54
iii
vi
The volumes comprise: i) D’ALBE, E. H. Fournier. Hephaestus or the Soul of the Machine. London: Kegan Paul, no date [ c .1920s]. Inscribed by Ian Fleming on the front free endpaper, “I. L. Fleming / Chelsea”. Hephaestus was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan; the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metallurgy, fire, and volcanoes, who had a reputation as a fix-it man, or creator, a similar role played by the mortal “Q” in film versions of Fleming’s later adventure books. The name-place inscribed by Fleming relates to 118 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London SW10, which was his home address while studying at Eton College.
by Ian Fleming on the front free endpaper, “Ian Fleming Glasgow 1936”. This is Fleming’s own copy of a textbook covering Sir David Wilkie, from the Scottish Painters series. Provenance: the library of Ian Fleming (–1964); (2) Ann Fleming (1964–1981); (3) Fionn O’Neill (Ann Fleming’s daughter, 1981–94); (4) Bloomsbury Auctions, London, 15 September 1994; the Ian Fleming collection of Martin Schøyen (b. 1940), with his bookplate. Mostly octavo, 6 volumes, original bindings. Occasional foxing and browning, extremities occasionally worn, some spines faded, loss of spine to Garrett. ¶ The Schøyen Collection No. 222 and 223. £10,000 [156685]
ii) GARRETT, Garet. Ouroboros, or The Mechanical Extension of Mankind. London: Kegan Paul, no date [ c .1920s]. With a gift inscription to Ian Fleming, dated 1927, from a female acquaintance. The Ouroboros in Greek mythology is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon swallowing its own tail and forming a circle. Serpents as death-bringers would feature in the James Bond novels, and a mechanical “dragon” was a recurring threat to the islanders in Dr No (1958). Carl Jung interpreted the Ouroboros as having an archetypal significance to the human psyche, and is perhaps the reason Fleming was given this book; Fleming was an advocate of Jung’s work and struck up a correspondence with the Zurich psychiatrist; he translated his essay Paracelsus while a language student in Munich in the late 1920s. iii) HEWLETT, Maurice. The Forest Lovers. A Romance. London: Thomas Nelson, no date. With a gift inscription to Ian Fleming, dated 1928. The Forest Lovers is a tale of knight errantry in the Arthurian style. In its simplest form it has, at its core, the idea of good versus evil, which was the entire premise of the James Bond series. The story also features a damsel in distress, which would of course be a pre- requisite for Ian Fleming’s own gallant hero. iv) NICOLSON, Harold. People and Things. London: Constable and Company, 1931. With a long inscription, presented to Ian Fleming by a close friend, likely just before sitting examinations. People and Things is exactly that: short accounts of places and characters, similar in style to Fleming’s later travel documentary series Thrilling Cities . v) HOPE, Laurence. The Garden of Kama. London:
good copy. ¶ Amex 157; Goldsmiths’ 3010; Wing E3548; not in Kress. £2,250 [158714] 54 FLEMING, Ian. Collection of six works from the author’s library. 1908–31 inscribed to fleming or with his ownership signature Ian Fleming’s own reading copies, most acquired by him during his formative years between the ages of 15 and 30 while a schoolboy at Eton College and a language student at the Universities of Munich and Geneva. Four books have gift inscriptions from friends and two books feature his own ownership inscription.
53
53 EVERETT, George. The Path-Way to peace and profit; or, truth in its plain dress. London: Printed for the author, 1694 the strength of the royal navy Rare first edition. The author appears to have occupied a position of some importance in the government dockyards, although he describes himself as simply a shipwright. He proposes wide-ranging changes in methods of recruitment to the Navy, in the nature of pay and pensions, distribution of prize money and bounties, together with suggestions for the abolition of foul language and unseemly behaviour. The strength of the Navy was of particular concern to the English mercantilist economists of the time. “Everett’s pamphlets are of no theoretical interest, but they throw much light on the conditions of labour in the dockyards and the sea service at the end of the 17th century” (W. A. S. Hewins in Palgrave ). Quarto (198 × 158 mm). Stab-sewn as issued in plain paper wrappers. Wrappers a little soiled and worn along joints, corners chipped, the text a little dog eared, else fine; a very
iv
William Heinemann, 1908. Inscribed to Ian Fleming (the source of the presentation is obscured). Fleming was particularly interested in love poetry; he also owned a selection of poetical works by Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Drinkwater, and wrote his own volume of romantic verse entitled The Black Daffodil (published c .1928), which he quickly suppressed. vi) PINNINGTON, Edward. Sir David Wilkie. Edinburgh: Oliphant Anderson, no date. Inscribed
i
ii
v
30
31
DECEMBER 2022
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator