Lawrence, Thomas Edward

Seven Pillars of Wisdom, a triumph. [London: Privately Printed by Manning Pike and H. J. Hodgson], 1926

4to (10 x 7 3/8 in.; 254 x 187 mm). Decorative initials by Edward Wadsworth (those at the beginning of each book printed in red), 66 plates including frontispiece portrait of Faisal by Augustus John, 4 double-page, by Eric Kennington, William Roberts, Augustus John, William Nicholson, Paul Nash and others, many colored or tinted, 4 folding colored maps with original linen backing, 58 text illustrations (including 1 colored) by Roberts, Nash, Kennington, Blair-Hughes-Stanton, Gertrude Hermes and others; "Camel March" closely trimmed touching border. Original rose morocco, gilt-lettered on front cover and spine, by Bumpus, original endpapers by Kennington, edges gilt, in a green morocco drop-box by Sangorski & Sutcliffe. [With, in mylar sleeves:] Carbon typed note by booksellers John and Edward Bumpus, 19 June 1927; a 3-page typed account of the printing of Seven Pillars by H.J. Hodgson; and 1-page typed extract of a letter from John Byrne of Bertram Rota Ltd., quoting Lawrence's biographer Jeremy Wilson, to Have O'More, discussing the rarity of this copy.

A. Henderson Bishop (presentation) — The Garden, Ltd. (Haven O'More's morocco label; sale, Sotheby's New York, 9 November 1989, lot 230) — Spiro Family (sale, Christie's New York, 26 February 2004, lot 101)

O'Brien A040; F. Clements, p. 49 ("only about 100 copies were produced at 30 guineas each")

In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Limited, privately printed edition, presentation copy, inscribed to A. Henderson Bishop of Glasgow on the front flyleaf: "This copy lacks fly-leaves enough to hide an inscription. There should have been three more; so that Bishop's visitors, looking casually at the book, might have missed this reference to the kindness he did the book's printer. He has been most kind to him, and this note is to express gratitude. As the book is a bibliophilic and bibliographic nightmare, the kindness is all the more delightfully unmerited. I won't say, however, what it was. Let that be our private knowledge. T E Shaw." Only the present copy and the copy inscribed to Winston Churchill are known with inscriptions by Lawrence. This copy is also one of a few signed by the printer Manning Pike on the colophon.

Apart from the flyleaves mentioned in the inscription, this copy exhibits other bibliographic difficulties known to be due to the author's complicated requirements of printing and assembling. This copy includes the "Prickly Pear" plate, but not the two Paul Nash illustrations called for on pages 92 and 208, or the Blair-Hughes-Stanton woodcut that illustrated the dedicatory poem in some copies. Here, page XV is mispaginated as VIII.