[Brontë, Emily.]

8vo (194 x 120mm.), 3 volumes, first edition, Ellen Nussey's copy with her ownership signature on front endpaper of volume 3  ("E Nussey"), p.342 in volume one misnumbered "242", p.382 in volume 2 misnumbered "282", p.313 in volume 3 misnumbered "213" (all points listed by Smith), one leaf (of two) present from advertisements at the end of volume 3, late nineteenth-century polished red calf gilt by Zaehnsdorf, original brown cloth spines bound in, spines in six compartments with morocco labels, top edges gilt, inner dentelles, red coated endpapers, dates on imprints partially erased (see below), spines sunned and with some slight wear, some minor soiling and spotting to text

probably presented by the author's sister Charlotte in or before January 1849 to their close friend Ellen Nussey, ownership signature ("E Nussey") on front free endpaper of volume 3 (Agnes Grey) and references in The Letters of Charlotte Bronté, ed. M. Smith; given by Ellen in May 1889 to Sir George John Armytage, 6th baronet of Kirklees (Armytage bookplate and additional printed leaf, c.1889, with full provenance, signed by Ellen Nussey, bound in at the front of each volume); thence by descent

Smith 3

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, when appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The rare first edition (issued with her sister's novel Agnes Grey) of Emily Brontë's classic romantic work, probably presented by Charlotte Brontë to her close friend Ellen Nussey in January 1849 (see below).

Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey were published on 4 December 1847.The unreliable publisher Thomas Newby had eventually rushed through publication, in the light of the roaring success of Jane Eyre. In the present set, curiously, the dates of the imprints on the title pages of all volumes have, at some point, been partially or almost fully erased, although there appears to be no question about their authenticity (the next edition to appear was the Uniform edition, reset, of 1850). Ellen Nussey apparently did not receive her copy until 10 January 1849 (see below). Perhaps some effort was made on her behalf to change the dates in ink, and then the later owner G.H. Armytage, to whom Ellen gave the set in 1889, had the ink erased at the same time he had the set rebound, with the extra printed page of provenance.

Emily Brontë died of tuberculosis, aged 30, on 19 December 1848. Her sister Charlotte finally initiated her close friend Ellen Nussey into the secret of the true authorship of the various Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell pseudonymns (see also lot xxx) and in January 1849, following a visit to Haworth, and while her other sister Anne increasingly suffered from the same disease, gave Ellen a copy -- presumably the present copy -- of Wuthering Heights. See Winifred Gérin, Charlotte Bronté. The Evolution of Genius, p.389 ("...Ellen was initiated into the secret of their authorship during a visit to Haworth in January, and was given a copy of Wuthering Heights as a keepsake...").

Almost universally rejected by uncomprehending reviewers upon publication (sales were not even of an order to justify any publisher's payment to either Emily or Anne Brontë) Wuthering Heights has since become established as one of the most extraordinary novels of the nineteenth century, combining passionate and vindictive characters, a moorland setting, casual violence, self-destructive love and a vengeful theme, all held together with "the complete absence of any moral tone or purpose—a quality almost unique in Victorian fiction" (Juliet Barker, Oxford DNB).