and three photograph plates. ; Letters; 8vo 6" x 9"
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