Wilde, OscarABAA
6 853 résultats
1894réf. OW056London: John Lane at the Sign of The Bodley Head 1894 First edition limited large paper copy with "Of this edition 50 copies have been printed" statement on the verso of the fourth preliminary page and no publisher's catalogue at the back of the book. Publisher's yellow buckram boards with gilt decorations by Charles Shannon to covers and spine spine lettered in gilt. Near fine with some toning to spine and board edges light wear to spine ends with a very shallow chip to cloth at foot of spine bottom right corner of front board worn to boards and heavy offsetting to endpapers. Overall a beautiful copy of one of Wilde's four celebrated drawing-room plays. Mason 365. A Woman of No Importance is a four-act play that was first produced in London at the Haymarket Theatre on April 19 1893. Like many of Wilde's plays it satirizes the English upper-class and criticizes Victorian society. The title "a woman of no importance" refers to the character Mrs. Arbuthnot who bears the illegitimate son of Lord Illingworth. Although societal conventions deem her a sinful woman Wilde proves Arbuthnot a respectable widow who is rewarded with a son who treats women respectfully. In contrast Illingworth one of Wilde's archetypal dandy figures is rejected by his son and many of the women in the play making him a "man of no importance." A Woman of No Importance was published simultaneously in two formats: small octavo the standard edition of 500 copies and quarto the "Large Paper" issue of 50 copies. While both constitute the first edition of A Woman of No Importance the large paper copies are decidedly rarer than the octavos; intended to be more exclusive and deluxe publications large paper formats were typically produced using higher quality materials lacked the publisher's advertisements and were printed in small print runs. Because they were intended as collectibles from publication large paper copies of Wilde's plays are exceedingly scarce. First Edition Limited Large Paper Copy. Hard Cover. Near Fine. London: John Lane at the Sign of The Bodley Head hardcover books
1899réf. 140949181London: Leonard Smithers and Co 1899. First Edition. Near Fine. First edition first printing. One of 1000 copies unnumbered. xvi 152 pp. printed on laid paper. Bound in publisher's lavender cloth with gilt spine lettering and decorations by Charles Shannon. Near Fine with sunning to spine and extremities and fading to spine gilt light soiling and scattered foxing to cloth light rubbing to extremities and slight bumping to lower corners. Binding starting at p. 105 offsetting to front endsheet bookplate to front pastedown. A very nice copy from the library of the American naval officer and book collector Charles John Muto. Mason 381. The first edition of the most delightful play in the English language. Wilde's last play opened on Valentine's Day 1895 to almost unanimous praise. Two weeks later he received a card at his club accusing him of sodomy to which he responded with an ill-judged libel lawsuit that led to his downfall and imprisonment. By the time this book was published by Leonard Smithers one of his few remaining friends Wilde was dying in Paris his health broken by Reading Gaol. There are now statues to him in London and Dublin. Leonard Smithers and Co unknown books
