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49 EINSTEIN, Albert. The Theory of Relativity. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1920 a scientific revolution First edition in English, translated from the third German edition (1918) by Robert Lawson, the original German edition having been published in 1916; the first appearance of any of Einstein’s works in English. Octavo. Original red cloth, spine lettered in gilt, front cover lettered in blind, bottom edge untrimmed. Housed in custom red cloth slipcase. Portrait frontispiece of the author by Hermann Struck, diagrams, figures and equations in the text, publisher’s 8-page catalogue at end. Spine faded, spine ends slightly bumped with a touch of wear, toning from sometime removed small label at head of front cover, front inner hinge superficially split, but firm, offsetting to endpapers, light foxing to edges, otherwise clean. A very good copy. ¶ Weil 90A. £1,250 [159782] 50 EKWENSI, Cyprian. Jagua Nana. London: Hutchinson of London, 1961 First edition of the author’s most successful novel; copies in such nice condition are uncommon. A critic of rapid urbanization and modernization in the newly independent Nigeria, Ekwensi’s book revolves around the titular character, setting in motion “a whole panoply of vibrant, amoral characters who have rejected their rural origins and adopted the opportunistic, pleasure-seeking urban lifestyle”. Cyprian Ekwensi (1921–2007) wrote hundreds of short stories, radio and television scripts, and several dozen novels, including children’s books.
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copies on 29 April, and the same number of copies were printed for the US trade issue in September. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt, titles to front board within quatrefoil gilt, top edge gilt, fore and bottom edges untrimmed. With glassine dust jacket and brown slipcase. An excellent copy in the original, defective glassine jacket. Offsetting to endpapers, otherwise crisp. ¶ Gallup A15a. £3,000 [157016]
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an unopened copy of the keystone of modernist poetry
In 1968, he received the Dag Hammarskjöld International Prize in Literature, was made an Member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2001, and in 2006, he became a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. Octavo. Original red boards, spine lettered in black and yellow, illustration of an African mask blocked in black to front board. With dust jacket. Contemporary ownership inscription of one W. Taylor to front pastedown. A near-fine copy, edges and preliminary and end matter slightly foxed, in a very good dust jacket indeed, unclipped, extremities lightly rubbed, spine sunned, rear panel faintly soiled, a bright example. £1,500 [157651] 51 ELIOT, T. S. The Waste Land. Richmond, Surrey: Printed and published by Leonard and Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, 1923
First UK edition in book form, sole impression, one of about 460 copies. This is one of the most important poems of the 20th century and a foundational text of modernist literature, here in the edition published by another icon of modernism, Virginia Woolf, who recalled “setting the whole of Mr. Eliots [ sic ] poem with my own hands” (quoted in Woolmer). The Waste Land was originally published in the first issue of The Criterion , the quarterly review which Eliot edited, in October 1922, and subsequently in book form in New York on 15 December 1922 by Boni & Liveright. This Hogarth edition, however, was the one that Eliot preferred to use for his presentation copies. This copy has the title label in the first state with asterisks (one of three states noted by Gallup, with no priority). The blue marbled paper for the boards is generally thought to have been prepared by Vanessa Bell.
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52 ELIOT, T. S. Ash Wednesday. New York: The Foundation Press Inc.; Faber & Faber Ltd, London, 1930 signed by the author First edition, limited issue, signed and numbered by the author, this number 499 of 600 copies. Of these, 200 were offered for sale in the United Kingdom and the remainder exported to the United States. The UK trade issue appeared five days later in a run of 2,000
Octavo. Original blue marbled paper boards, white paper title label on front board printed in black, unopened. Housed in a black quarter morocco solander box by the Chelsea Bindery. With two sheets of a previous bookseller’s notes on this copy loosely inserted. Spine sunned as usual, spine ends and lower corners bumped, wear to extremities, traces of recolouring to rear board, a touch of foxing to edges. A fresh, bright copy in very good condition indeed. ¶ Gallup A6c; Woolmer 28. £15,000 [158839]
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DECEMBER 2022
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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