T. E. Lawrence | The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, London, 1926 [with] Some Notes on the writing of the Seven Pillars, 1927

T.E. Lawrence

Seven Pillars of Wisdom. A Triumph [London: Privately Printed, 1926]

the Subscriber's or Cranwell Edition, 4to (260 x 200mm), inscribed by Lawrence on p. XIX ("Complete copy I.XII.26 TES"), and with a single manuscript correction by him on the same page), 66 plates, many coloured or tinted, by Eric Kennington, William Roberts, Augustus John, William Nicholson, Paul Nash and others; 4 folding coloured maps backed on linen as issued; 58 illustrations in text, one coloured, by Roberts, Nash, Kennington, Blair Hughes-Stanton, Gertrude Hermes and others; initials by Edward Wadsworth; p. XV misnumbered VIII as usual; with two later notes by Francis Rodd discussing the book and accompanying letters (dated 1927 and 1968) on p. [1] (a blank); dark blue morocco gilt with spine gilt in six compartments (probably by Charles MacLeish, with title aligned as "TEL"), spine in six compartments, top edges gilt

[with, laid down on front free endpapers:] T.E. Lawrence, autograph letter signed ("T.E.S."), to Francis Rodd ("Dear F.R."), discussing the text of Seven Pillars ("...The reprint differs, in many ways, from the 'Oxford' text, which is that which Childs had. I do not want to leave bibliophiles of the twenty-first century two variants, to spend useful hours comparing and cross-checking: so I propose to cause the six copies of the Oxford edition to disappear...") and promising him a copy, 2 pages, oblong 8vo, Cranwell, Lincolnshire, 6 November 1925

[also with, loosely inserted:] T.E. Lawrence. Some Notes on the Writing of the Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Shaw. [1927]. FIRST EDITION, 8vo, single sheet folded to form 4 pages, one of c.200 copies distributed to subscribers, edges slightly toned

ONE OF 170 "COMPLETE" COPIES OF THE RARE SUBSCRIBERS' EDITION, IN FINE CONDITION AND WITH DISTINGUISHED PROVENANCE.

Francis James Rodd, Second Baron Rennell (1895-1978), had served as an intelligence officer in the Middle East and became staff captain in the Arab Bureau at Damascus. He went on to become a successful merchant banker, keen traveller, and bibliophile. In the letter that accompanies this book, Lawrence explains that he will send Rodd one of the "incomplete" copies of the book:

"The plain texts have been produced for the fellows who shared in the Arab business, and are not rich enough to spend 30 guineas on a memento of it. You come well under that category."

In fact Rodd was sent one of the complete copies, as he notes in his annotations. Rodd notes that he received his copy in January 1927, having been in Africa when the book was published. He goes on to comment that his copy "contains rather more plates than many other 'complete' copies", many of which contain slightly fewer than the 66 plates found here. The present copy includes the 'Prickly Pear' plate, but not the two Paul Nash illustrations called for on pages 92 and 208, or the Blair-Hughes-Stanton wood engraving that in some copies illustrated the dedicatory poem.

REFERENCES:

O'Brien A039, A040