1894réf. 194868London: John Lane at the Sign of the Bodley Head 1894. One of 50 deluxe copies First edition large paper issue one of 50 copies attractively printed on handmade paper with wide margins and bound in tan buckram. The trade issue consisted of 500 copies that were printed on smaller machine-made paper and bound in pink linen. The play's premiere at the Haymarket Theatre on 19 April 1893 was met with applause for the actors and boos for the playwright causing Wilde to announce from behind a curtain "Ladies and gentlemen I regret to inform you that Mr Oscar Wilde is not in the house" Ellmann p. 381. Wilde's opulent production used "the market forces of luxury dressmaking to comment upon the worlds of his Haymarket patrons. Audiences in the stalls and boxes continued to be both flattered and vexed by the antics of their on-stage doubles while viewers in the upper galleries enjoyed the additional spectacle of fashionable Society catching its likeness in Wilde's cunningly set mirrors" Kaplan p. 252. Small quarto. Original tan buckram over bevelled boards with gilt floral decorations by Charles Shannon spine lettered in gilt fore and bottom edges uncut. Bookseller's ticket of James Parker & Co. Oxford. Spine and cover edges toned as usual surface scratch to front cover light rubbing to edges endpapers browned but contents bright. A very good copy. Mason 365. Richard Ellmann Oscar Wilde 1988; Joel Kaplan "Wilde on the Stage" The Cambridge Companion to Oscar Wilde ed. by Peter Raby 1997. hardcover
1952réf. 53361Paris: Falaize 1952. Fine. Falaize Paris 1952 11.50 x 17.50 cm broché La Ballade de la geôle de Reading. L'Artiste en prison The Ballad of Reading GaolFalaize Paris 1952 11.5 x 17.5 cm original wrappers New edition of the French translation by Jacques Bour and the first edition of Albert Camus' famous preface. One of 50 numbered copies on Madagascar paper tirage de tête. A fine autograph inscription from Albert Camus: à Michel Simon grand artiste avec les voeux chaleureux d'un de ses vieux admirateurs For Michel Simon a great artist with warmest wishes from an old fan and an autograph inscription from the translator Jacques Bour: à Michel Simon qui ferait crouler tous les murs! For Michel Simon who raised all the roofs! A rare and very good copy. Falaize unknown
réf. 7545013 volumes by Methuen and Co. London and Charles Carrington Paris for 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' 1908. Literature FIRST COLLECTED EDITION limited to 1000 sets on hand made paper. Fourteen volumes octavo 22 x 16 x 54cm. Handsomely bound in half mid-green oasis morocco spines in six compartments with five raised bands gilt titles to russet leather labels gilt decoration matching buckram sides top edges gilt others untrimmed. Internally clean and fresh exteriors as new. A superb set in an attractive recent leather binding. This first ever collected edition of Wilde also contains some de facto first editions. Mason 420-448a. 13 volumes by Methuen and Co., London, and Charles Carrington, Paris, for 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', 1908 unknown
1930réf. ru1157Société des amis du livre moderne Relié sous emboîtage 1930 TIRAGE LIMITE -- EXEMPLAIRE ENRICHI D'AQUARELLES ORIGINALES. In-4 (22 x 29 cm), belle reliure signée Max Fonsèque, plein maroquin bleu-gris, dos lisse orné du titre doré, motifs géométriques dorés aux plats, maroquin turquoise et gris-bleu encadrés de filets dorés aux contreplats, gardes de soir brochée dorée, tranches dorées, couverture et dos conservés. L'ouvrage est protégé par un emboîtage composé d'un étui carton dont les angles et l'ouverture sont bordés du même maroquin gris-bleu, et d'une chemise à rabats demi-maroquin à bandes avec le titre et l'auteur dorés au dos. Beau livre illustré de 26 gravures en couleurs dont un cul-de-lampe d'après les compositions de Manuel Orazi (1860-1934, peintre et affichiste italien, mais également créateur de bijoux), gravées sur bois par Pierre Bouchet. TIRAGE LIMITE A 149 EEMPLAIRES (ici le n°88, réservé à Albert Natural). Exemplaire enrichi de 3 AQUARELLES ORIGINALES rehaussée de gouache signées Manuel Orazi, d'une SUITE EN NOIR DES ILLUSTRATIONS SUR JAPON, et du menu du dîner du 25 mars 1931 de la Société des amis du livre moderne, illustré d'une gravure originale en couleurs d'Orazi ; très bel exemplaire. Livraison a domicile (La Poste) ou en Mondial Relay sur simple demande.
