Notable Sales
THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK (1876)
CARROLL, Lewis
First edition, inscribed by Lewis Carroll for Blanche Louisa Cecil. Octavo. One of 100 copies bound in the deluxe binding of red cloth, lettered and decorated gilt. All edges gilt. Inscribed by Lewis Carroll to the half-title page, "Blanche Louisa Cecil from the Author. Mar. 29. 1876".
A very good copy, a little rubbed and worn, with the upper joint beginning to split. Tape repairs to the upper hinge and the front free endpaper.
An inscribed first edition of The Hunting Of The Snark, in the deluxe binding and with a distinguished and unbroken literary provenance. In March 1876 Lewis Carroll wrote to Macmillan to order deluxe bindings for his author's copies: "100 in red and gold, 20 in dark blue and gold, 20 in white vellum and gold". While the entire edition comprised 10,000 copies, only 100 were produced in this deluxe binding, and it is likely none of these were offered for sale.
PROVENANCE: Blanche Louisa Cecil (1872-1945), daughter of Lord Eustace Gascoyne-Cecil, inscribed for her by Carroll; by descent to her nephew Lord David Cecil (1902-1986); gifted by him to the novelist L.P. Hartley (1895-1972).