SIGNÉ QUEENS COMPANY collection SARAH HAWKS STERLING 1907 Philadelphia High School Girls

This is a first printing, published in September 1907 and signed and personally inscribed in October 1907.

In addition to the personalization to "Queen Anne of Austria" this book has a "key" on the paste down where each character in the book appears to be identify the inspirational real person for the character. That is pretty cool. I believe that Sara Hawks Sterling, a school teacher in Philadelphia, was identifying those in her classes and school that were the inspiration. I am thinking that possibly the note was inscribed to someone who was the inspiration for a character in a prior book?

This is an extremely rare book written by an author who wrote a few other titles, including The Robin Hood and His Merry Men and Shakespeares Sweetheart, A Lady of King Arthurs Court.

I did find that Sarah Hawks Sterling lived at 5409 Spruce Street in Philadelphia Pennsylvania and was actually a school teacher. I found it in the Womans Whos Who of America for 1914-1915. She was a teacher of English in Philadelphia High School for Girls from 1905-1912.In 1912 she moved to the West Philadelphia High School. If your great grandmother was her student way back when, you would now have proof that she was the inspiration for a character and maybe you could learn a bit about her personality. Of course, only first names are in the "key" but some of them are pretty odd names. As far as the teachers go, the key uses the last names so your relative would be even more easily identifiable.

CONDITION: The interior of the book is in very goodcondition. The book has four color illustrations, all accounted for (in excellent condition), and many drawings in the text. Photo 12 is included to show the only stained pages in the book. I would not recommend holding this book open flat as the binding is currently so tight,I cant imagine it could do anything other than just split if you open it fully

The exterior of the book has more issues. The paint in the embossed titles on the front cover and spine is nearly 100% gone. The spine is at a slant, with a slight bow to the book, and there is corner wear through and wear to the top and bottom of spine cover. Please note (PHOTO 11) as there was a cut in the cloth of the spine through the title that has since been glued with acid free glue. There is soiling to the exposed page edges.

This is an extremely rare book that would likely be most important to a collector in the Philadelphia area. As a School Teacher in the Philadelphia High School system at this time, there are students and teachers who are identified in this copy as the character inspiration. The signature of Sara Hawks Sterling is a real rarity and, I realize we are not talking Mark Twain here, but it is still appealing to a group of collectors.