Scarce with the wrapper

Coward Noel & Macnaughtan, Lorn (Illus.) ~ A Withered Nosegay

First UK Printing : Christophers, London : 1922

The First UK Printing published by Christophers, London in 1922. 8vo., brown publisher’s cloth, lettered and lined in yellow to upper cover and spine; together in the yellow printed wrapper featuring an illustration by MacNaughtan to the upper panel, and publisher’s device to lower; featuring ten humorous portraits throughout; The BOOK is in Very Good++ or better condition. Endpapers toned and offset (extending to prelims); a little pushed and rubbed at the corners and spine tips, but else a clean example. The correct first issue WRAPPER having done an excellent job of protecting the boards beneath is in Very Good- condition. Toned at the folds, edges and backstrip, with some nicks and creases, one 2.5cm closed tear to the front panel; spine ends chipped with some spotting. The spine has some splitting and some tears which have been repaired and reinforced with old tape to the verso (see images). There is some very slight loss of lettering to the lower spine. The wrapper comes together well though and presents better than it sounds. It is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. An early work by Coward, which sees him at his most frivolous, stereotyping a number of characters including ‘Julie de Poopinac’, ‘Donna Isabella Angelica y Bananas’ and ‘Sophie, uncrowned Queen of Henry VIII’. The work reconstructs “the multi-coloured lives of those glorious, flamboyant figures who flaunted and hurtled their way across the pages of History”, Coward writes in his introduction : “Who are we to criticise these frail, lovely, yet withal earthly creatures” he continues, “who are we to condemn their occasionally slightly irritating behaviour - who are we, anyhow?” As one Goodreads reviewer writes, “the book is like listening to my uncle tell bad puns”. This early work by Coward is seldom encountered with the wrapper in any condition. Not to be confused with the 'Popular Edition' which was published later in the same year and has a completely different wrapper design.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Very Good
JACKET: Very Good-