1894réf. 22666ELondon: Elkin Mathews & John Lane 1894. First English Edition. Limited to 500 copies. Illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley. Original gilt-stamped blue cloth. Near fine only slightly handled copy with the gilt-stamping to the boards bright. From the library of Harpo Marx the great clown of the Marx Brothers comedy team and his wife actress Susan Fleming Marx former member of the Ziegfeld Follies and star of early talking films like Million Dollar Legs with W.C. Fields. With a charming bookplate illustrated by Susan Marx with a drawing of Harpo in his comic character which reads: “FROM THE LIBRARY OF HARPO & SUSAN MARX”. Elkin Mathews & John Lane hardcover
1894réf. 188707London: Elkin Mathews & John Lane 1894. Deluxe issue of this sublime collaboration of enfants terribles First edition in English and first Beardsley edition deluxe issue one of 100 copies printed on Japanese vellum and bound in green silk boards. "If Le Morte Darthur made Beardsley known his designs for the first edition in English of Wilde's Salomé made him notorious and it remains the book of which most people think when his name is mentioned" Ray. Translated by Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas this edition appeared the year after the play's publication in French. The premiere took place on 11 February 1896 at the Comédie-Parisienne. To restrict its public staging in Britain the Lord Chamberlain cited Protestant Reformation laws banning religious plays. An opera version was sanctioned for performance in 1910 though the play itself had to be staged privately until the first public performance at the Savoy Theatre in 1931. A further 500 copies were printed on smaller paper and bound in blue canvas boards. Small quarto. Frontispiece and illustrated title page with tissue guard illustrated border on list of illustrations page 9 plates final tailpiece all by Beardsley. Publisher's 16-page advertisements at end. Original green silk boards spine lettered in gilt decorations designed by Beardsley to covers in gilt edges untrimmed. Binding unevenly discoloured and a little soiled minor wear to edges inner hinge partially split following title page splash mark to a couple lower margins. A very good copy. Mason 351; Ray 315A. hardcover
1894réf. 001392London: Elkin Mathews and John Lane 1894. 44p including blanks original gilt decorated vellum designed by Charles Ricketts with his monogram to bottom left hand corner of upper cover and the monogram of the binders Leighton Son and Hodge to the bottom left hand corner of the lower cover. Corners slightly bumped and rubbed vellum generally quite bright and clean. Internally some light browning to page edges some light foxing to several pages as often but generally fairly clean. Small booksellers label and previous owners book plate to front paste down. Printed in three colours throughout. Stated one of two hundred copies for the UK with another fifty printed for the US and twenty-five large paper copies and possibly a few more. Now housed in a cloth drop back box by Temple Bookbinders. Holbrook Jackson called 'The Sphinx' "'the most remarkable of the books of this period' because it translated the Wildean temperament into physical form . Ricketts created a parallel system of symbols evoking the mystery and erotic sensuality the Aesthetes often associated with Egypt" Thomson 'Aesthetic Tracts - Innovation in Late-Nineteenth-Century Book Design' page 75. Mason 361. First Edition. Full Vellum. Good. Illus. by Ricketts Charles. 8vo. Elkin Mathews and John Lane Hardcover
1907réf. 187979London: Keller-Farmer Co. 1907. It lies like a leper in purple it sits like a dead thing smeared with gold The Uniform Edition the illustrated Edition De Luxe issue number 152 of 200 sets this one in unusual vibrant purple bindings. This is the most limited issue of this very early collected edition of Wilde's works. 15 vols octavo 165 x 140 mm. Frontispieces with tissue guards captioned in red plates throughout illustrated title pages letterpress title pages printed in red and black. Contemporary purple crushed morocco spines lettered in gilt compartments tooled with central tool in gilt purple cloth sides and endpapers top edges gilt fore and bottom edges uncut. Bindings bright rubbing sometime retouched with iridescent polish slight loss to corner of Salome hinge cracked but holding at p. 12 of Epigrams very mild occasional foxing. A near-fine set. hardcover
