[Rarebooks] R.L. Stevenson First Editions, Discounted Prices

[Michael John Thompson]

Robert Louis Stevenson

A short list of First editions at discounted prices.
There is a link below each listing which goes to my webpage.
All items have images and the discount is live on my site.


1.  STEVENSON, Robert Louis. THE BLACK ARROW. A 
Tale of the Two Roses. London: Cassell & Company. 
1888. First Edition, First Printing. First 
edition. Octavo, original red cloth stamped in 
black on front panel, and in gilt and black on 
spine, floral endpapers. 324 pp + 4 pp ads + [16] 
pp publisher's catalogue dated 7.88 at rear. 
Inner hinges slightly sprung, spine panel tanned, 
moderate soiling to cloth with a patchy area on 
front panel. A good to very good copy which shows 
quite well. From the collection of John Ruyle, 
with his small, neat ownership label on the inner 
front cover. ¶ Historical novel set in England 
during the time of the War of the Roses. Very 
Good. Hardcover. (#301674)
$95.00
Sale 50% off  $47.50
http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/si/301674.html

2.  STEVENSON, Robert Louis. CATRIONA. A Sequel 
to "Kidnapped", Being Memoirs of the Further 
Adventures of David Balfour at Home and Abroad. 
London: Cassell and Company Limited. 1893. First 
Edition, First Printing. First edition. Issued 
simultaneously in the US under the title "David 
Balfour". Octavo, original dark blue cloth 
stamped titled and bordered in gilt on spine 
panel, floral endpapers. 371 pp + [18] pp 
publishers ads at rear, dated 8.93. Heraldic 
bookplate of Francis Evelyn, Countess of Warwick 
on inner front cover. Mild cracking to the inner 
joints at both endpapers (common with this book], 
mild foxing to preliminary and terminal leaves 
otherwise a fine, bright copy. ¶ The sequel to 
'Kidnapped', and a great adventure novel. Frances 
Evelyn "Daisy" Greville, Countess of Warwick (10 
December 1861 - 26 July 1938) was a society 
beauty, and mistress to King Edward VII. She was 
the inspiration for the popular music hall song 
"Daisy, Daisy". Her bookplate is embellished with 
a crown, two swans, her coat of arms and two rows 
of Daisies. Fine. Hardcover. (#301668)
$350.00
Sale 50% off  $175.00
http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/si/301668.html

3.  STEVENSON, Robert Louis. ISLAND NIGHTS' 
ENTERTAINMENTS. Consisting of The Beach of 
Falesá, The Bottle Imp, The Isle of Voices. With 
Illustrations by Gordon Brown and W. Heatherell. 
London, etc: Cassell & Company Limited. 1893. 
First UK edition. First British edition, issued 5 
days after the American edition. This is the 
first issue, with the hand correction to the 
price on the list of Stevenson's works. Octavo, 
original light aqua-blue cloth titled in gilt on 
spine, titled & decorated in gilt on front panel. 
Floral endpapers. Frontispiece with tissue guard 
and 27 additional illustrations throughout the 
text, including one colour map. 277 pp + [16] pp 
publisher's catalogue at rear dated 7G -3.93. 
Some browning to tissue guard at the 
frontispiece, tiny ownership ticket of a noted 
collector on front paste-down, a fine, bright 
copy. Remarkably nice condition. ¶ Collection of 
three stories, two of which, "The Bottle Imp" and 
"The Isle of Voices", are important supernatural 
tales. Much is made of the dates on the 
publisher's catalogues in the various issues of 
this book, with a catalogue dated September 1992 
often cited as the first issue - but copies also 
exist with an 1891 catalogue, and various 
different 1893 catalogues. The argument for 
priority is moot, as 5000 copies of the first 
issue were printed, and by March 30, 1893, it had 
been bound in two lots, the first consisting of 
4,000 copies and the second 1,000 copies. The 
existence of copies with an 1891 catalogue simply 
shows that the binder inserted whichever 
publisher's catalogue was on hand; indeed, the 
presence of older catalogues implies that they 
were bound later, when copies of the newest 
catalogue were unavailable, rather than earlier 
as often assumed. The actual issue point of the 
first printing is the hand corrected price, which 
was later changed by correcting the type. Fine. 
Hardcover. (#302450)
$750.00
Sale 50% off   $375.00
http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/si/302450.html

