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1940s Classics Club Books, Set of 10
Located in Bradenton, FL
A collection of ten Classics Club books from the 1940s. Published between 1942-1948, printed in the
Category

Vintage 1940s Books

Materials

Paper

1940s Classics Club Books, Set of 10
1940s Classics Club Books, Set of 10
H 7.5 in W 14 in D 5.5 in
Collection of 34 Swedish 20th Century Leather-Bound Books
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A collection of 34 Swedish decorative antique leather-bound library books. The books are wrapped in
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish British Colonial Books

Materials

Leather, Paper

Collection of 42 Swedish Early 20th Century Leather-Bound Books
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
-1940s. The books are wrapped in leather-bound covers, comprised of a selection of warm tones and gold
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish British Colonial Books

Materials

Leather, Paper

Book "Logos Volume 1, Arduino Panaro Method" and Wooden Rappelling, 1940s
Located in taranto, IT
Extremely rare book Arduino Panaro Bari "logos" method, volume 1, 1930s / 40s, over 400 illustrated pages, signed by the author, equipped with a wooden rappelling team Spignese il...
Category

Vintage 1940s Italian Books

Materials

Paper

1940s Our Big Red Story Book First Edition Children's Book
Located in New York, NY
"Our Big Red Story Book" 1940s binder children's book with a red vinyl cover. Published by Ginn and
Category

Vintage 1940s American Books

Materials

Paper

1940s Jeweled Enameled Brass Daybook Phonebook Note Pad with Stone Buddah
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Purse note pad book, cinches paper in binding, works well with index cards, as shown. Carved Green Stone possibly Jade of a Confucius Asian Man with Long Beard.
Category

Vintage 1940s Chinese Art Deco Books

Materials

Brass

The Bay Area School: Californian Artists from the 1940s, 1950s & 1960s 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
The Bay Area School: Californian Artists from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s by Anya Perse and Thomas
Category

21st Century and Contemporary English Books

Materials

Paper

Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey, Grosset & Dunlap Edition, Circa 1940
By Zane Grey
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Grey, Zane. Riders of the Purple Sage. A Novel. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1912 (1940s
Category

Vintage 1940s American Books

Materials

Leather, Paper

Worlds Popular Classics Group, 14
Located in New York, NY
"; all The Dean Press: Brooklyn, NY, ca. 1940s. 8.25" H x 5.5" W (each)
Category

Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Worlds Popular Classics Group, 14
Worlds Popular Classics Group, 14
H 8.25 in W 2 in D 5.5 in
British Textile Design, V&A, London, 1980, Gakken, Tokyo, 3 Volumes
Located in San Francisco, CA
A very rare set of three folio size books on the textile collection at the Victoria and Albert
Category

Late 20th Century English Books

Materials

Paper

Joan Miró, A Toute Épreuve, by Paul Éluard, republished 1984, 1st edition
Located in New York, NY
in the 1940s, when he was there on an extended visit. Soon after, he began his active involvement
Category

20th Century American Books

Materials

Paper

Sotheby's Catalogue the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Lammot Du Pont Copeland
Located in valatie, NY
collectors. The Copelands bought in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s when prices were reasonable. With seriously
Category

Early 2000s American Books

Materials

Paper

The Song of Bilitis by Pierre Louÿs, Willy Pogany Illustrator
Located in Middletown, NY
children's and other books, mostly in the Art Nouveau style. He lived in London for 10 years and them
Category

Early 20th Century American Books

Materials

Paper, Fabric

Neo-Romantic and Surrealist Art from the Collection of Pierre Le-Tan, Sotheby's
Located in valatie, NY
Time and Life magazines and a niece of the photographer Marc Vaux. His interest in the 1940's extended
Category

1990s English Books

Materials

Paper

Christian Berard by Boris Kochno (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
the decorative arts in the Paris of the 1930s and 1940's. Berard's sets and costumes for the ballet
Category

20th Century Books

Materials

Paper

Christian Berard by Boris Kochno (Book)
Christian Berard by Boris Kochno (Book)
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H 12.75 in W 9.75 in D 1.25 in
Northwest Passage 1st Limited 2 Vol Ed by Kenneth Roberts, Signed & Numbered
Located in valatie, NY
successful 1940 King Vidor film starring Spencer Tracy. I believe the books has never been read as many of
Category

Vintage 1930s American Books

Materials

Paper

Mallette Dean, a Printmaker and His Art by John Hawk, 1st Ed, #Y/26
Located in valatie, NY
titles for the Book Club of California and contributed initials and ornaments to dozens of books
Category

2010s American Books

Materials

Paper

Jess by H. Rider HAGGARD in a Handsome binding
Located in Middletown, NY
members of the public. In the early 1940s Foyle bought Beeleigh Abbey, a 12th-century monastery in Essex
Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Books

