$18,750
Boston: Four Seas Company, 1924. 8vo, original green paper boards, printed paper label on upper cover and spine, very rare original printed dust jacket, unrestored, glassine. First edition, first (and only) printing, of William Faulkner's first novel. Dust jacket with a few small tears at corners and spine ends and a few creases; otherwise fine. Four Seas publishing company agreed to issue Faulkner's collection of poems in 1923, providing he pay for the manufacturing costs (a usual request for Four Seas of their authors). Although Faulkner did not have the money to pay for the costs himself, he was able to secure the backing of a 27-year old colleague, Phil Stone, an attorney from Oxford, Mississippi, for the initial print run of 500 copies. The book sold poorly and Four Seas quickly moved it to the remainder shelf. While no record of how many copies Four Seas sold exists, an early estimate suggests about 100 copies. This estimate is supported by Faulkner scholar William Boozer, who has been able to locate approximately 70. The present copy, in the original dust jacket and very early, possibly original, glassine, has remained in private hands for decades.
Auctioneer:
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
Date:
2013-11-06