réf. 122321London David Nutt 1888. . First edition one of 1000 copies; large 8vo 230 x 175 mm; half-title tissue-guarded frontispiece and 2 plates by Walter Crane decorative head and tail-pieces occasional spotting heaviest to half-title short closed tear to front free endpaper small loss to upper margin of p. 51 not affecting text auctioneers slips from 1976 loosely inserted; publisher's Japanese vellum boards spine lettered in black and lightly rubbed upper cover printed in red and black with illustration by Jacomb Hood boards toned a few small marks on lower cover corners gently bumped a very good-plus copy that presents well; preserved in a later chemise and green morocco-backed slipcase; x 116 2pp. A particularly good copy of the first appearance of five of Wilde's classic fairy tales for children comprising: The Happy Prince The Nightingale and the Rose The Selfish Giant The Devoted Friend and The Remarkable Rocket. Mason 313. London, David Nutt, 1888. hardcover
1894réf. 256986London: John Lane at the Sign of the Bodley Head in Vigo Street 1894. First edition one of 50 Large Paper copies. 154 1 pp. Printed by T. and A. Constable Edinburgh. 1 vols. 4to. Original buckram gilt. Spine and extremities darkened endleaves with some paste darkening else fine in a custom purple half-morocco slipcase and chemise. First edition one of 50 Large Paper copies. 154 1 pp. Printed by T. and A. Constable Edinburgh. 1 vols. 4to. An attractive large paper copy. Wilde's witty and urbane satire of the English upper class. This was written and produced in 1893 near the height of Wilde's career between Salome 1891 and his masterpiece The Importance of Being Ernest 1895. Mason 365. Provenance: Arthur Chester Rhodes John Lane at the Sign of the Bodley Head in Vigo Street unknown
1894réf. 256986London: John Lane at the Sign of the Bodley Head in Vigo Street 1894. First edition one of 50 Large Paper copies. 154 1 pp. Printed by T. and A. Constable Edinburgh. 1 vols. 4to. Original buckram gilt. Spine and extremities darkened endleaves with some paste darkening else fine in a custom purple half-morocco slipcase and chemise. First edition one of 50 Large Paper copies. 154 1 pp. Printed by T. and A. Constable Edinburgh. 1 vols. 4to. An attractive large paper copy. Wilde's witty and urbane satire of the English upper class. This was written and produced in 1893 near the height of Wilde's career between Salome 1891 and his masterpiece The Importance of Being Ernest 1895. Mason 365. Provenance: Arthur Chester Rhodes John Lane at the Sign of the Bodley Head in Vigo Street unknown books
1907réf. 67715London: A. R. Keller & Co 1907. The Writings of Oscar Wilde. Illustrated. London: A. R. Keller & Co. 1907. Edition de Luxe of the Uniform Edition. One of 200 numbered copies of which this is number 14. Complete in fifteen octavo volumes. Measures 7 1/4 x 5 in. Illustrated in black and white with plates in two states each with a descriptive tissue guard. Title and limitation pages on Japanese vellum printed in black and red with additional engraved title pages in each volume. Finely bound in modern full green levant morocco. Spines tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments with a red morocco gilt floral inlay four raised bands all edges gilt marbled endpapers. A fine set. This very early edition precedes the 1908 Ross edition of Wilde's works often described as the first collected edition. HBS 67715. $11500. A. R. Keller & Co unknown
1907réf. 67715London: A. R. Keller & Co 1907. The Writings of Oscar Wilde. Illustrated. London: A. R. Keller & Co. 1907. Edition de Luxe of the Uniform Edition. One of 200 numbered copies of which this is number 14. Complete in fifteen octavo volumes. Measures 7 1/4 x 5 in. Illustrated in black and white with plates in two states each with a descriptive tissue guard. Title and limitation pages on Japanese vellum printed in black and red with additional engraved title pages in each volume. Finely bound in modern full green levant morocco. Spines tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments with a red morocco gilt floral inlay four raised bands all edges gilt marbled endpapers. A fine set. This very early edition precedes the 1908 Ross edition of Wilde's works often described as the first collected edition. HBS 67715. $11500. A. R. Keller & Co unknown books
