1929ref. 7598New York Dutton 1929. 1929. First edition thus. Small 4to. 16 full-page b/w illustrations title vignette and jacket design by John Vassos. Dust jacket large chip center of spine. Very good. Small neat signature of Ruth Seoan on the front free endpaper. Text of 16 poems of Wilde "interpreted" in art by Vassos famous for his previous efforts with "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" and "Salome". 1st Edition. Hardcover. New York, Dutton, 1929. hardcover books
1929ref. 30144NY: Dutton 1929. First Edition thus. John Vassos. Large 8vo pp. 102. Illustrations by John Vassos. Covers some worn hinges tender. Dutton unknown books
1990ref. 532801Washington: Orchises 1990. Softcover. Near Fine. Offset reprint of the 1899 edition published by Leonard Smithers. Lavender cloth with gilt-stamped spine. Octavo. 152pp. Spine cocked near fine without dust jacket presumably as issued. Inscribed by "The re-publisher" to poet Daniel Hoffman on the front fly. Orchises unknown books
1899ref. 140940300London: Leonard Smithers and Co 1899. Signed Limited First Edition. Near Fine. Signed limited first edition. xii 152 pp. Bound in publisher's original pale lavender cloth with gilt spine lettering and decorations by Charles Shannon. Copy number 82 of 100 large paper copies signed by Oscar Wilde with a flourish. Near Fine with subtle sunning several barely discernible spots to cloth short bubble to rear cloth. Typical offsetting to endpapers and a 5" tear to the rear endpaper. Contents bright and fresh. A beautiful copy. Wilde's masterpiece which opened to wide acclaim at the St. James's Theatre London on February 14 1895. It was withdrawn after 86 performances following his arrest and imprisonment on charges of gross indecency as a consequence of his failed libel suit against Lord Queensbury the father of Wilde's homosexual lover Lord Alfred Douglas. He was outed as gay a disgrace in Victorian society and the play was not published in any form until the present edition following his release from prison. It has been hailed as an exemplary farce called by poet W.H. Auden "a pure verbal opera. Leonard Smithers and Co unknown books
ref. 139587Girard KS: Haldeman-Julius Company n.d. 96p. light internal stain wraps ring stain to front cocver. Ten cent pocket series 54. Haldeman-Julius Company unknown books
ref. 9780451531896Signet USA
1973ref. 014840Norwalk Connecticut: The Easton Press 1973. All edges are gilt. Covers and spine are lettered and designed in gilt. Sewn-in silk bookmark. A copy of Notes From the Archives is laid-in. Introduced by Sir John Gielgud and illustrated by Tony Walton. A beautifully-constructed fine binding. The two plays are bound dos-a-dos or back-to-back. "The Importance of Being Earnest" was first performed in 1895 and "Lady Windermere's Fan" in 1892 both at the St. James Theatre London. Wilde 1854-1900 was an Irish poet and playwright. 125-114pp. . The Collector's Library of Famous Editio. Full Green Leather. Fine/No Dust Jacket. Super Royal Octavo. The Easton Press Hardcover books
1967ref. 93004London:: Heinemann. 1967. Hardcover. Part of The Drama Library series. Introduction by Sir John Gielgud. A later printing. Very good in green and white cloth. No dust jacket. . Heinemann, hardcover books
1899ref. 1411385London: Leonard Smithers and Co 1899. First Trade Edition Limited #208/1000. Hardcover. Octavo 151 pages. In Good plus condition. Bound in publisher's pale purple cloth with gilt leaves to boards gilt lettering to spine. Fading to spine and boards. Some general shelfwear. Chipping to head and tail of spine. Bumping to corners and extremities. Spine cocked. Front pastedown with glue stains from a removed bookplate. Front free endpaper with bookplate. Shelved showcase. 'The Importance of Being Earnest' was a success on stage when it opened in 1895 but closed after 86 performances due to Wilde's arrest. It is generaly considered one of his best works. This Trade edition was published in 1899 after he was released from Reading Gaol and residing in France. He died the following year. 1411385. Shelved Dupont Bookstore. Leonard Smithers and Co hardcover books
1899ref. 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
1922ref. 2222703Privately issued 1922 1924 1931. First edition. Quarto. Collated and compiled by Robert Ernest Cowan and William Andrews Clark Jr. Original green cloth over boards; spine labels. Very good spines faded to tan. 6 volumes. A fine set of this monumental collection assembled by William Andrews Clark Jr. Each volume in a grey board slipcase. No signatures or bookplates. One of 100 copies. Printed by John Henry Nash. Privately Printed hardcover books
ref. 9781907326226Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
ref. 9780785847151Frances Lincoln
ref. 9781912714742Chiltern Publishing
ref. 9781529954234Vintage UK
ref. 9780141442464Penguin Books UK
ref. 9781509827831Macmillan
ref. 9780008465414Collins Reference
ref. 9780007351053William Collins
1905ref. 100072Paris, Charles Carrington, 1905, in-8, VII-326-[1] pp, Cartonnage de l'éditeur, dos et coins toilés crème, titre et petite composition dorés sur le dos et le plat supérieur, Mention de l'éditeur en regard de la page de titre : "Sole authorized edition". Cette "seule édition autorisée" a été imprimée par Charles Carrington après qu'il eut obtenu les droits exclusifs de publication de l'ouvrage. Carrington publiera par la suite la première édition illustrée en 1910. Ce célèbre roman avait été publié pour la première fois, sous la forme d'une nouvelle très censurée, dans le Lippincott's Monthly Magazine (1890). La version définitive fut donnée par Ward, Lock & Company en 1891. Cartonnage taché, quelques petites rousseurs. Couverture rigide
1890ref. 26040071890. pirated first. hardcover. very good. Pirated first edition. Book very good foxing throughoutsome soiling to covers former owner's one-line writing to front free end paper. unknown books
2025ref. 70397London: DK Classics 2025. Reprint. Hardcover. New. 223pp. Duodecimo 21cm. Illustrated paper over boards. Stamped in silver with sprayed edges. DK Classics edition of this classic tale by Oscar Wilde. DK Classics hardcover books
2025ref. 2350782New York: DK Classics 2025. First Thus. Hard Cover. Fine/No Jacket - Pictorial Cover. 5x0x8. First thus. Brand new from publisher. An exceptional copy. 2025 Hard Cover. 223 pp. A beautiful deluxe gift edition of Oscar Wilde's decadent and disturbing novel with foiled covers marbled edges and endpapers and a silk ribbon bookmark. Dorian is a good-natured young man until he discovers the power of his own exceptional beauty. As he gradually sinks deep into a frivolous glamorous world of selfish luxury he apparently remains physically unchanged by the stresses of his corrupt lifestyle and untouched by age. But up in his attic hidden behind a curtain his portrait tells a different story. DK Classics hardcover books
1987ref. 601455Oxford: Oxford University Press 1987. Softcover. Near Fine. Reprint. Edited with an introduction by Isobel Murray. 12mo. Illustrated wrappers. Wraps rubbed and bumped along the edges about near fine. Oxford University Press unknown books
ref. WELLER9781509827831New. New book. unknown books
