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The present series of Fleming novels are inscribed to Josephine Hartford Bryce and her husband Ivar Bryce, often cited as one of the primary models for James Bond. Fleming named the character Felix Leiter, Bond’s friend and CIA operative, in part after Ivar Bryce, whose middle name was Felix. In 1950, Ivar Bryce married Josephine Hartford; they spent their summers at Black Hole Hollow Farm in Vermont, where Fleming was frequently a guest. He spent summers there hiking and plotting his Bond novels. Fleming first conceived the plot for Diamonds are Forever at the farm, and the primary setting of For Your Eyes Only, Echo Park in Vermont, is based on the farm. This exceptional series of association copies comes from the Estate of Nuala O’Donnell Pell, Jo Bryce's daughter from an earlier marriage, and the wife of Senator Claiborne Pell.
PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF NUALA O'DONNELL PELL
FLEMING, Ian (1908-1964). Moonraker. London: Jonathan Cape, 1955.
Details
FLEMING, Ian (1908-1964). Moonraker. London: Jonathan Cape, 1955.
8°. Original black boards, lettered in silver; pictorial dust jacket after a design by Ian Fleming and Kenneth Lewis (spine panel slightly faded, a few short nicks). Provenance: John Felix Charles Bryce (“Ivar”) (presentation inscription from the author).
FIRST EDITION of Fleming's third Bond novel. A SUPERB ASSOCIATION COPY, INSCRIBED BY FLEMING TO IVAR BRYCE, a model for the character of James Bond on the front free endpaper: "To Ivar Vol III of the Collected Works. Ian." Fleming dedicated his next work, Diamonds Are Forever, to (among others) his friend Ivar (see lot 212).
With Moonraker, the most self-consciously autobiographical of the Bond novels yet, Fleming began to experience a few doubts as to the seriousness of his writing. When he received Chandler's approval about his previous book "the real importance of the friendship went beyond the mere restoration of Fleming's confidence in James Bond. It quickly seems to have changed the whole attitude of Fleming to his hero and his work and to have made him decide that his next book, instead of finishing off Bond for good, would go to the opposite extreme" (Pearson, The Life of Ian Fleming, London, 1966, p.313).
A finer association copy is scarcely imaginable. Bryce met Ian Fleming in 1917 on a beach in Cornwall, and they attended Eton College where their friendship flourished. During the Second World War, Bryce and Fleming worked for the head of the British Security Coordination, based in New York City (along with other noted members Roald Dahl and David Ogilvy). For part of the war, Bryce was based in Jamaica, and after visiting in 1941, Fleming decided that he would like to live in Jamaica after the war. In 1945, Bryce helped Fleming find a house just outside Oracabessa, which he called "Goldeneye" after his wartime project in Spain, Operation Goldeneye. Their friendship flourished, and in 1975, Fleming encouraged Bryce to write his memoirs.
8°. Original black boards, lettered in silver; pictorial dust jacket after a design by Ian Fleming and Kenneth Lewis (spine panel slightly faded, a few short nicks). Provenance: John Felix Charles Bryce (“Ivar”) (presentation inscription from the author).
FIRST EDITION of Fleming's third Bond novel. A SUPERB ASSOCIATION COPY, INSCRIBED BY FLEMING TO IVAR BRYCE, a model for the character of James Bond on the front free endpaper: "To Ivar Vol III of the Collected Works. Ian." Fleming dedicated his next work, Diamonds Are Forever, to (among others) his friend Ivar (see lot 212).
With Moonraker, the most self-consciously autobiographical of the Bond novels yet, Fleming began to experience a few doubts as to the seriousness of his writing. When he received Chandler's approval about his previous book "the real importance of the friendship went beyond the mere restoration of Fleming's confidence in James Bond. It quickly seems to have changed the whole attitude of Fleming to his hero and his work and to have made him decide that his next book, instead of finishing off Bond for good, would go to the opposite extreme" (Pearson, The Life of Ian Fleming, London, 1966, p.313).
A finer association copy is scarcely imaginable. Bryce met Ian Fleming in 1917 on a beach in Cornwall, and they attended Eton College where their friendship flourished. During the Second World War, Bryce and Fleming worked for the head of the British Security Coordination, based in New York City (along with other noted members Roald Dahl and David Ogilvy). For part of the war, Bryce was based in Jamaica, and after visiting in 1941, Fleming decided that he would like to live in Jamaica after the war. In 1945, Bryce helped Fleming find a house just outside Oracabessa, which he called "Goldeneye" after his wartime project in Spain, Operation Goldeneye. Their friendship flourished, and in 1975, Fleming encouraged Bryce to write his memoirs.