Item #260 The Picture of Dorian Gray. Oscar Wilde.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

London: Ward Lock & Co., 1891. First Edition. Hardcover. 1st English edition of his only novel, a fantastic morality tale, focused on a portrait painting with supernatural powers. 1st printing (Bowden’s name not added to the title page imprint, the Preface with the word “Preface” at the beginning of it and Wilde’s name at the end of it, in larger, bolder type, etc.). Original white vellum (parchment) backed boards, former owner’s neat name to endpaper, spine slightly faded (from light, not dust), else near fine in the rare dustjacket, with small tears and chips to the spine tips and corners neatly repaired, but quite a charismatic jacket, still integral, clean as a sterile cotton swab, and one to be owned with pride. Our 1st printing has a period after “Gray” on the title page, and “nd” for “and” (page 208, 8th line from the bottom). This is not a dropped letter but a mis–setting, and though the error wasn’t corrected in the early reprintings of the trade edition (the type was just left as it was), the error was corrected in the reprinting (resetting) done 2 months later for the 250 copy limited signed edition, a chilling fact that you will not be told by those trying to sell you a copy of this now expensive limited issue, who rightly recognize the peril of correctly identifying it as the 2nd edition or the 2nd printing (which it is). And this trade edition is not only earlier than the limited, but when it has it’s dustjacket, it’s also many times rarer. Near fine / very good. Item #260

Price: $50,000.00

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