Monday, April 23, 2007

EB White Model T Mystery Book


Inspired by David Weitzman's wonderful Model T: How Henry Ford Built a Legend, I've been riffing on the Tin Lizzie. I like it because it's minimal, simple and archetypal. There are some wonderful resources: videos, parts catalogs (I could almost build one from scratch), photos , wonderful online books and and plain old paper books.
1915 Model T Racer
Somewhere in my surfing I came across a reference to EB White's book Farewell to Model T and From Sea to Shining Sea. I'm surprised and shocked to find that it is not in the collection of any Minerva or MaineCat library.. The Blue Hill library isn't on either of those systems. I felt certain they would have a copy. But no. The only library copies I found online are in England!

I wonder if they have it at the Friend's Memorial Library in Brooklin. Their catalog is not online and they're not open today.

Apparently the book is a republication of two White essays. I found the first in the May 16, 1936 issue of the New Yorker. The second essay is from 1953, but I've not found it.
1924 Ford Model T
I also found a 1936 book version of the first essay at the Owls Head Transportation Museum, but they're not letting it go.

Why doesn't any Maine library have a copy of this book?

(Photos courtesy of Flickr photographers. Click on them to see who)

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4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi There! Thanks for bringing the E.B. White book to my attention. I have ordered a copy for the Blue Hill Library and would be happy to ILL it over to you.

8:34 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm a high school teacher in California. "Sea to Shining Sea" was formerly seen in many textbooks. I remember seeing it as recently as 2000 in the Junior (English) textbook.

12:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am final, I am sorry, but it does not approach me. I will search further.

10:58 AM  
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10:40 AM  

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