Enterprise in Oil: A History of Shell in the United States

New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc, 1957. Hardcover. Small 4to. Red cloth with gilt spine lettering, pictorial dust jacket. xiii, 815pp. Illustrations, decorative endpapers. Very good/very good. Faintest of binding edgewear, with front board gilt rubbed (though spine gilt bright); jacket slightly edgeworn. A tight and handsome early printing of this hefty, well-made tome chronicling this oil industry behemoth -- with interesting autograph addition: Extra-illustrated with unique frontispiece, for facing the title page is a Typed Letter Signed from the best-known oil man of his generation, Standard Oil Company (Indiana) big cheese John E. Swearingen, 1p, 7¼" X 10½", Chicago, IL, 27 May 1965. Addressed to Kenneth M. Anglemire. Near fine. Two original horizontal folds. On "Standard Oil Company (Indiana)" letterhead citing him as president, Swearingen tells the "Who's Who in America" publisher, who was also involved in the New York World's Fair, "Thank you very much for your invitation to attend the Illinois Day program and luncheon at the Fair in New York City on June 16. I will be unable to join you because of a previous engagement." Boldly signed in full in blue ballpoint. Swearingen (1918-2007) was his generation's oil industry spokesman, serving as Standard Oil Company of Indiana's president (1958), CEO (1960) and chairman of the board (1965). Shell's competitor (Standard Oil Company of Indiana) of course makes a good number of appearances in this volume. An unusual pairing!