Rand, Ayn | The Fountainhead, Inscribed to her philosophical soul mate, Nathaniel Branden

Rand, Ayn

The Fountainhead. Indianapolis and New York: Bobbs-Merrill, [1943]

8vo. Publisher's gilt-stamped red cloth, top edges stained red; a bit shaken, endpapers and lower covers lightly soiled. Later dustjacket with photograph of Rand and three reviews to rear panel, unclipped; faint residue from an early protector, spine a touch faded, lightly soiled along lower edges, a few short tears and small chips. Housed in a maroon morocco-backed slipcase with folding cloth chemise.

First edition, an important association copy, inscribed to her philosophical soul mate, Nathaniel Branden on the front free endpaper: "To Nathan – who has earned and paid back all the values he found in this book – Paid in full – Ayn Rand. December 17, 1954"

Nathaniel Branden and Ayn Rand first struck up a correspondence in the 1940s after Branden wrote to her to tell her how much he admired The Fountainhead. Though the young psychology student was 25 years her junior, they formed an intense intellectual, philosophical, and sometimes romantic bond, which would greatly influence the trajectory of Objectivism.

Their partnership was closest from 1954 — the year they began their love affair, and the the date of the present inscription — through the publication of Atlas Shrugged in 1957. Rand's blockbuster novel bears a telling joint dedication: to her husband Frank O'Connor, and to Nathaniel Branden. Following the publication of Atlas Shrugged, Branden established the Nathaniel Branden Institute, which promoted Rand's philosophy of Objectivism with lectures, recordings, books, and articles. This mutually beneficial collaboration lasted until 1968, when Rand accused Branden of taking advantage of their financial arrangement in an article published in The Objectivist. This public and acrimonious dissolution caused a rift amongst followers of Objectivism, some of whom chose to follow Branden as he branched off to develop a new philosophy that shifted from self-interest to self-esteem.

A superb association copy, inscribed to one of Rand's most important intellectual partners, and one of the major proponents of Objectivism

PROVENANCE:

Nathaniel Branden (presentation inscription) — Christie's East, 22 May 2000, lot 181