WILDE | Salomé, 1894, first English edition, one of 500 copies

From the Collection of Steven Berkoff

WILDE, OSCAR

SALOME... TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF OSCAR WILDE... LONDON: ELKIN MATHEWS & JOHN LANE, 1894

4to, FIRST ENGLISH EDITION, one of 500 copies, frontispiece, pictorial title-page and list of illustrations, 9 illustrations, tailpiece and cover design by Aubrey Beardsley, 16pp. publisher's catalogue dated January 1894 at end, original blue cloth, lettering in gilt with designs on upper and lower cover, collector's chemise and blue cloth slipcase, some plates loose, extremities slightly worn and faded, bookplate

The first edition in English and first appearance of Beardsley's illustrations.

Wilde described Beardsley as 'a very brilliant and wonderful artist...' Writing to Mrs Patrick Campbell in March 1894 he noted that Beardsley '...has just illustrated my play of Salomé for me... His drawings are quite wonderful...' (Complete Letters, 2000, p. 587)

This copy includes six of Beardsley's illustrations printed on wove paper, loosely inserted in the collector's chemise.

LITERATURE:

Mason 350

PROVENANCE:

Charles MacA. Willcox, bookplate

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