1908réf. 194545London: Methuen and Co. except Dorian Gray: Charles Carrington Paris 1908. A finely bound set of the first collection of his works First collected edition one of 1000 sets on handmade paper edited by Wilde's most constant friend and literary executor Robert Ross 1869-1918. It prints previously unpublished material including the uncompleted play A Florentine Tragedy a fragment of another La Sainte Courtisane and various lectures. 14 vols octavo 210 x 147 mm. Near-contemporary blue morocco spines with raised bands milled in gilt compartments lettered and elaborately tooled in gilt boards decoratively panelled in gilt board edges and turn-ins in gilt gilt doublures white watered silk free endpapers top edges gilt others untrimmed white silk bookmarkers. Spines sunned light rubbing retouched with colour presenting attractively variable foxing to contents couple of bookmarkers fraying. A very good set. Mason 420 423 425 427 429 431 433 435 437 439 441 443 445 447. hardcover
1894réf. 329742London: Elkin Mathews & John Lane 1894. Limited. hardcover. fine. Ricketts Charles. Title page design and nine illustrations eight full page by Charles Ricketts. Printed throughout in black red & green all edges untrimmed. Thin small 4to full vellum with pictorial decorations in gilt to the spine & covers by Ricketts. 2 bookplates. London: Elkin Matthews & John Lane 1894. Limited edition. One of 200 unnumbered copies. An exceptionally fine copy unfoxed and with a clean binding Elkin Mathews & John Lane unknown
1894réf. 329742London: Elkin Mathews & John Lane 1894. Limited. hardcover. fine. Ricketts Charles. Title page design and nine illustrations eight full page by Charles Ricketts. Printed throughout in black red & green all edges untrimmed. Thin small 4to full vellum with pictorial decorations in gilt to the spine & covers by Ricketts. 2 bookplates. London: Elkin Matthews & John Lane 1894. Limited edition. One of 200 unnumbered copies. An exceptionally fine copy unfoxed and with a clean binding Elkin Mathews & John Lane unknown books
1893réf. 6451London: Elkin Mathews and John Lane 1893. First edition. One of 50 large-paper copies on hand-made paper. A Fine copy. Quarto 8 5/8 x 6 5/8 inches; 220 x 169 mm. i blank i limitation iii-xvi 132 pp. Handsomely bound by Zaehnsdorf ca. 1897 stamp-signed in gilt on front turn-in and with their exhibition stamp in black on rear paste-down. Full dark green crushed levant morocco covers bordered in gilt enclosing a six-line gilt border. Spine with five raised bands decoratively framed and lettered in gilt in compartments gilt-ruled board edges multi gilt-lined turn-ins top edge gilt others uncut. With the bookplates of the renowned collector C. S. Ascherson dated 1897 and Paul Louis Weiller also a famous book collector and a great friend of J. Paul Getty on front paste-down. Housed in a felt-lined dark green cloth clamshell case spine with leather label lettered in gilt. A couple of tiny and unobtrusive minor stains on blank borders otherwise a clean copy in a wonderful and early if somewhat austere binding by the great firm of Zaehnsdorf. Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan A Play About a Good Woman was his "first successful dramatic production" and one of his many masterpieces Mendelssohn. His talent for astute adaptations of traditional comedic tropes like the long-lost child or mistaken motivations are utilized to full effect in this narrative. The four-act comedy was infamously first performed on 20 February 1892. In addition to pulling on popular stars to perform Wilde had the young men of his entourage arrive at the premier wearing green carnations in their buttonholes-something that scandalized attendees when in a metatheatrical moment one of the characters onstage appeared with one as well referencing its cost and symbolism for decadent immorality. Prim attendees were in fact surrounded by a generation of young men devoted to such aesthetic ideals and wearing the same flower. Mason 358. Elkin Mathews and John Lane unknown
