67 résultats
18982708London: Leonard Smithers 1898. First edition. Fine. One of 800 copies on handmade Van Gelder paper. A Fine copy without the fading or soiling typical of this book. Pages unopened. Housed in a custom case and chemise. Wilde's later work based on his two years hard labor at Reading Gaol for "gross indecency." Published under the pseudonym "C. 3. 3." for his cell block because the publisher feared having his name on the work would adversely affect sales. <br/><br/>The poem is based on a fellow inmate convicted of murdering his wife and generated one of the great lines from Wilde "Yet each man kills the thing he loves." Wilde continued to revise his plays until his death in 1900 but said that he had lost the joy of writing and would write no other new works. An excellent copy housed in a handsome slipcase with chemise. Fine. Leonard Smithers unknown books
1894282902London: John Lane 1894. Limited. hardcover. very good. Tall 8vo lavender cloth faded to tan with gilt designs considerably browned on the spine and edges; pages untrimmed London: John Lane 1894. Limited First Edition.<br/><br/> Mason 365. One of only 50 copies printed simultaneously with the first trade edition. Internally fine and clean.<br/><br/> John Lane unknown books
1894OW018London: John Lane at the Sign of The Bodley Head 1894 First edition one of 50 large-paper copies printed on handmade paper. Original publisher's yellow buckram boards with gilt decorations by Charles Shannon to covers and spine spine lettered in gilt. Covers toned along outer margin spine toned only the slightest trace of rubbing to the extremities former owner bookplate to front pastedown and light offsetting to endpapers. A very good tight and clean copy. An extremely scarce book in the large-paper format. Mason 365. 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. 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 may of the women in the play making him a "man of no importance.". First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine. Illus. by Shannon Charles. London: John Lane at the Sign of The Bodley Head hardcover books
189923048ELondon: Leonard Smithers & Co 1899. First Edition. Number 298 of an edition limited to 1000 copies. Square quarto. Bound in original lavender cloth with gilt lettering at the spine and gilt decorative designs by Charles Shannon at the outer edges of the boards and the spine. A lovely copy with a trace of foxing a minor bump to the top corner of the front board some slight browning to the endpapers and very minor edgewear. 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.†Leonard Smithers & Co hardcover books
1894256986London: 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. Large Paper Copy One of 50. 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
189422666ELondon: 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 MARXâ€. Elkin Mathews & John Lane hardcover books
1892283124London: Elkin Mathews 1892. Limited. hardcover. near fine. Ricketts. Title page design and elaborately gilt pictorial binding by Charles Ricketts 8vo tan cloth uncut with top edge gilt. London: Chicwick Press for Elkin Mathews & John Lane.<br/><br/> The book has been re-cased with excellent facsimile end-papers and overall is in beautiful clean crisp condition. Number 64 of 220 copies signed by Wilde. Mason 309.<br/><br/> Elkin Mathews unknown books
1899281517London: Smithers 1899. Limited. hardcover. very good. 16 214 pages. Square 8vo original lavender cloth with gilt decorations on covers uncut edges. London: Leonard Smithers 1899. Limited First Edition. Some fading soiling & shelf-wear on the binding; old heraldic bookplate on end-paper which has offset onto front flyleaf still a very good clean copy of this exceedingly rare book.<br/><br/> One of Wilde's most frequently produced plays. Number 38 of only 100 large-paper copies signed by Wilde.<br/><br/> Smithers unknown books
1899295434London: Smithers 1899. Limited. hardcover. very good. 16 214 pages. Square 8vo original lavender cloth with gilt decorations on covers uncut edges. London: Leonard Smithers 1899. Limited First Edition. Some minor soiling & bubbling on the cover but still a very good internally clean copy of this exceedingly rare book.<br/><br/> One of Wilde's most frequently produced plays. Number 41 of only 100 large-paper copies signed by Wilde. Preserved in a 1/4 leather clam-shell case.<br/><br/> Smithers unknown books
189916085London: Leonard Smithers and Co 1899. First edition signed limited edition. Octavo original lavender publisher's cloth. One of 100 large paper copies signed by Oscar Wilde. In very good condition with some light rubbing and darkening to the extremities. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Wilde's play premiered in January 1895 to an audience that included the Prince of Wales and was an immediate success. Together with The Importance of Being Earnest An Ideal Husband is often considered Wilde's dramatic masterpiece. After Earnest it is his most popularly produced play. It has been adapted to film several times first in 1935 most recently in 1999 starring Julianne Moore Minnie Driver Cate Blanchett and Rupert Everett. Mason 385. Leonard Smithers and Co hardcover books
