THE TREE by GREY OWL — SIGNED 1st Edition 1st Printing HC, 1937 — Very Rare Publisher: Lovat & Dickson, London (1937)
Very rare, SIGNED, first edition, first printing of THE TREE from the early 20th-century (British-born; non-Native) conservationist, Grey Owl. The boards and binding are solid and tight save for some light shelf-wear and chipping to the top of the spine. The American Indian pictorial paste down is crisp and clear. The pages and illustrations are crisp and clean save for the previous owner's signature and a few spots of foxing near the spine border of the first page corresponding to the inside board. A very well signed and preserved first edition, first printing copy of THE TREE by Grey Owl. Please see below for more information on Grey Owl and his groundbreaking environmentalism and conservation work in the early 20th century. A beautiful, fascinating work.
Biography and Conservation Work
Grey Owl was the name British-born Archibald Belaney (September 18, 1888 – April 13, 1938) chose for himself when he took on a fraudulent First Nations identity for himself as an adult. While he achieved fame as a
conservationist during his life, after his death the revelation of his
non-Native origins and other fabrications in his backstory adversely affected his reputation.
Born in England and migrating to Canada in the first decade of the
20th century, Belaney rose to prominence as a notable author, lecturer,
and one of the "most effective apostles of the wilderness". In his studies of the Objiwe,
Belaney learned some native harvesting techniques and trapping skills.
The pivotal moment of departure for his early conservation work was when
he began his relationship with a young Iroquois woman named Gertrude Benard, who assisted in his transition from trapper to conservationist.
In working with the National Parks Branch Belaney became the subject
of many films, and was established as the “‘caretaker of park animals’
at Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba" in 1931. Together with his numerous articles, books, films and lectures, his
views on conservation reached audiences beyond the borders of Canada,
challenging people to re-evaluate their relationship with nature. His
conservation views largely focused on humans' negative impact on nature
through their commodification of nature's resources for profits, and a
need for humans to develop a respect for the natural world. -Wikipedia