1893réf. 6451London: Elkin Mathews and John Lane 1893. First edition. One of 50 large-paper copies on hand-made paper. A Fine copy. Quarto 8 5/8 x 6 5/8 inches; 220 x 169 mm. i blank i limitation iii-xvi 132 pp. Handsomely bound by Zaehnsdorf ca. 1897 stamp-signed in gilt on front turn-in and with their exhibition stamp in black on rear paste-down. Full dark green crushed levant morocco covers bordered in gilt enclosing a six-line gilt border. Spine with five raised bands decoratively framed and lettered in gilt in compartments gilt-ruled board edges multi gilt-lined turn-ins top edge gilt others uncut. With the bookplates of the renowned collector C. S. Ascherson dated 1897 and Paul Louis Weiller also a famous book collector and a great friend of J. Paul Getty on front paste-down. Housed in a felt-lined dark green cloth clamshell case spine with leather label lettered in gilt. A couple of tiny and unobtrusive minor stains on blank borders otherwise a clean copy in a wonderful and early if somewhat austere binding by the great firm of Zaehnsdorf. Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan A Play About a Good Woman was his "first successful dramatic production" and one of his many masterpieces Mendelssohn. His talent for astute adaptations of traditional comedic tropes like the long-lost child or mistaken motivations are utilized to full effect in this narrative. The four-act comedy was infamously first performed on 20 February 1892. In addition to pulling on popular stars to perform Wilde had the young men of his entourage arrive at the premier wearing green carnations in their buttonholes-something that scandalized attendees when in a metatheatrical moment one of the characters onstage appeared with one as well referencing its cost and symbolism for decadent immorality. Prim attendees were in fact surrounded by a generation of young men devoted to such aesthetic ideals and wearing the same flower. Mason 358. Elkin Mathews and John Lane unknown books
réf. 119720London John Lane 1894. . First edition one of 50 large paper copies; 4to; printed on hand-made paper contemporary ownership inscription to limitation endpapers browned; publisher's straw coloured buckram with gilt decorations by Charles Ricketts gilt lettering to spine spine browned a couple of trivial marks to covers else very good plus; housed in custom purple cloth chemise and matching quarter morocco slip-case. One of only 50 large paper copies. This play contains some of Wilde's most famous epigrams. First performed in April 1893 prior to being published in book form A Woman of No Importance addresses many social issues with Wilde's wit and dark humour. The run of the play was cut short as a result of Wilde's arrest and prosecution. The scandal dampened enthusiasm for Wilde's work until after his death in 1900 when interest in his work began to revive. Mason 402. London, John Lane, 1894. hardcover
1905réf. 21107London/Paris: Methuen 1905. A first edition first printing of 'De Profundis' by Oscar Wilde published posthumously in 1905 by Methuen. A near fine book a little spotted to the page edges - A little rubbed to the spine tips and corners but a sharp lovely example. Accompanied by a silver cigarette holder embossed with foliate scrolls and a vacant shield cartouche hallmarked Birmingham 1894 with the maker's mark that of Frederick Wald. A beautiful amber ending which pulls in and out. Purchased in Paris from the family of the proprietor of the Hotel d'Alsace Jean Dupoirer sometime before 1914. From the colllection of David Adamson a mining engineer and great-grandfather of the original seller at Bonhams Knightsbridge 1997 who had a life-long admiration for Wilde's work. The renowned Irish playwright and poet died on November 30 1900 at the Hotel d'Alsace in Paris now L'Hôtel. After serving two years of hard labor for "gross indecency" due to his homosexuality Wilde fled to France impoverished and shunned by society. Living under the name Sebastian Melmoth he took up residence at the modest hotel. His health declined rapidly due to meningitis complications from an earlier ear infection. Wilde reportedly quipped on his deathbed "My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us has to go." He passed away destitute but surrounded by a few loyal friends. Wilde was initially buried in a pauper's grave at Bagneux Cemetery but his remains were later moved to Père Lachaise Cemetery where his tomb adorned with a modernist angel now draws admirers from around the world. His wit and tragedy remain enduring symbols of artistic genius and societal hypocrisy. A unique item now housed in a custom made box Methuen unknown
