- 89
Maugham, W. Somerset
Estimate
1,500 - 2,500 GBP
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Description
- Maugham, W. Somerset
- The Letter. A Play in Three Acts. New York: George H. Doran Company, [1927]
- paper
8vo (190 x 128mm.), first American edition, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR ("Dear Mrs Dick | Here is the play which | I owe so much to you | Yours always | W. Somerset Maugham") on front endpaper, original black cloth with printed labels, collector's black cloth case and quarter green morocco slipcase, slightly speckling of the cloth and some slight wear
Literature
Stott A36b
Condition
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."
"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
A FINE ASSOCIATION COPY. The recipient is Mrs C. Dickinson who, together with her husband the Singapore lawyer Mr. C. Dickinson (always known as "Dick") put Maugham onto the newspaper story of how Mrs Ethel Mabel Proudlock, the wife of a headmaster in Kuala Lumpur, had shot the manager of a tin mine William Crozier Steward, on the verandah of her home. The story became the basis of Maugham's story "The Letter", of which this is the first American edition (with a slightly revised ending) of the first stage adaptation. For a full account of Maugham's faithful retelling of the story, see Ted Morgan, Maugham: a Biography, pp.252-253.