Description
Hardy, Florence Emily (1879-1937); Thomas Hardy (1840-1928). The Early Life of Thomas Hardy, 1840-1891; Compiled Largely From Contemporary Notes, Letters, Diaries and Biographical Memoranda, As Well As From Oral Oral Information in Conversations Extended Over Many Years & The Later Years of Thomas Hardy, 1892-1928 [Complete in Two Volumes]. London: Macmillan & Co., Limited, 1928 & 1930. First Edition, First Printing. pp. xii, [1], 327; xi, [1], 286 + 2 pages of publisher’s advertisements. Royal 8vo. Bound in lovely light green cloth over boards with gilt lettering, and circular floral motif to the centre of the front boards, and spines. Gilt top-edge. Black and white lithographed frontispieces depicting a young, and old Thomas Hardy, and accompanied with their original tissue-guards. Replete with black and white photographs, illustrations, and even a two-page lovely facsimile of a hand-written letter by the author; all accompanied with their original tissue-guards. Slightest bumping to the spine ends otherwise, no detectable flaws with the contents remaining bright, clean, and unmarked with tight, sound binding; housed in excellent dust-jackets (not price-clipped and bearing the original cost of “18/-net”) showing only the slightest traces of edgewear (both dust-jackets now housed in protective mylar covers). Overall, a very handsome presentation. Rare in commerce in the first printing, and in this condition. We note from Richard Little Purdy who writes in, ‘Hardy: A Bibliographical Study’ (p. 265-73) that “the work [was] an “innocent deception” and he further observed that “The Early Life of Thomas Hardy is in reality an autobiography. Though Mrs Hardy’s name stands on the title-page, her work was confined to a few editorial touches, and the writing is throughout Hardy’s own …. The Later Years of Thomas Hardy was largely written by Hardy himself under the same circumstances as The Early Life …. It was not carried beyond the year 1918, however, which may give some clue to the date of composition, and the four concluding chapters are Mrs Hardy’s work”. Hardcover. (#1623) $395.00