MONTGOMERY, L.M. "Anne of Green Gables" [L.C. Page & Co, 1944]

MONTGOMERY, L. M. Anne of Green Gables.

Boston: L. C. Page & Company, 1944. September 1944 printing, stated “859th Thousand.” 7.75" x 5.25", 396pp + 2 ads. Publisher’s original green cloth, front cover stamped in gilt with pictorial inset of Anne in profile within a simulated wood-grain frame, spine lettered in gilt, top edge plain. Illustrated by Elizabeth R. Withington, with frontispiece and in-text illustrations. Cloth lightly rubbed with minor edge wear and small areas of surface soiling; corners gently bumped; spine ends softened. Hinges cracked. Textblock clean. Good+ in Poor jacket.

A late but clearly identified wartime printing of Montgomery’s most enduring novel, issued during the height of the book’s popularity in the United States. While far removed from the true first edition, this copy reflects the continued mass readership of Anne of Green Gables well into the mid-20th century, evidenced by the extraordinarily high “thousand” statement. The present copy is accompanied by the original dust jacket in Poor condition, lacking the spine panel entirely and extensively chipped, torn, and tape-reinforced, now held together by a modern Mylar protector. Despite its compromised state, the survival of any portion of the jacket adds contextual interest, particularly for collectors seeking representative examples of later Page & Company issues.