VOYNICH, Ethel Lilian.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

The Gadfly. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author to Ruth Tuke. First published earlier in 1897 by Henry Holt, The Gadfly concerns a revolutionary hero and sold millions of copies internationally. In an accompanying typescript, Tuke explains that she knew Voynich through her school friend Ann Nill, who was the secretary to Voynich's husband, the manuscript scholar Wilfrid Voynich. Voynich (1864-1960) was born in Ireland. In her 20s and 30s, she spent time living in London, Berlin, and St Petersburg, and became involved in revolutionary circles, including the Narodniks. The Gadfly is set during the Italian Risorgimiento and serves as an allegory for the Russian struggle for liberty. It sold over 2,500,000 copies in the Soviet Union during author's lifetime; Tuke's typescript recalls the Bolshoi Ballet visiting Mrs Voynich to express their appreciation for the work.Ethel married Wilfrid, an antiquarian bookseller who shared her revolutionary principles, in 1902. The couple later moved to New York, where Ethel taught music and worked as a translator, and Wilfrid operated one of the largest rare book businesses in the world. He is best known as the eponym of the mysterious, as-yet undeciphered Voynich Manuscript, which he purchased in 1912.

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.