Blue Chip by Gladys Sylvester Tweedie — Inscribed Copy with Dust Jacket
Offered here is an inscribed hardcover of Blue Chip by Gladys Sylvester Tweedie, published by Prestile Publishing Company of Westfield, Maine, with a 1954 copyright. Illustrated by Norma Smith Tweedie, this copy retains its pictorial dust jacket and red cloth binding with blue lettering and an A.A. emblem.
The Author and the Book
Tweedie, described in the jacket biography as a teacher born in Mars Hill, Maine, wrote about both her home region and the experience of alcoholism. Her other books include Mars Hill: Typical Aroostook Town (1952) and The Story of Welthy Ann (1953). The illustrator of Blue Chip, Norma Smith Tweedie, was her daughter-in-law, making the volume a collaboration within the family.
Blue Chip approaches alcoholism through its effects on marriage and family life. The narrative follows the suffering surrounding an alcoholic’s drinking and the possibility of change through Alcoholics Anonymous. The foreword connects recovery with mutual help and Twelve Step work, while explaining that the names of people and places are fictitious.
Published before the 1955 Second Edition of the Big Book, Blue Chip offers a period literary portrayal of A.A. and the family experience of alcoholism during the fellowship’s first two decades.
A Connection to Bill and Lois Wilson’s Library
The printed dedication reads “To D.F., DAD, BILL and LOIS.” A further connection is documented in the Stepping Stones library inventory, which records a separate copy of Blue Chip inscribed by Tweedie to Bill and Lois Wilson. The copy offered here is inscribed to Ken and Elizabeth; the Wilson-library association belongs to that separately recorded copy.
Author’s Inscription
The front free endpaper carries the blue-ink inscription:
To
Ken & Elizabeth
Sincerely yours,
Gladys S. Tweedie
The recipients have not been further identified.
Book Details
- Title: Blue Chip
- Author: Gladys Sylvester Tweedie
- Illustrator: Norma Smith Tweedie
- Publisher: Prestile Publishing Company, Westfield, Maine
- Copyright: 1954; printing not specified
- Printer: Northern Printers, Presque Isle, Maine
- Binding: Red cloth hardcover with blue lettering and A.A. emblem
- Dust jacket: Pictorial jacket with author portrait and biography
- Inscription: To Ken and Elizabeth, signed Gladys S. Tweedie
Condition
Book: The red cloth shows light rubbing and handling wear along the edges and corners. The front-cover emblem and lettering remain distinct. The front free endpaper bears the inscription described above. The other photographed pages are generally clean in appearance, with light toning.
Dust jacket: The pale jacket shows toning, spotting and staining, surface rubbing, and edge wear. Small tears and chips are visible along the edges and corners. The rear panel retains the author portrait and printed description of the book.
Please examine all photographs for the condition of this particular copy.
Collector Notes
An inscribed example of a 1950s literary treatment of alcoholism and family recovery. The illustrated cloth, surviving jacket, and explicit engagement with A.A. distinguish it within a broader collection of early recovery-related books.
