{"product_id":"1953-fahrenheit-451-asbestos-binding-signed-limited-edition","title":"Fahrenheit 451","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10\"\u003eBradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451; illustrated by Joe Mugnaini. New York: Ballantine Books, Inc., (1953). \u003cstrong\u003eFIRST EDITION, LIMITED EDITION\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"11\" id=\"p-rc_fbee907f9461d16d-20\"\u003e8vo - 8\" x 5-3\/8\". 199 pp. Original white Johns-Manville Quinterra over boards with titles printed in red to the front cover and spine. This copy is officially numbered and signed by the author on the limitation page: \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"citation-39 citation-end-39\"\u003e\"This edition of Fahrenheit 451 has been limited to 200 copies. It is specially bound in Johns-Manville Quinterra an asbestos material with exceptional resistance to pyrolysis. Each copy numbered and signed by the au\u003csup class=\"superscript embedded\" data-turn-source-index=\"1\"\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003ethor. No. 159. Ray Bradbury [signature].\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12\"\u003eThe condition of the volume is \u003cstrong\u003eFINE\u003c\/strong\u003e. The original white asbestos-derived boards remain stable, free of the dark discoloration or localized spotting characteristic of surviving examples of this edition. Technical defects are restricted to a single minute dark mark on the front cover and minor surface rubbing to select red letters of the title text on the spine. Internally, the leaves are bright, both hinges remain structurally sound, and the text block is tightly bound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"13\"\u003eMaterial Pyrolysis Resistance and Bibliographic Variants\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"14\"\u003ePublished simultaneously alongside the standard trade hardback and paper issues by Ballantine Books, this variant represents the most technologically unique and bibliographically significant iteration of Ray Bradbury's landmark dystopian work. The choice of \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"14\" data-index-in-node=\"258\"\u003eJohns-Manville Quinterra\u003c\/b\u003e—an experimental electrical insulation material composed entirely of purified asbestos fibers—serves as a physical, conceptual manifestation of the novel's core theme of book burning and state-mandated destruction of literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"15\"\u003eThis specific printing contains the complete text of \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"15\" data-index-in-node=\"53\"\u003eFahrenheit 451\u003c\/i\u003e, supplemented by two short stories appended at the rear: \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"15\" data-index-in-node=\"125\"\u003e\"The Playground\"\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"15\" data-index-in-node=\"146\"\u003e\"And the Rock Cried Out.\"\u003c\/b\u003e These two additional works were systematically omitted from subsequent standard trade editions and reprints, establishing this initial 1953 state as a distinct textual milestone within the author's bibliography. The novel's stark aesthetic is complemented by the expressionistic interior illustrations of Joe Mugnaini, Bradbury’s long-term visual collaborator.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"16\"\u003eMaterial Vulnerability and Scarcity Census\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"17\"\u003eDue to the chemically unstable, absorbent, and friable nature of the untreated Quinterra material, the vast majority of the 200 copies produced suffered rapid aesthetic degradation. Most extant examples display severe yellowing, atmospheric soot absorption, or significant fraying along the vulnerable board corners and spine tips. Finding a copy that preserves its original white tone and clean surfaces constitutes a notable archival survival.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"18\"\u003eThe title is highly institutionalized, with the majority of the original 200 copies permanently absorbed into academic and national special collections worldwide, leaving few examples accessible to private acquisition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"19\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"19\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eAN UNCOMMONLY PRESERVED, ICONIC MANUFACTURED VARIANT OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICAN FICTION, REPRESENTING A CRITICAL UNION OF APPLIED MATERIAL DESIGN AND SCIENCE FICTION BIBLIOGRAPHY.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e# 001230\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wallace \u0026 Clark, Booksellers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46130690490517,"sku":"","price":37500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0459\/2589\/2245\/files\/fahrenheit_451_01_20250621.jpg?v=1750537650","url":"https:\/\/wallaceandclark.com\/products\/1953-fahrenheit-451-asbestos-binding-signed-limited-edition","provider":"Wallace \u0026 Clark, Booksellers","version":"1.0","type":"link"}