Offered for sale is an original 1903 London edition of New York Sketches by Jesse Lynch Williams, signed by the author. Published by George Newnes, Limited, this is an early British edition featuring period illustrations depicting turn-of-the-century New York City.
Jesse Lynch Williams later became the first recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1918), making signed works by him increasingly collectible.
About the Author & the Book
Jesse Lynch Williams (1871–1929) was an American journalist, essayist, and playwright whose work captured modern urban life at the turn of the 20th century. He is best known for winning the first-ever Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1918 for his play Why Marry?, a landmark work in American theater.
New York Sketches was among Williams’s earliest and most influential prose works, originally published in the United States in 1902 and shortly thereafter in this 1903 London edition. The book presents a series of vivid literary sketches portraying everyday life in New York City—its streets, waterfronts, neighbourhoods, and social rhythms—during a period of rapid urban growth and change.
The illustrated plates included in this edition reflect contemporary artistic interpretations of New York scenes, enhancing the book’s historical value as both a literary and visual record of the city in the early 1900s. British editions such as this one brought Williams’s distinctly American urban perspective to an international audience.
Signed copies of New York Sketches are uncommon, particularly in early editions, and are sought after by collectors of New York history, early 20th-century American literature, and Pulitzer Prize–associated authors.
Publication Details
Title:New York Sketches
Author: Jesse Lynch Williams
Publisher: George Newnes, Limited
Place & Year: London, 1903
Illustrated: Yes
Binding: Original green cloth boards with gilt decorative panel and spine lettering
Signature
Hand-signed by Jesse Lynch Williams
Signature appears on the title page
Guaranteed original autograph
Condition
Overall: Good to Very Good for age (122 years old)
Binding: Original cloth intact; noticeable age-related mottling, fading, and surface wear
Spine: Structurally sound with readable lettering; some wear at head and tail
Interior: Pages clean overall with light toning and occasional foxing; illustrations crisp and well-preserved
Signed on back of front cover.
Please see above photos.
Notes for Collectors
Early illustrated London edition
Scarce signed copy
Attractive example of Edwardian-era New York literary history
Ideal for collectors of signed books, New York history, or Pulitzer Prize–related authors
