A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

by Joyce, James

$48,000 · Offered by Biblio

First edition · Signed

London: The Egoist Ltd, 1917. First British Edition. Very Good. First English edition printed from English sheets, preceded by a first American edition and an English edition that was bound using the American sheets because English printers would not accept responsibility for printing it. Signed by James Joyce on the front free endpaper and inscribed to Baron Ambrose Ralli, "in grateful remembrance of 21 June 1915," signed in Trieste on 8 November, 1919. Bound in publisher's dark green cloth stamped in blind with spine lettered in gilt. Very Good with slight lean to binding, fading to spine with fraying to crown, light soiling to cloth and crease to bottom corner of rear board. Occasional pencil annotations and corner creases; front hinge a bit tender, and offsetting and foxing to endpapers. An important presentation copy to a friend of Joyce's, Baron Ambrose (Paul) Ralli (1876-1938). Here he his thanking Ralli for his crucial role in helping his family flee Italy during World War I. When Italy declared war on the Austro-Hungarian Empire in May 1915, Joyce was compelled to flee Trieste. Baron Ralli and Count Francesco Sordina provided essential support during this perilous time. The date of remembrance, June 21st, is likely the day Joyce escaped. The Baron championed Joyce's literary career and was the sole subscriber to Ulysses in Trieste. Slocum & Cahoon 13.

• Publisher: The Egoist Ltd
• Year: 1917
• Edition: First Edition
• Binding: unknown

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