Details
JOYCE, James (1882-1941). Storiella As She Is Syung. A Section of "Work in Progress". [London]: [Oxford University Press for] The Corvinus Press, 1937. 4° (320 x 260mm). Text printed in red and black. Hand-coloured printed 'lettrine' after Lucia Joyce, printed music and illustrations in the text. (Occasional very light spotting.) Original orange-stained limp vellum gilt [by W.H. Smith], yapp fore-edges, spine and upper board lettered in gilt, lower board with gilt Corvinus Press device [Nash and Flavell Device B], top edge gilt (extremities very lightly rubbed, boards very lightly cockled); original slipcase. Provenance: Holbrook Jackson (1874-1948, presentation inscription on front flyleaf 'For Holbrook Jackson upon his visit to the press , from Carlow. 12.4.38.' and loosely inserted bookplate) -- Alfred Tennant Cowie (1916-2003, inscription on front free endpaper dated 1951).
FIRST EDITION, LIMITED TO 176 COPIES, THIS NUMBER 143 OF 150. ASSOCIATION COPY INSCRIBED BY VISCOUNT CARLOW, THE OWNER AND FOUNDER OF THE CORVINUS PRESS, TO THE WRITER AND BIBLIOPHILE HOLBROOK JACKSON. Viscount Carlow wrote to Joyce in early 1936 requesting a text to print, and Joyce replied in July 1936, sending a copy of transition 23 and a 'lettrine' design by Lucia Joyce. After Joyce had made some amendments to the text and chosen the title, work began on the printing in early 1937 and was finished in October 1937, as stated in the colophon. However, the sheets of the signed copies numbered 1-25 were probably not bound and issued until January 1938; in a letter of 12 January 1938, Joyce comments that 'Lord Carlow was here yesterday with the sheets [of Storiella] for me to sign' (Joyce Selected Letters p. 389). '[Storiella] is among Carlow's most ambitious productions, and is arguably the most significant text to be printed at the Corvinus Press' (Nash and Flavell). These fragments form pp. 260-275 and 304-304 of Finnegans Wake. It is possible that the occasion of the gift of this copy was a visit to the Press to discuss the publication of Jackson's The Story of Don Vincente -- a 'light-hearted cautionary tale of bibliomania and murder [...] specially written for the Corvinus Press' (Nash and Flavell, p.109) which was issued by the Press in November 1939. Nash and Flavell Corvinus 17; Slocum and Cahoon A46.
FIRST EDITION, LIMITED TO 176 COPIES, THIS NUMBER 143 OF 150. ASSOCIATION COPY INSCRIBED BY VISCOUNT CARLOW, THE OWNER AND FOUNDER OF THE CORVINUS PRESS, TO THE WRITER AND BIBLIOPHILE HOLBROOK JACKSON. Viscount Carlow wrote to Joyce in early 1936 requesting a text to print, and Joyce replied in July 1936, sending a copy of transition 23 and a 'lettrine' design by Lucia Joyce. After Joyce had made some amendments to the text and chosen the title, work began on the printing in early 1937 and was finished in October 1937, as stated in the colophon. However, the sheets of the signed copies numbered 1-25 were probably not bound and issued until January 1938; in a letter of 12 January 1938, Joyce comments that 'Lord Carlow was here yesterday with the sheets [of Storiella] for me to sign' (Joyce Selected Letters p. 389). '[Storiella] is among Carlow's most ambitious productions, and is arguably the most significant text to be printed at the Corvinus Press' (Nash and Flavell). These fragments form pp. 260-275 and 304-304 of Finnegans Wake. It is possible that the occasion of the gift of this copy was a visit to the Press to discuss the publication of Jackson's The Story of Don Vincente -- a 'light-hearted cautionary tale of bibliomania and murder [...] specially written for the Corvinus Press' (Nash and Flavell, p.109) which was issued by the Press in November 1939. Nash and Flavell Corvinus 17; Slocum and Cahoon A46.
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