This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/25/2024
STEVENSON, Robert Louis (1850-1894). Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1886. Small 8vo. [viii], [1]-141, [1, blank], [1, ads], [1, blank] pp. Half-title is present. Original publisher’s wrappers, printed in blue and red, with the earliest issue wrappers (date corrected in ink to “1886”, as issued; wrappers toned, worn, soiled, spine partially perished, wrappers somewhat brittle, binding a bit loose in places, pp. 117-124 a bit shorter at the lower margin than the other text pages). A good copy of this notoriously fragile book. FIRST ENGLISH EDITION, FIRST ISSUE OF THIS CLASSIC AND INFLUENTIAL HORROR NOVELLA. Previous owner’s signature (“A W M Bailie,” most likely Alexander William Mowbray Baillie, a friend and frequent correspondent to the poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889)). Housed in a handsome modern full brown morocco, gilt, clamshell case. Scribner’s American edition preceded this issue by only 4 days; this edition was intended for release at Christmas, 1885, but the book stalls and stores were already full, so it was moved for release in January, 1886; as the wrappers were printed before the text, they had to be corrected by hand. The wrappers issue preceded the English cloth issue. McKay 349. Prideaux 17a. A Haycraft-Queen Cornerstone.