Carl Van Vechten

Carl Van Vechten (June 17, 1880 – December 21, 1964), 'The Tiger In The House.' Published in 1920 by Knopf. First edition, #1110 of 2,000, hardcover, 367 pages. Autographed and personalized by Van Vechten, July 11, 1945, New York.

“A god, a companion to sorceresses at the Witches’ Sabbath, a beast who is royal in Siam, who in Japan is called ‘the tiger that eats from the hand,’ the adored of Mohammed, Laura’s rival with Petrarch, the friend of Richelieu, the favorite of poets”—such are just a few of the feline distinctions that Carl Van Vechten records in this glorious historical overview of humanity’s long love affair with the cat. As delightful as it is learned, 'The Tiger in the House' explores science, art, and history to assemble a treasury of cat lore, while Van Vechten’s sumptuous baroque prose
makes the book’s every page an inexhaustible pleasure.

Van Vechten, the celebrated American writer and photographer, was the literary executor of Gertrude Stein and a key figure of the Harlem Renaissance movement. He captured iconic images of all the key members in the worlds of Art, Theater, Music, and Literature. Van Vechten viewed his photography as a hobby; he never took commissions, he never sold photographs. He would grant permission to publish them, but had strict requirements to do so. He was a prominent fixture in 20th century photography collections with his work being included in such institutions as The Library of Congress, The Museum of The City of New York and The Smithsonian Institution.

Van Vechten has signed and personalized the 1st page to a "Kathleen and Leo Perper." The edition appears complete and in full. In very good condition, scattered toning to pages, loose hinges, spine partially attached, and wear to edges of boards.