189996121London: Leonard Smithers and Co 1899. First signed limited edition of Wilde's classic comedic stage play. Octavo original lavender publisher's cloth with gilt titles to the spine and gilt flourishes to the spine and front panel. One of 100 large paper copies signed by Oscar Wilde this is number 85. In near fine condition with a touch of toning. A superior example. Wilde's play premiered in January 1895 to an audience that included the Prince of Wales and was an immediate success. Together with The Importance of Being Earnest An Ideal Husband is often considered Wilde's dramatic masterpiece. After Earnest it is his most popularly produced play. It has been adapted to film several times first in 1935 most recently in 1999 starring Julianne Moore Minnie Driver Cate Blanchett and Rupert Everett. Leonard Smithers and Co hardcover books
1891BBO50<p><b>WILDE</b> Oscar: </p><p><i><b>The Picture of Dorian Gray</b></i>.<br /></p><p>London: Ward Lock and Co. 1891.</p><p>First English edition Deluxe Issue Limited to 250 copies #43. <b>Signed by Oscar Wilde</b>.</p><p>4to vii viii 334 pp.; <b>design binding by Robert Wu</b> in gilt red goat morocco.</p><p>A Landmark work of Literature.</p> Ward Lock and Co. hardcover books
1894319476London: Elkin Mathews and John Lane. At the Sign of the Bodley Head. Boston Copeland and Day LXIX Cornhill 1894. LARGE PAPER one of 25 copies. Printed by the Ballantyne Press. Illustrated by Charles Ricketts with wood-engraved title page half and full-page designs ornamental initials. Printed in red black and green. Unpaginated. 1 vols. Slender 8vo 10 x 7-3/8 inches. Original full vellum gilt with fantastic designs including 2 weird female sphinx on both sides by Charles Ricketts uncut The deluxe binding has "extra ornaments to the sides and inner marges of the binding and with ribbons". The binding is signed by Ricketts with monogram CR on the upper cover; the monogram of the binder Leighton Son and Hodge appears on the lower cover. The deluxe issue has an added lower border on the binding and ties. Fine copy custom half morocco clamshell box. Ricketts Charles. LARGE PAPER one of 25 copies. Printed by the Ballantyne Press. Illustrated by Charles Ricketts with wood-engraved title page half and full-page designs ornamental initials. Printed in red black and green. Unpaginated. 1 vols. Slender 8vo 10 x 7-3/8 inches. One of 25 Anthony Powell's Copy. "The monsters of the Egyptian room at the British Museum live again in his weird sometimes repulsive but all the same stately and impressive lines. The vellum binding the various symbolic designs the quaint rubricated initials and the general arrangement of the text all by Mr. Ricketts' sympathetic art are most subtly infused by the spirit of the poem." Pall Mall Budget June 21 1894. This was the last book Wilde published before his imprisonment.<br/>"the most beautiful and consummately designed trade book of the 1890s" - Nelson<br/>With the bookplate of novelist Anthony Powell 1905-2000 about whose suite of novels A Dance to the Music of Time Guy Davenport observed "The only book I know that takes Proust's habitual narrative gestures Anglicizes them and succeeds in the effort. In fact Powell is the best critical study of Proust."<br/>A CHOICE COPY OF ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOKS OF THE 1890s. Mason 362; Nelson A View from the Bodley Head pp.45- 46 passim; Wick THE TURN OF A CENTURY 1885-1910 Number 10; Ray Illustrator and the Book 262. Provenance: Anthony Powell his bookplate Elkin Mathews and John Lane. At the Sign of the Bodley Head. Boston Copeland and Day LXIX Cornhill unknown books
18932958London: Elkin Mathews & John Lane 1893. First edition. Near Fine. Original publisher's clothing binding with gilt to spine and boards. A Near Fine copy with the spine slightly toned. Bookplate of Governour Morris Esquire to front pastedown. Light scattered foxing throughout. Collates: 12 132 14 2: complete including the publisher's catalogue with pages uncut. Inscribed by Wilde on the first blank to the business manager of the St. James's Theater: "R. V. Shone with the author's compliments and sincere thanks. Nov. 93." Under the management of George Alexander and R. V. Shone The St. James's Theater staged Lady Windermere's Fan Wilde's first produced play in 1892 the year before the book was released.<br/><br/>First editions signed by Wilde are scarce on the market with Lady Windermere being particularly rare as only 500 copies of the first edition were printed Mason. Auction records show that the six known association copies of this play were all signed trade editions as the run of 50 large paper copies came out after. The most recent presentation copy of Lady Windermere also presented to someone involved in the production sold in 2018 at Leslie Hindman for $40000. An exceptional example of Oscar Wilde presenting a first edition of his first produced play with "sincere thanks" to the theatre manager who throughout his career would assist Wilde in dodging scandal and bad publicity.<br/><br/>Critics and scholars consider Lady Windermere's Fan to be Wilde's "first successful dramatic production" as well as an enduring masterpiece Mendelssohn. Its success not only relied on his update to French comic models and tropes including blackmail revenge attempts and the discovery of a lost child; success also came as a result of Wilde's own management of the premier. "What we want to do is to have all the real conditions of a success on our hands.Success is a science; if you have the right conditions you get the result" he informed one of the actors Mendelssohn. 