[Rarebooks] FS: Scarce SIGNED A. E. Housman A SHROPSHIRE LAD

[Charles Agvent]

HOUSMAN, A. E. A SHROPSHIRE LAD and LAST POEMS. (Chipping Camden, 
Gloucestershire/London): (The Alcuin Press, published by The Richards 
Press Limited), (1929). First Edition. Publisher's pigskin leather 
(6-1/4" x 9-3/4") with gilt-lettered spine, printed in red and black on 
Batchelor hand-made paper. One of a small number with both books bound 
together by the publisher. Nearly all copies, while published 
simultaneously, were bound separately in cloth-backed boards as Housman 
did not want both books published in one volume. The publisher, H. P. R. 
Finberg, secretly had a handful bound as this copy, which is #3 of only 
325 printed. What makes this an especially interesting example is its 
provenance and that it is SIGNED by Housman on the blank before the 
title page. This copy was owned by the author's brother, Laurence 
Housman, which likely explains the author's willingness to sign it. 
Laurence Housman then gave this copy to the actor and collector Vincent 
Price when Price was acting in Housman's play VICTORIA REGINA in 1935. 
Price then passed the book on to his son, who gave it to a friend. The 
book bears the ownership signature and notation "mcmxxxi Oxon" on the 
front endpaper of Smithsonian curator and book collector, Allison de la 
Rue who was studying at Oxford at the time of publication. The sequence 
of ownership between de la Rue and Laurence Housman is unclear. Included 
with the book is a photocopy of a note by Vincent Price stating that he 
received the book from Laurence Housman and presenting the book to his 
son. Also included are two programs for the play VICTORIA REGINA, one 
starring Helen Hayes, Vincent Price, and Abraham Sofaer, and the other 
replacing Price with Werner Bateman. The latter program is SIGNED by 
Hayes and Sofaer. Finally, there is a photocopy of an article by William 
White, "Book Collecting on a Professor's Salary," from Volume 6, #3 of 
THE PRIVATE LIBRARY, July 1965, that discusses the publishing history of 
this title and a handwritten note by the last owner of the book dated 
2000 describing how he acquired the book from Price's son and his 
assessment of the book's travels. Contents bright and fresh. Dark stain 
to the spine extending a bit to the front cover; about a 1/4" chip to 
the head of the spine just slightly affecting the lettering. Very Good 
and possibly unique. (#020896)        $7,500

https://www.charlesagvent.com/pages/books/020896/a-e-housman/a-shropshire-lad-and-last-poems

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