Sleeveless Errand

by James, Norah C.

$1,037 · Offered by Biblio

First edition · In dust jacket

The First Paris edition published by Henry Babou and Jack Kahane, Paris in 1929. Large 8vo., cream cloth-backed decorative black and white boards; spine lettered in black; outer edges untrimmed; together in the original pictorial wrapper printed in black and yellow, priced '50 Francs' to the spine, and featuring a striking period design by M. Kahane ; The BOOK is in Very Good++ or better condition. A little bubbled along the backstrip, with spotting to edges of text block and prelims, and the odd spot throughout. Some light splash marks to the lower edge of pages 90-91 ; The WRAPPER is in Very Good++ condition. The panels and spine are a little toned, with some light spots and marking; rubbed to folds; some small nicks, chips and closed tears to extremities, the longest 3.5cm approx; repaired to the verso with tape. The wrapper artwork looks striking in the removable Brodart archival cover. First Paris printing in the second state wrapper which is exactly the same as the first issue in design but detailing 'The Obelisk Press' as the publisher, the price as '50 francs' (initially sold at 100 francs) and the rear panel carrying four Obelisk Press titles, the last of which, 'The Well of Loneliness' dates the wrapper from no earlier than May 1933. Indeed, James knew Radclyffe Hall well, and attended the 1928 obscenity trial for 'The Well of Loneliness'. Here, the Arnold Bennett review quoted on the front flap has also been reset, and beneath it now appears 'Entirely unexpurgated

• Publisher: Henry Babou and Jack Kahane, Paris
• Year: 1929
• Edition: First Edition
• Binding: hardcover

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