Materials

Gold Leaf

The Martian Chronicles, Signed by Ray Bradbury, Limited Edition #1195/2000
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
several stories Bradbury first published in science fiction magazines throughout the 1940s. The Martian
Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Books

Materials

Fabric, Paper

Christie's 'London' Dealing in Excellence: A Celebration of Hotspur & Jeremy
Located in valatie, NY
stock and continue as consultants. Both were family firms founded in the 1920s and 1940s with premier
Category

Early 2000s English Books

Materials

Paper

Quest for the Future by A. E. Van Vogt, First Edition BCE
Located in valatie, NY
Quest for the Future by A. E. Van Vogt. Ace Books, New York, 1970. First edtion hardcover BCE with
Category

Vintage 1970s American Books

Materials

Paper

She: A History of Adventure by H. Rider HAGGARD
Located in Middletown, NY
, along with members of the public. In the early 1940s Foyle bought Beeleigh Abbey, a 12th-century
Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Books

Materials

Gold Leaf

Allan Quatermain by H. Rider HAGGARD in a Handsome binding
Located in Middletown, NY
, along with members of the public. In the early 1940s Foyle bought Beeleigh Abbey, a 12th-century
Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Books

Materials

Gold Leaf

A History of the University of Oxford, its Colleges, Halls, and Public Buildings
Located in Middletown, NY
colorplate books of the highest quality was established with the publication of "The Microcosm of London
Category

Antique Early 19th Century English Books

Materials

Leather, Paint, Paper

Cornell Capa: Photographs, Signed First Edition by Cornell Capa
By Cornell Capa
Located in valatie, NY
pp. A group of his most moving and powerful images from around the world, taken between the 1940s and
Category

1990s American Books

Materials

Paper

Klee and America ist US edition 2007
Located in London, GB
reception, especially during the 1930s and 1940s while the artist was being targeted in Hitler's campaign
Category

Early 2000s Books

Materials

Paper

Klee and America ist US edition 2007
Klee and America ist US edition 2007
H 11.42 in W 9.45 in D 1.58 in
Finn Juhl: Furniture, Architecture, Applied Art by Esbjorn Hiort (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
Finn Juhl (1912-1989) was First and foremost famous for his furniture. in the 1940s, he broke with
Category

20th Century Books

Materials

Paper

Georges Braque and the Cubist Still Life 1928-1945 1st Ed Exhibition Catalog
Located in valatie, NY
1930s and 1940s by German and French critics. This volume also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Books

Materials

Paper

Les Annees 40, Anne Bony
By Anne Bony
Located in London, GB
arts, crafts and culture of the 1940s. This book confirms just how creatively influential the 1940s was
Category

Vintage 1980s British Books

Materials

Paper

Les Annees 40, Anne Bony
Les Annees 40, Anne Bony
H 12.6 in W 9.85 in D 2.37 in
Cheminees Et Coins De Feu (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
century, who put together and edited this collection of Chimney and fireplace designs from the 1940's. The
Category

20th Century Books

Materials

Paper

Cheminees Et Coins De Feu (Book)
Cheminees Et Coins De Feu (Book)
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H 13 in W 10 in D 0.75 in
Tarzan and The Lost Empire First Edition
By Edgar Rice Burroughs
Located in Dallas, TX
book is quite good. Metropolitan Books Publishers [1929], New York, 1929. First edition, first binding
Category

Early 20th Century American Romantic Books

Materials

Paper

Tarzan and The Lost Empire First Edition
Tarzan and The Lost Empire First Edition
H 7.6 in W 5.3 in D 1.25 in
The Son of Tarzan First Edition
By Edgar Rice Burroughs
Located in Dallas, TX
Thus. Tarzan of the Apes is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first in a series of books
Category

Early 20th Century American Romantic Books

Materials

Paper

The Son of Tarzan First Edition
The Son of Tarzan First Edition
H 7.6 in W 5.3 in D 1.25 in
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar First Edition
By Edgar Rice Burroughs
Located in Dallas, TX
written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first in a series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was
Category

Early 20th Century American Romantic Books

Materials

Paper

Tarzan and The Golden Lion by Edgar Rice Burroughs McClurg 1st Edition
By Edgar Rice Burroughs
Located in Dallas, TX
, the first in a series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp
Category

Early 20th Century American Romantic Books

Materials

Paper

Finn Juhl: a Biography by Esbjorn Hiort (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
furniture. In the 1940s, he broke with the established furniture tradition and designed a number of
Category

20th Century Books

Materials

Paper

Finn Juhl: a Biography by Esbjorn Hiort (Book)
Finn Juhl: a Biography by Esbjorn Hiort (Book)
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H 12 in W 9.63 in D 0.88 in
Jean Prouve: Objects and Furniture Design by Patricia De Muga (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
Modernist style. In the early 1940s, due to the scarcity of steel during World War II, Prouvé began working
Category

