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158 TRESSELL, Robert (pseud.) The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists. London: Grant Richards Ltd, 1914 “A BOOK EVERYONE SHOULD READ” – GEORGE ORWELL First edition, first impression. The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists is a classic of English working class literature, often compared with Zola’s Germinal and described by George Orwell as “a book everyone should read” ( Manchester Evening Times , 1946). The author, Robert Philippe Noonan (1870–1911), was the illegitimate son of an inspector in the Royal Irish Constabulary. “Working in the building trade at subsistence wages, he contracted tuberculosis, was influenced by socialist writers such as Robert Blatchford, and became an active member of the unusually large Hastings branch of the Social Democratic Federation, whose banner he painted. He spent his spare time during the last ten years of his life writing by hand the 1800-page manuscript of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists , which brought posthumous fame” ( ODNB ). Provenance: pencilled date and price to front pastedown, “9–4–14”, six shillings; Tressell’s biographer Dave Harker gives the publication date as 23 April. Elegantly miniscule ownership inscription to front free endpaper of R. M. J. Knaster (dated 1919), noted ephemera collector, educated at Perse School and Sidney Sussex, Cambridge, schoolmaster at Godalming before joining the office of the High Commissioner for India (1928). Octavo. Original black cloth, titles to spine and front cover in gilt, the latter decorated with an arabesque. A very good copy, binding square and firm, cloth unfaded, gilt letters to front cover partially rubbed, touch of foxing to endpapers and prelims, the contents clean. ¶ NCBEL 4 751; Dave Harker, Tressell: The Real Story of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists , ZedBooks, 2003. £1,750 [137406]
157 TORRENS, Robert. Colonization of South Australia. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, 1835 AN IDEAL SOLUTION TO THE MALTHUSIAN OVERPOPULATION PROBLEM First edition. Robert Torrens (1780–1864), an Irish-born political economist, Member of Parliament, and newspaper publisher, played a prominent role in the colonization of South Australia. He here proposes colonization to solve the problem of overpopulation, and enrich the mother country. “Torrens had a significant influence on the theory and practice of colonization. Along with most of the later classical economists he rejected the Smithian view that colonies were of no economic benefit to the colonial power. Much of the later classical case for colonies was based on the view that colonies would provide profitable investment outlets to offset a declining rate of profit at home. Torrens used this argument in some of his later writings but his main argument was that colonies were an ideal solution to the Malthusian overpopulation problem. In this view he was undoubtedly influenced by his interpretation of the causes of Irish poverty – a country incidentally where Torrens was born and in general its problems had a profound effect on his thinking . . . He [also] advocated systematic colonization with the price of land set sufficiently high that large units of capital would have to be amassed before the immigrant labourers became independent farmers” ( The New Palgrave IV, 660). Octavo. Original drab boards and printed paper spine label, untrimmed. Housed in a custom blue cloth clamshell box. Colour frontispiece map. Complete with half-title and 16 pp. publisher’s catalogue at front. With the ink ownership signature of Erasmus Galton (brother of Francis Galton, cousin of Charles Darwin) on front pastedown. Spine rubbed and chipped to headcap, creasing and chipping to label with minor paper loss, light spotting to covers, some offsetting on title page, light foxing at front and back; a very good copy. ¶ De Vivo 50; Goldsmiths’ 29034; Ferguson 2056; Kress C.4051; not in Einaudi. £3,000 [135996]
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