THE CECIL-HARTLEY COPY
 
First edition, inscribed by Lewis Carroll for Blanche Louisa Cecil and with an unbroken provenance trail leading to the present day, with later owners including the novelist L.P. Hartley.
 
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, “Blance 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. Toning to pp. 46-7 from a newspaper clipping once loosely laid in.
 
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 (1902-196); gifted by him to the novelist L.P. Hartley (1895-1972); by descent to his sister and literary executor Norah Hartley (1904-1994); by descent to her godson, Benoit Junod, with his bookplate and brief provenance note to front pastedown.
 
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 of The Hunting Of The Snark: “100 in red and gold, 20 in dark blue and gold, 20 in white vellum and gold”. And so while the entire edition comprised 10,000 copies, only 100 of these were produced in this deluxe binding, and it is likely none of these were offered for sale. On 29th March, the date the present volume is inscribed, Carroll travelled to London “to write in ‘80 presentation copies’ which were just ready”.
 
Carroll was a friend of the Cecils, particularly the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, and corresponded with other members of the family, including Lady Gwendolen Gascoyne-Cecil, whom he photographed.