Thomas Mann & Harry Warner

In 1938, Knopf published Thomas Mann’s Joseph in Egypt as a two volume set in a slipcase. We acquired a third printing dated March 1938. There are hundreds of these books available online, but a fewer number that are a third printing in good condition and with the slipcase. It can be purchased for about $12.00 including shipping. However, on the inside blank page of our volume one it reads in pencil “From Harry & Rea Warner, Hollywood,” and below this in the same writing is “Royal Hawn Hotel, Honolulu, and ’38.” In the second volume on the half title page, it reads in pencil “From Harry Warner (Warner Bros. Studios).” According to Wikipedia, Harry Warner was married to Rea Levinson; he was a studio executive and one of the founders of Warner Brothers. He served as the company president until 1956.

This set is not pristine and shows its age with spotting, tanning, and rubs on the top and bottom of the spine. The slipcase is also darkened and spotted with age. Stuck in the slipcase was a newspaper clipping from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin of Tuesday, June 21, 1938, showing a picture of Thomas Mann and information that he had been named as a lecturer in humanities for the 1938-39 term at Princeton University.

Without an inscription, we do not know who obtained the signatures or if the signatures are by Harry as opposed to his wife Rea on behalf of both of them. Because one book is signed with only Harry Warner’s signature, and the signatures in the books are identical, we assume it was signed by Mr. Warner. Given this, how much does a penciled signature, assuming it’s valid, add to the value of the set, if anything? (I invite comments/information)