réf. 116713London Elkin Mathews and John Lane 1893. . First edition one of 50 large paper copies; small 4to 203 x 180 mm; ownership signature to limitation page some browning to endpapers; publisher's straw coloured buckram with gilt decorations by Charles Ricketts gilt lettering to spine spine browned very slight wear at head and foot of spine; a near-fine copy housed in custom purple cloth chemise and matching quarter morocco slip-case. One of 50 large paper copies of Wilde's four-act comedy first performed on Saturday 20 February 1892 at the St James's Theatre in London. Like many of Wilde's plays it is a biting satire of the morals of Society. Mason 358. London, Elkin Mathews and John Lane, 1893. hardcover
1906réf. 1843Düsseldorf: Schmitz & Olbertz 1906. First German edition. Numbered one of 600 copies. In unique custom made hand-painted vellum binding by Lajos Kozma. Title on spine in gilt lettering. Upper edge gilt. Paste paper endpapers. Kozma’s signet on front flyleaf’s verso and another signet supposedly of the owner: “CHW” on the additional flyleaf drawn by Kozma in black ink. Binding with slight discolorations and light stains. Inside some light and scattered foxing. Overall in fine condition. First German edition. Numbered one of 600 copies. In unique custom made hand-painted vellum binding by Lajos Kozma. Title on spine in gilt lettering. Upper edge gilt. Paste paper endpapers. Kozma’s signet on front flyleaf’s verso and another signet supposedly of the owner: “CHW” on the additional flyleaf drawn by Kozma in black ink. 44 4 p. The first German edition of The Priest and the Acolyte in Lajos Kozma’s Unique Hand-Painted Art Nouveau binding. Lajos Ludwig Kozma 1884–1948 was one of the chief Hungarian architects and interior designers of the first half of the 20th century he is also known for his graphic designs and book illustrations and binding designs. His early works were created in Art Nouveau style but later through Art Deco he found his way to International Modernism. The scandalous story of The Priest and the Acolyte here in A. W. Hiller’s translation is attributed to Oscar Wilde however its real author was John Francis Bloxam 1873–1928 an English Uranian author and churchman. The novel appeared first in The Chameleon Vol. I No. 1 December 1894. . Schmitz & Olbertz unknown
1898réf. 181391Paris: Société du Mercure de France 1898. Inscribed to a literary batailleur First edition in French number 1 of 12 copies on Holland paper inscribed by the author on the justification de tirage page: "a mon ami Robert Scheffer Oscar Wilde". Signed or inscribed copies of this edition are rare: we trace only two others in auction records. A French poet and short story writer Scheffer 1864-1926 is best remembered for his "contes rapides" or "quick tales" and for his combative style both as a literary critic and as a duellist. He took Wilde to the Folies Bergère on 10 May 1898 and presented him with a copy of his poetry collection La Chanson de Néos affectionately inscribed to the "grand poète". In 1909 Scheffer edited the short-lived gay magazine Akademos. Wilde wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol while exiled in France and originally published the work in Britain earlier the same year under the pseudonym "C.3.3." the number of his cell. He took a particular interest in this edition discussing the format type binding and other details with his translator Henry-David Davray 1873-1944. Wilde was intimately involved in the translation and Davray remembered how "Every word was weighed every term was discussed every sentence was read reread scanned with all possible intonations". Provenance: Samuel Pozzi 1846-1918 the French surgeon and pioneer gynecologist and subject of a portrait by John Singer Sargent with his bookplate. Octavo 183 x 121 mm. Text printed in French and English. Contemporary three-quarter green waxed paper spine lettered and ruled in gilt marbled sides and endpapers top edge red others untrimmed original wrappers bound in red and yellow silk bookmarker. Superficial split and small abrasion to front joint contents toned but clean. A very good copy. Not in Mason. unknown