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. This very symbol born out of Lady Windermere would lead to a strong and important professional relationship between Wilde and this book's recipient R.V. Shone the business manager at the St. James. <br/><br/>In 1894 an anonymously published novel The Green Carnation exposed the sexual relationship between Wilde and Bosie son to the Marquess of Queensbury -- a man who would become Wilde's nemesis to the end of his life. Though Wilde sought to dodge Queensbury socially the marquess was roiling for public confrontation. "There was one place and time where he could be sure of seeing Wilde -- the St. James' Theatre on the opening night of The Importance of Being Earnest when as was his custom he would take the stage after the performance to enjoy the acclaim of the audience. It was too good a chance to miss. Queensbury bought a ticket 'by fraud' Wilde suggested --as orders had been given not to sell him one -- and some vegetables.His intention was to greet Oscar's appearance with a shower of vegetation and then stand up and make a public announcement" Stratmann. Fortunately for Wilde supporters including Shone prevented this from happening. Rumor about Queensbury's plan spread notes were sent to Wilde and Wilde appealed to Shone for assistance. Reaching out to Queensbury with apologies Shone returned the marquess's money and explained that his seat had mistakenly been double-booked. Yet Shone and Wilde suspected this would not be the end and so Shone arranged not only to refuse the marquess admission at the door but to have police waiting at the entrance. It was this decision that prevented a disguised Queensbury and a paid prizefighter from sneaking in to pummel Wilde. Thwarted by Shone "he contented himself with having a bouquet of vegetables addressed to Wilde delivered to the stage door" Mikhail. Throughout his career staging work at St. James's Wilde would rely on Shone's business sense to make performances a success regardless what scandals they faced. An exceptional and rare association. Near Fine. Elkin Mathews & John Lane unknown books
1898303630London Leonard Smithers 1898. 1898. Third edition so stated. 8vo. Half white over purple linen gilt stamped spine upper cover with gilt stamped floral design by Charles Ricketts uncut. Very good-fine. 31 pages. Enclosed in a 1/2 brown morocco slipcase with folding chemise. Number 69 of 99 copies printed March 4 1898 signed by Wilde in black ink on limitation page with characteristic paraph to the final "e." Mason #374. Bookplate of Chauncey Lawrence Williams on the front free endpaper and a signed pencil notation by Paul Lemperly noting he received the book from Williams. Williams 1872-1924 former member of Way and Williams publishers and the F.W. Dodge Corp. With his memorial booklet laid in loose. Lemperly 1858-1939 noted American book collector. Signed by Authors. 3rd Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. London, Leonard Smithers, 1898. hardcover books
1899110755London: Leonard Smithers and Co 1899. Signed limited large-paper edition of the author's masterpiece number 68 of 100 copies signed by Oscar Wilde on the limitation page. Octavo original pale purple cloth gilt titles to the spine gilt floral motifs from designs by Charles Shannon on spine and covers edges untrimmed. Presentation copy with an autograph letter signed by the third and final wife of Nobel Prize-winning playwright Eugene O'Neill actress Carlotta Monterey O'Neill to stage actor Harrison K. Ford laid in which reads "To Harrison Ford Do hope you will enjoy this!- All good wishes Carlotta Monterey O'Neill Dec 6th 31 1095 Park Ave.-" From the library of Harrison K. Ford with his bookplate to the front pastedown. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. In near fine condition. An exceptional example with noted provenance. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personæ to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London the play's major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Contemporary reviews all praised the play's humour though some were cautious about its explicit lack of social messages while others foresaw the modern consensus that it was the culmination of Wilde's artistic career so far. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduringly popular play. The successful opening night marked the climax of Wilde's career but also heralded his downfall. The Marquess of Queensberry whose son Lord Alfred Douglas was Wilde's lover planned to present the writer with a bouquet of rotten vegetables and disrupt the show. Wilde was tipped off and Queensberry was refused admission. Soon afterwards their feud came to a climax in court where Wilde's homosexual double life was revealed to the Victorian public and he was eventually sentenced to imprisonment. His notoriety caused the play despite its early success to be closed after 86 performances. After his release he published the play from exile in Paris but he wrote no further comic or dramatic work. Leonard Smithers and Co hardcover books
1899140940300London: 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
