- 85
Lever, Charles
Estimate
2,000 - 3,000 GBP
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Description
- Lever, Charles
- The Fortunes of Glencore. London: Chapman and Hall, 1857
- paper
8vo (200 x 120mm.), 3 volumes, FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR ("The Marchioness of Normanby | from Charles Lever") on title-page of volume one, original myrtle-green cloth with design in blind and lettered in gilt on spines, collector's folding box, some spotting and browning, corners bumped, some wear to hinges with lower hinge to volume two splitting, adhesive residue from bookplates
Provenance
Lady Maria Normanby; Baron Horace De Landau, book labels; Michael Sadleir, book label; James Gilvarry (his sale, Christie's New York, 7 February 1986, lot 414)
Literature
Sadleir 1405; Wolff 4088
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
The Fortunes of Glencore, one of the author's best later novels, is one of several Lever wrote after his appointment as British vice-consul at La Spezia in Italy after 1858, giving him some measure of financial security. It is assumed that the author presented this copy to Lady Maria Normanby shortly after his appointment. Lady Normanby's husband, Constantine Henry Phipps, first Marquis of Normanby (1797-1863) served as British Minister to the Court of Tuscany from 1854 to 1858 and was, himself, an author. In 1864 the Villa Normanby was acquired by James de Rothschild who then sold it, in 1866, to Baron Horace De Landau, 1824-1903. Accordingly, all volumes carry the Landau bookplate pasted over a previous booklabel.
Soon after The Fortunes of Glencore the underrated Lever suffered the misfortune of having his novel A Day's Ride serialised in All the Year Round at the same time as Dickens's Great Expectations, with the result that his story was relegated to the back pages.