20th Century Books

Materials

Paper

Tarzan and The Ant Men First Edition
By Edgar Rice Burroughs
Located in Dallas, TX
. Tarzan of the Apes is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first in a series of books about the
Category

Early 20th Century American Romantic Books

Materials

Paper

Tarzan and The Ant Men First Edition
Tarzan and The Ant Men First Edition
H 7.6 in W 5.3 in D 1.25 in
Ellsworth Kelly
Located in New York City, NY
1940s to his final projects before his death in late 2015. Featuring a newly designed cover, this
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Books

Materials

Paper

Ellsworth Kelly
Ellsworth Kelly
H 12 in W 9.38 in D 1.5 in
Festus Pragnell, the Green Man of Kilsona, First Edition Presentation Copy, 1936
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
active mostly in the 1930s and 1940s. This work is a fantasy set on Kilsona, an inhabited planet of the
Category

Vintage 1930s British Books

Materials

Fabric

Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
inventiveness in the final decade of his career. Beginning in the late 1940s, he worked intensively with
Category

20th Century Books

Materials

Paper

Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs (Book)
Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs (Book)
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H 11 in W 9.25 in D 1.38 in
Poems for Alan Hancox, Whittington Press, Limited Edition
Located in Middletown, NY
Cheltenhaim in the late 1940s, and it quickly became a meeting place and the literary heart of the town.
Category

Late 20th Century English Books

Materials

Paper, Leather

The Return of Tarzan First Edition
By Edgar Rice Burroughs
Located in Dallas, TX
. 1915. Tarzan of the Apes is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first in a series of books
Category

Early 20th Century American Romantic Books

Materials

Paper

The Return of Tarzan First Edition
The Return of Tarzan First Edition
H 7.6 in W 5.3 in D 1.25 in
"Ellsworth Kelly" Art Book by Tricia Y. Paik
By Ellsworth Kelly
Located in San Diego, CA
from the 1940s to his final projects before his death in late 2015. Featuring a newly designed cover
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Books

Materials

Paper

"Ellsworth Kelly" Art Book by Tricia Y. Paik
"Ellsworth Kelly" Art Book by Tricia Y. Paik
H 12.375 in W 9.75 in D 1.5 in
Jungle Tales of Tarzan First Edition
By Edgar Rice Burroughs
Located in Dallas, TX
Burroughs, the first in a series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the
Category

Early 20th Century American Romantic Books

Materials

Paper

Jungle Tales of Tarzan First Edition
Jungle Tales of Tarzan First Edition
H 7.6 in W 5.3 in D 1.25 in
Art of Cartier 1988 Geneva Auction Hardcover Book
By Cartier
Located in North Hollywood, CA
, emeralds, rubies and sapphires all nestled in a frieze of foliage), gold jewelry of the 1930s and 1940s and
Category

20th Century Swiss Art Deco Books

Materials

Paper

Ilmari Tapiovaara, Interior Architect (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
furniture designs of Ilmari Tapiovaara, who in the mid twentieth century - 1940s and 1950s was one of
Category

20th Century Books

Materials

Paper

Ilmari Tapiovaara, Interior Architect (Book)
Ilmari Tapiovaara, Interior Architect (Book)
Free Shipping
H 8.5 in W 8.5 in D 0.25 in
Móvel Moderno Brasileiro, Brazilian Modern Design, Book
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Brazilian furniture designers in the modern period, between the 1940s and 1970s, including: Joaquim Tenreiro
Category

2010s Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Atlas of Interior Design Dominic Bradbury
Located in New York City, NY
Explore interior-design masterpieces around the globe from the 1940s to today with this unique
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Books

Materials

Paper

Atlas of Interior Design Dominic Bradbury
Atlas of Interior Design Dominic Bradbury
H 11.375 in W 9.875 in D 3 in
Jean Dubuffet: Painted Sculptures - Pace Gallery, New York, 1968
By Jean Dubuffet
Located in London, GB
early 1940s were followed by a series of works in which he employed unorthodox materials such as cement
Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Gino Sarfatti by Frederic Leibovitz (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
"Arteluce", who created many iconic lamp designs in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Hardback, 175 pages
Category

20th Century Books

Materials

Paper

Gino Sarfatti by Frederic Leibovitz (Book)
Gino Sarfatti by Frederic Leibovitz (Book)
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H 11 in W 9.5 in D 0.75 in
Rocky Mountain Modern: Contemporary Alpine Homes
By Phaidon
Located in New York City, NY
1940s, Aspen, a former mining town in the Colorado Rockies, became an unlikely bastion of modernism
Category

2010s Chinese Books

Materials

Paper

Osvaldo Borsani (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
Atelier Varedo (later Arredemento Borsani) as a furniture designer. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s he
Category

