Hardy, Thomas | The fine Barton Currie-Bradley Martin copy of The Trumpet-Major

Property from the Workman Collection

Hardy, Thomas

The Trumpet-Major. London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1880  

3 vols., 8vo. Half-title, partially unopened; a few leaves roughly opened, light browning from endpapers. Original bright scarlet cloth, cover designs stamped in black, spines gilt-lettered, spines with the imprint "Co" with the period under the "o" and a two-rule border blocked in blind on lower covers, cream endpapers; very light soiling. Housed in custom half black morocco and cloth-covered board clamshell case.

First edition, the Barton Currie-Bradley Martin copy, in the preferred binding.  

Published in an edition of 1,000, the covers were designed by Hardy himself. The Trumpet-Major, Hardy's only historical novel, offers a comic but poignant Wessex story of sexual rivalry and fraternal loyalty set during the period of the Napoleonic wars. The novel is also unusual in that it's the only work Hardy made preliminary notes for.  

"A brilliant copy." 

REFERENCE:

Purdy 31; Wilson 54

PROVENANCE:

Barton W. Currie (his sale, Parke-Bernet, 7-8 May 1963, lot 181; morocco booklabels to front pastedowns) — H. Bradley Martin (his sale, Sotheby's New York, 30 April-1 May 1990, lot 2901; booklabel to front pastedown of vol. 1)