Edward Carpenter | Three Ballads, Manchester, 1917, first edition, inscribed by the author

Edward Carpenter

Three Ballads. Manchester: privately printed for the author, 1917

FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR, small 8vo, original wrappers, a fine copy

Inscribed by the author: "to A. T. Bartholomew, Xmas 1917." Theo Bartholomew was the Cambridge University librarian who introduced Sassoon to his first lover Gabriel Aitken, and was involved in the printing of Sassoon's post-war poetry collections Picture Show and Recreations. One of the ballads in this collection is "Lieutenant Tattoon, MC", a parody of Sassoon's treatment at Craiglockhart Hospital. Edward Carpenter was the recipient of one of the carbon copies of "A Soldier's Declaration" that Sassoon sent to his commanding officer, and which was subsequently read out in the House of Commons, resulting in Sassoon's being sent to Craiglockhart. There appear to have been no other inscribed copies offered for sale for at least 15 years.