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175 WILDE, Oscar. A Woman of No Importance. London: John Lane at the Sign of the Bodley Head, 1894 WITH A SUPERB THEATRICAL ASSOCIATION, INSCRIBED BY WILDE TO AN ACTOR FROM THE PREMIERE OF AN IDEAL HUSBAND First edition, presentation copy, inscribed by Wilde on the first blank, “Harry Stanford from his friend the author. Oscar Wilde Nov ‘94”. This is a superb association, inscribed to the actor who played the role of Mr Montford in the premiere of An Ideal Husband . It was inscribed a month after publication, around the time Stanford was cast in the role. Rehearsals for An Ideal Husband began in December 1894, and it premiered at the Haymarket Theatre the following month, just before Wilde’s trial. Henry B. Stanford (1872–1921; real name Harry Costello) was for several years the leading man with Henry Irving’s theatre company. He was born in Ramleh, Egypt, and “began acting in provincial traveling companies playing juvenile parts in ‘The Silver King’, ‘Harbor Lights’, and other popular dramas. He advanced to
leading rôles and made his way to London. There he understudied Sir Charles Wyndham in ‘The Home Secretary’, and afterward played Sir Charles’s part on tour. In 1897 he went to South Africa, and during an engagement at Johannesburg interpreted leading rôles in twenty-two London successes. Returning to England, he became associated with Sir Henry Irving and Miss Ellen Terry. He came to America with them, remained and played in ‘The Forest Lovers’ and ‘Sweet and Twenty’. Later he rejoined Irving’s company and remained with it until Sir Henry’s death” (T he New Theatre , p. 41). A Woman of No Importance premiered on 19 April 1893 at the Haymarket Theatre, London, and ran until August. This is one of 500 copies of the trade issue; a further 50 copies were issued on handmade paper. Provenance: from the library of the poet José García Villa (1908–1997). Octavo. Original pink cloth, spine lettered in gilt, decorations by Charles Shannon to covers in gilt, all edges untrimmed. Housed in a custom purple quarter morocco and cloth slipcase and matching chemise by James Mcdonald Co. Cloth rubbed and showing general signs of handling, a few bumps and marks, tips worn, inner hinges cracked but holding, front free endpaper neatly re-attached, contents
largely clean. A well-handled copy in better than good condition. ¶ Mason 365. The New Theatre, New York , 1909. £17,500 [150714] 176 WILDE, Oscar; BEARDSLEY, Aubrey (illus.) Salomé. A tragedy in one act, translated from the French. London: Elkin Mathews & John Lane, 1894 A SUBLIME COLLABORATION BY THE ENFANTS TERRIBLES OF VICTORIAN ENGLAND First edition in English, one of 500 trade copies; this edition was the first to feature Beardsley’s striking illustrations. “If Le Morte Darthur [1893] 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). Salomé was originally published in French in the preceding year and was translated into English by Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas. A further 100 large paper copies of the present edition were also issued.
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