The Mousetrap | 1954, a fine first edition, signed & inscribed by Agatha Christie, with the rare glassine dustjacket.

Agatha Christie. The Mousetrap. London: Samuel French Ltd, 1954.

First edition, beautifully signed and inscribed by Agatha Christie to actor Arnold Diamond: 

Arnold Diamond / on our Sixth Birthday / Agatha Christie.

A fine copy, exceptionally well-preserved, in the scarce original glassine dust jacket. For the sixth anniversary, a small number of first editions of The Mousetrap were specially bound and presented to important members of the production. Some, as here, were signed by Agatha Christie. Rare to find on the market, especially in this condition.

This copy holds unique significance. Arnold Diamond was an English character actor who performed for three years in Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap in the West End, making this an extraordinary association copy directly tied to the play’s legendary history. The Mousetrap remains the longest-running play in theatrical history, and Christie’s inscription to a member of its early cast elevates this book to a rare collector’s treasure.

The condition of the book is superb, with bright, clean pages and minimal wear, complemented by the fragile glassine dust jacket with minor loss here and there —an exceptional survival and the only one I can trace in one piece! Pretty much all copies sold, will never have this glassine dj and until recently most experts didn't even know they existed, that is how rare they are.

This is a highly desirable first edition for collectors of Agatha Christie. A unique artifact connecting the queen of crime fiction to the record-breaking play that solidified her global legacy.

First edition, presented in the deluxe binding of full blue cloth with three gilt rules and the play’s title and anniversary date, 25 November 1958, in gilt on the upper cover. Illustrated with a photograph of the set. The finest copy a collector could hope for.

Provenance:

Sold by Peter Harrington (small cataloguing slip from PH present) to the previous owner, bought by Bayliss Rare Books 2024.