T.E. Lawrence | The Mint..., New York, 1936, first edition, A.W. Lawrence's copy

T.E. Lawrence

The Mint. A Day-book of the RAF between August and December 1922, and at a Cadet College in 1925 by 35207 A/c Ross. New York: Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1936

FIRST EDITION, COPY NUMBER 5 OF 50 COPIES, 4to, 1p autograph letter signs loosely inserted in prelims, original half vellum over plain blue boards, black morocco spine label, top edge gilt, others uncut, housed in blue cloth slipcase

True first edition, one of an edition of just 50 copies published to establish copyright, of which only 10 were for sale, at the prohibitive price of $500,000.

PROVENANCE:

A reserved copy owned by A.W. Lawrence, T.E. Lawrence's brother, and signed as his copy. A gift inscription to the verso of the front free endpaper records that this copy was "Lent to R.V. Buxton for as long as he likes, by A.W. Lawrence". Robert Vere Buxton (1883-1953) had been a colleague of T.E. Lawrence whilst serving in the Middle East. Later, he became Lawrence's banker, and was effectively the financier of the Subscribers' Edition of Seven Pillars of Wisdom (also revising several chapters of the text). A 1 page autograph letter signed by the artist Sir William Rothenstein (1872-1945), loosely inserted in the preliminary leaves, thanks Buxton for lending this copy to him ("My dear Buxton. I am grateful indeed for the loan of The Mint"), laments the fact that "The Mint (with the needed deletions) cannot be made public", and praises the text for its insight into Lawrence's character.

LITERATURE:

for Sir William Rothenstein's portraiture of T.E. Lawrence, and the friendship between the two men, see Grosvenor, An Iconography: The Portraits of T.E. Lawrence, 1988, pp. 106-9.