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trade issue of 1,000 copies, published on 23 November the same year. In his introduction to this important edition of Pound’s poetry, T. S. Eliot gives an extended commentary on the originality of Pound’s work, his influences (“Browning and Yeats . . . Swinburne and William Morris”, p. ix), and the ways he has been read and misread by some of his contemporaries. This copy is from the library of actor Basil Burton (1906– 1970), with his bookplate designed by Blair Hughes-Stanton on the front pastedown. Burton met Eliot on a number of occasions in the 1930s, and the poet mentions Burton and his wife Vera Poliakoff in a letter to John Hayward: “The party was by no means a failure – the mechanical difficulties only just enough to make it real. I thought Mrs Poliakoff very lovely and hollow-sounding – spoke perfect English but she didn’t smell quite English, if I may be so bold – and she tired me. Is Basil Burton quite real either?” (25 February 1936). Burton later appeared as the “Third Tempter” in the 1957 film adaptation of Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral , playing alongside Eliot himself, who provided the voice for the “Fourth Tempter”. The actor was something of a collector of Eliot’s works, with his copies of Poems 1909–25 and Dante appearing at auction in 2020. Octavo. Original vellum-backed grey boards, spine lettered in gilt, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. A very good copy, spine slightly browned and spotted, minor wear to tips, contents clean and crisp. ¶ Gallup, Pound , A30b & Eliot , B10b. Valerie Eliot & John Haffenden, eds, Letters of T. S. Eliot , vol. 8: 1936–1938, 2019. £4,000 [147191]
so marked. Pound later moved publication to Chicago, and, for the last number, to New York. As noted by Hoffman, Allen, and Ulrich in The Little Magazine , “The four issues of Pound’s Exile afford him an opportunity for full expression of his editorial temperament. Pound’s career . . . has always been marked by a wish to dogmatize, impress, or shock. He regards only a small group of persons intelligent enough for conversation or friendship. There is always something of the poseur in Pound’s attitudinizing, but his judgment, especially in matters aesthetic, is often surprisingly good, and always refreshing”. 4 volumes, small octavo. Original orange or red wrappers printed in black. Housed in a custom cardboard folding case with paper labels. Spines slightly faded, some short creases and tears to covers of no. 1, minor chip to rear cover of no. 3, minor scratches to front cover of no. 4, some occasional light soiling, occasional chips to edges of leaves of no. 1 as usual, indentation to fore edge of no. 2, edges of no. 3 a little foxed, otherwise a good set with clean contents. £2,000 [150565] 81 POUND, Ezra; ELIOT, T. S. (intro.) Selected Poems. London: Faber & Gwyer, 1928 Signed by Pound First edition, signed limited issue, number 18 of 100 copies printed on handmade paper and signed by the author. This edition was published on 10 December 1928, following the
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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