4.  STEVENSON, Robert Louis. THE MERRY MEN And 
Other Tales and Fables. London: Chatto & Windus. 
1887. First Edition, First Printing. First 
edition, first issue. Octavo, original decorated 
blue cloth stamped in silver and black on front 
panel and spine, gilt titles to spine, light 
green floral endpapers. 256 pp + 32 pp publishers 
catalogue at rear, dated September, 1886. 
Contemporary ink inscription on half-title leaf, 
dated April 13, 1887; small bookseller's 
description clipped from a catalogue and affixed 
to front endpaper; minor browning to endpapers 
and a small crease to the upper corners of the 
last few leaves in the catalogue at rear. There 
is some mild rubbing to the silver stars on the 
binding, as usual; otherwise this is a bright 
clean copy, very good and attractive. ¶ An 
outstanding collection of tales, several with 
supernatural content. Includes 'Thrawn Janet', a 
macabre tale of an 18th Century Scottish witch, 
and 'Olalla', one of the best horror stories in 
English. Very Good. Hardcover. (#301658)
$350.00
Sale 50% off   $175.00
http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/si/301658.html

5.  STEVENSON, Robert Louis. ST. IVES; Being The 
Adventures of a French Prisoner in England. New 
York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1897. First 
edition. Octavo, original brown cloth Titled and 
stamped in gilt and green on front panel, gilt 
titles and decoration to spine. 438 pp. Lacks 
half-title leaf, small stain at base of front 
panel, otherwise a fresh, very good copy. This 
American edition precedes the British edition 
issued by Heinemann in 1898. From the collection 
of John Ruyle, with his small, neat book label on 
the inner front cover. ¶ The adventures of a 
Napoleonic soldier after his capture by the 
British. The manuscript was left unfinished on 
Stevenson's death, it was complete by Arthur 
Quiller-Couch. Very Good. Hardcover. (#301660)
$45.00
Sale 50% off $22.50
http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/si/301660.html

6.  STEVENSON, Robert Louis. STRANGE CASE OF DR 
JEKYLL AND MR HYDE . New York: Charles Scribner's 
Sons. 1886. First Edition, First Printing. First 
American edition, preceding the British edition. 
Octavo, original green cloth lettered in gilt, 
top edge gilt. 4250 copies were printed of this 
American edition, of which 3000 were issued in 
paper wrappers, and 1250 in green cloth, of which 
this is one. Of two known varieties (no priority) 
this is the larger, with sheets trimmed to 18.5 x 
12.5 cm. The wrappers issue was supposedly issued 
earlier. This clothbound issue is more difficult 
to find, especially in nice condition. Bookplate 
of Jerome A. Hart on the front paste-down. Very 
modest wear to edges, a couple of small folded 
page corners which have been straightened, some 
mild soiling to the title page and a few margins; 
in general this is a bright, attractive, very 
good copy. Jerome Hart was a notable San 
Francisco editor and writer, who was personally 
acquainted with Stevenson. ¶ The classic horor 
tale of split personality and violence. Very 
Good. Hardcover. (#302446)
$3,500.00
Sale 30% off $2,450.00
http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/si/302446.html

7.  STEVENSON, Robert Louis. STRANGE CASE OF DR 
JEKYLL AND MR HYDE. London: Longmans, Green, and 
Co. 1886. First UK edition. First British 
edition. Small octavo, bound without wrappers or 
final leaf of ads in late nineteenth century 
maroon cloth, the spine panel lettered and tooled 
in gold, tan endpapers, all edges marbled. 141 
pp. This British edition was published 9 January 
1886, four days after the American edition was 
published by Charles Scribner's Sons. The Longman 
edition, like the Scribner edition, was issued in 
cloth and in paper wrappers, this being one of 
the latter which would have had the "5" in the 
date on front panel altered by hand to "6." 
Bookplate of James J. Waring affixed to front 
paste-down. Bound without the final leaf (an 
advertisement for the second edition of A CHILD'S 
GARDEN OF VERSES), touch of rubbing to the edges 
of the binding, a bright, near fine copy. ¶ The 
classic horor tale of split personality and 
violence. Near Fine. Rebound. (#302647)
$850.00
Sale 30% off $595.00
http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/si/302647.html

8.  SIEVEKING, Lance; STEVENSON, Robert Louis. 
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE. A 
Radio Drama in 5 parts by Lance Sieveking. 
Founded on Robert Louis Stevenson's Famous Story. 
Production by Hugh Stewart. Original script for 
the BBC Radio Play, 1956. London: BBC Radio. 
1956. First Edition, First Printing. Folio, 
original sheets, 5 sections each with a 
half-sheet cover bearing the rehearsal and 
broadcast dates: 10th September, 17th September, 
24th September, 1st October, & 8th October. 16 pp 
+ 13 pp + 13 pp + 12 pp + 13 pp. Some tears to 
cover half-sheets, that on the second part being 
defective, script complete. Binder pins in upper 
corners of first two parts, last three parts 
stapled. Very good condition, overall, and 
complete. Originally broadcast September 1956 
with with Cyril Shaps, Rich a rd Williams, 
Manning Wilson, Gordon Davies, James Thomason & 
Geoffrey Lumsden. Lance Sieveking (19 March 1896 
- 6 January 1972), English writer and pioneer BBC 
radio and television producer. In collaboration 
with Val Gielgud, he brought an adaptation of 
Luigi Pirandello's short play "L'uomo dal fiore 
in bocca" (1923) to television as "The Man with 
the Flower in His Mouth", airing on 14 July 1930 
- the first British television play. His papers 
are housed in the Lilly Library, and consist of 
"correspondence, radio plays, manuscripts for 
short stories, for novels, and for nonfiction 
works, diaries, drawings, and photographs". Very 
Good. Loose_leaf. (#301873)
$225.00
Sale 50% off $112.50
http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/si/301873.html

