HEMINGWAY, Ernest (1899-1961). Men Without Women. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1927. 8vo. [xii], 232, [4, blank] pp. Publisher's full black cloth, printed gold labels on upper cover and spine, publisher's unclipped ("$2.00") first issue dust jacket. FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY HEMINGWAY ON THE TITLE-PAGE TO EDDIE TILYOU: "To Eddie Tilyou with or without Women Ernest Hemingway". IN ADDITION, THIS COPY HAS TWO ORIGINAL INK AND COLORED PENCIL PAINTINGS BY HEMINGWAY'S FRIEND, WALDO PIERCE. The first painting is on the verso of the half-title, titled "Don Ernesto" depicting Hemingway leaning against a confused bull; the second painting is a double-page painting (on pp. x and xi), "Bonheur Formidable des Hommes / Paris 15 November 1927" depicting Hemingway, himself, and another man, all drunk, with enormous beer glasses with goldfish inside them. 

Eddie Tilyou (1872-1929) was the brother of the owner of Steeplechase Park and managed the park. Waldo Pierce (1884-1970) was an American painter and illustrator; he was a bohemian expatriate, and lived a life of revelry. After World War I, he met and became a lifelong friend to Hemingway, and they traveled extensively in Europe. Pierce painted a few portraits of Hemingway, one of which appeared on the October 18, 1937 cover of Time Magazine. This book is accompanied with the July 1936 issue of Esquire Magazine, with a double-page spread of paintings by Pierce. A wonderful item!

Cloth binding a bit rubbed, front board with small bump at fore-edge, text a bit toned, with occasional pencil underlinings in text, several gutters cracking, some offsetting from paintings; jacket torn at front joint (front panel detached from spine, but is present), jacket toned, worn, soiled, with a tear to front panel at upper edge. A very good copy in a fair first issue dust jacket. Housed in a beautiful brown calf clamshell case with black and blue gilt morocco lettering labels, with pictorial labels inset on the covers reproducing the original artwork in the book (there are other reproductions of the original artwork inside the case).