The first edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses at Bonhams.
A signed first edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses comes up at Bonhams Fine Books and Manuscripts sale in London on June 24. It is part of a large collection of Joyce’s work to be offered. Ulysses is estimated at £60,000-80,000 and the collection has a combined upper estimate of £300,000.
The author’s presentation copy printed on hand made paper was given to Lewis Galantiere, an American translator of French literature living in Paris. There he met Joyce and other leading literary figures of the day. Dated February 11, 1922, this is the earliest known presentation copy apart from the one Joyce gave to his wife Nora on the day of publication, February 2, 1922, the author’s 40th birthday. Printing was hampered by difficulties over the colour for the cover which Joyce wanted to match the blue of the Greek flag.
In 1935 Henri Matisse was commissioned to illustrate an edition of Ulysses for subscribers to the Limited Edition Club in America. Each of the 1,000 copies was signed by Matisse and 250 were also signed by Joyce. A copy of the book signed by both men is estimated at £6,000-8,000.
Other works include a first edition of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, (£20,000-30,000); a first edition of Dubliners, (£3,000-4,000) and a first edition of the very scarce Gas from a Burner (£10,000-15,000) his bitingly satirical poem written in September 1912 about the destruction of 1,000 copies of Dubliners. A signed copy of the first 1936 English printing of Ulysses, with the cover designed by Eric Gill, is estimated at £10,000-15,000.
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