Late 20th Century Books

Materials

Paper

Osvaldo Borsani (Book)
Osvaldo Borsani (Book)
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H 12.5 in W 9.75 in D 1.13 in
Henri Matisse Jazz (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
late 1930s and early 1940s. The colors are very vibrant and the theme was based on the circus and
Category

20th Century Books

Materials

Paper

Henri Matisse Jazz (Book)
Henri Matisse Jazz (Book)
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H 15.5 in W 12 in D 1.13 in
Listening to Clay: Conversations with Contemporary Japanese Ceramic Artists
By Phaidon
Located in New York City, NY
late 1940s to the present day, a period of massive change. Now, sharing their stories for the first
Category

2010s Chinese Books

Materials

Paper

Studio Yearbook: Decorative Art, 1943-1948
By The Studio Publications, London 1
Located in London, GB
this traditionally annual publication. The 1940s think exposed brick fireplaces, elegant sideboards and
Category

Vintage 1940s British Books

Studio Yearbook: Decorative Art, 1943-1948
Studio Yearbook: Decorative Art, 1943-1948
H 11.82 in W 9.06 in D 0.79 in
Unforgiven by Alan Le May, First British Edition, 1957
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
to an old struggle as he returns to the desolate Texas territory of the 1870's” (Kirkus). Three years
Category

Vintage 1950s English Books

Materials

Paper

Peter Adam, Eileen Gray, Architect or Designer "A Biography" Book
By Peter Adam
Located in London, GB
, 1930s and 1940s, Gray and her work fell in to obscurity for many years, until a chance auction of art
Category

Vintage 1980s British Books

Andre Arbus: Architecte-Decorateur Des Annees 40 by Yvonne Brunhammer (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
. He made his name through the 1930s and 1940s and was a contemporary of many the great designers of
Category

20th Century Books

Materials

Paper

Inventing the California Look
By Rizzoli International Publications
Located in New York, NY
inspire the work of designers today. From the 1940s to the 1980s, some of the best resi-dences in
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Books

Materials

Paper

Inventing the California Look
Inventing the California Look
H 12.3 in W 10 in D 1.1 in
UAM Union des Artistes Modernes Petits Meubles de Grands Noms (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
French Decorative Artists which flourished in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. The members were some of the
Category

20th Century Books

Materials

Paper

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1940s Books For Sale on 1stDibs

There is a range of 1940s books for sale on 1stDibs. The range of distinct 1940s books — often made from paper, animal skin and leather — can elevate any home. There are all kinds of 1940s books available, from those produced as long ago as the 19th Century to those made as recently as the 21st Century. 1940s books bearing Mid-Century Modern or Modern hallmarks are very popular at 1stDibs. Winston Churchill, Pablo Picasso and Alastair Duncan each produced beautiful 1940s books that are worth considering.

Finding the Right Books for You

Antique and vintage books add a sense of culture and style to any room. Displaying these types of books in your living room or reading nook can warm a space with a distinguished feel.

Several factors make antique books highly desirable. Original jackets, ornate binding, illustrations and quality of the print all contribute to making a vintage book special. Rare books are of great interest to collectors in the know and can command high prices at auction. In 2021, an important early artist book by Andy Warhol sold at auction for more than $106,000. Somewhere between all the commercial work he did as an ambitious young graphic designer in the early 1950s and his first real debut as a Pop artist a decade later, Warhol produced a trove of incredibly charming drawings. His illustrated self-published artist books from the 1950s are very rare.

Many collectors seek the first edition of certain books. Fewer copies of a book and higher demand make it a rare find. A book that contains the author’s signature also makes it much more prized than other examples of the same title.

Collectors and designers decorate rooms with vintage books for a cozy feeling in a home. Coffee-table books, such as those featuring photography and design, serve as conversation pieces or offer a relaxing moment when leafed through.

Interior designers look for vintage books when they want to add color or detail. For instance, leather-bound books can create a scholarly air while mid-century titles offer a modern edge. Vintage international books or first editions can provide a sense of history.

No matter the genre, there is a book for you. You can find rare, one-of-a-kind antique books on 1stDibs. Browse by authors, like celebrated architect and designer Frank Lloyd Wright and Edgar Rice Burroughs, as well as by period, including mid-century modern, Art Deco and Victorian.

Questions About 1940s Books
Prices for most 1940s books on 1stdibs are negotiable. You’ll see a "Make an Offer" button on the item details page, indicating that the seller is willing to consider a lower price. It’s not uncommon for customers to get 15–25% off the list price after negotiating. See our tips for negotiating like a pro.
Only experienced, professional sellers who have applied and been thoroughly vetted by our team of experts can sell 1940s books and other quality items on our site. Learn more about becoming a 1stdibs seller.
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