Fine Books & Manuscripts

YEATS, William Butler (1865–1939). The King’s Threshold… New York: printed for private circulation [at the University Press at Cambridge, U.S.], 1904. 8vo. Title printed in red and black. Publisher’s drab paper boards, spine lettered in gilt, top edge gilt, others uncut (spine toned with chipping at ends and a bit of separation near foot of spine, covers lightly darkened at edges). Provenance: from the library of James Byrne, an American friend of Yeats. LIMITED EDITION, number 96 of 100 copies printed on hand–made paper imported from Italy. PRESENTATION COPY FROM YEATS [with:] a TLS from Irish American nationalist and supporter of Ireland’s leading writers of the day, John Quinn to Byrne: “At the request of Mr. Yeats I take pleasure in sending you herewith a copy, No. 96, with an autograph card from him inserted… Mr. Yeats is sending a few copies of this edition to special friends on this side” and with a handwritten notation at the end of the letter: “I got it printed from him here and it’s a much finer book than the Eng. Edn”. –– [Also with:] THE AUTOGRAPH CARD FROM YEATS to Byrne laid in as mentioned in the letter from Quinn. Wade 55.John Quinn is best remembered in the literary world as an advocate and patron of artistic modernism, financially supporting such authors as Yeats, Ezra Pound, James Joyce, Joseph Conrad, and T.S. Eliot. In return for his generosity, the authors would present him with original manuscripts which together would assemble as one of the greatest Irish Renaissance collections in the world.