9.  STEVENSON, Robert Louis. UNDERWOODS. London: 
Chatto & Windus. 1887. First Edition, First 
Printing. First edition. Octavo, original 
slate-blue cloth bordered in blind on front & 
rear panels, titled & with a small decoration in 
gilt on spine, black coated endpapers. 138 pp + 
32 pp publishers catalogue dated July, 1887 
inserted at rear. Corners just a bit soft, a very 
nice copy. From the collection of John Ruyle, 
with his small, neat ownership label on the inner 
front cover. ¶ A scarce poetry collection. 
'Requiem', one of Steven's best-known poems, was 
first printed in this volume. Very Good. Hardcover. (#301692)   $125.00
Sale 50% off $62.50
http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/si/301692.html

10.  STEVENSON, Robert Louis. WEIR OF HERMISTON. 
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1896 First 
American Edition. First published American 
edition, preceded by the rare copyright issue 
pamphlets issued earlier by Stone & Kimball (3 
vols, 1896, "10 or 12 copies printed"). Octavo, 
original green cloth nicely decorated in gilt, 
the binding signed "MA" (Margaret Armstrong). 266 
pp + [4] pp ads at rear. Spine a bit tanned, a 
few small marks to the cloth, lower front corner 
just lightly bumped; a very good clean copy. ¶ 
Historical novel set in Scotland, left unfinished 
at the time of Stevenson's death.  Very Good. Hardcover. (#302537)
$75.00
Sale 50% off $37.50
http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/si/302537.html

11.  STEVENSON, Robert Louis and Lloyd Osbourne. 
THE WRECKER. Illustrated by William Hole and W.L. 
Metcalf. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1892. 
First American Edition. First American edition. 
Octavo, original light brown cloth heavily 
decorated on spine and front panel in black, 
green and gilt. 553 pp + 8 pp publisher's 
catalogue at rear. Frontispiece plus eleven 
additional full-page black & white plates 
throughout the text. Some minor bruising, spine 
panel a touch darkened, small booklabel of a 
prominent collector on the front paste-down; a 
very good, bright copy. The American edition came 
out two days after the first British edition. ¶ 
Detective novel, a thrilling tale of adventure in 
the South Seas. Very Good. Hardcover. (#302535)
$150.00
Sale 50% off $75.00
http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/si/302535.html

12.  STEVENSON, Robert Louis and Lloyd Osbourne. 
THE WRECKER. Illustrated by William Hole and W.L. 
Metcalf. London: Cassell & Company, Limited. 
1892. First Edition, First Printing. First 
edition. Octavo, original blue cloth titled in 
gilt on spine panel. 427 pp + 12 pp publisher's 
catalogue at rear. Frontispiece with tissue 
guard, plus eleven additional full-page black & 
white plates throughout the text. Two corners 
lightly bumped, spine panel a touch browned; a 
very good bright copy. An old note in pencil to 
the upper margin of the first leaf of text gives 
the basis in life for two of the main characters 
- "Pinkerton" is based on S.S. McClure, founder 
of McClure's magazine, & "Tommy Haddon" is based 
on Jack Buckland, a sailor on the "Janet Nichol". 
¶ Detective novel, a thrilling tale of adventure 
in the South Seas. Very Good. Hardcover. (#302536)
$200.00
Sale 50% off $100.00
http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/si/302536.html

13.  STEVENSON, Robert Louis. and Lloyd Osbourne. 
THE WRONG BOX. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 
1889. First American Edition. First American 
edition. Octavo, original gray cloth, two small 
printed paper labels on front panel, spine titled 
in gilt. 244 pp + [4] pp ads at rear. Ink name, 
dated 1889, on front paste-down, minor soiling to 
endpapers, a bright, very good copy. Most copies 
are in pinkish-brown cloth; the priority of this 
binding is unknown. ¶ Mystery, a black comedy 
written by Stevenson in collaboration with 
Osbourne, who was his stepson. Very Good. Hardcover. (#302618)          $100.00
Sale 50% off $50.00
http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/si/302618.html


Postage extra at cost.

Thanks for Looking!

/mjt


---
Michael John Thompson, Antiquarian Bookseller
'Imladris'
5275 Jerow Road
Hornby Island, BC
Canada V0R 1Z0
Ph:  250-335-1182
Fax: 250-335-2241

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