Leda and the Swan.

£4,000 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

Frederic Prokosch's copy Prokosch's own copy of one of his 'Butterfly Books', including an original hand-coloured drawing signed by him in pencil and mounted as a frontispiece. A note on the colophon initialled by Prokosch states that 'this was the first copy off the press'. According to Barker the imprint is genuine with regard to date and place, identified as being from Group VII (printed in Florence). Having returned to Cambridge as a research student at King's in 1937, Prokosch travelled to Florence, there finding the means to publish Leda and the Swan, with an abundance of decorated papers close at hand. Barker and Wade both state that, on account of his father's death, Prokosch had to abandon binding the entire edition at the time of printing, and the sheets and covers remained in Florence until his next visit, which would not be until 1948. Copies dated both 1935 and 1937 appear in Barker and exist institutionally. First edition, sole printing, Prokosch's own copy with his signed bookplate, number one of 5 copies on Sicily paper, from a total edition of 22, signed numbered on the colophon; single quire (16.5 x 11.6 cm); original hand-coloured drawing by Frederic Prokosch, signed in pencil and mounted as frontispiece, light spotting to prelims; original Italian printed pattern paper wrappers with blue and orange birds and beasts (Giannini 2055), Ingres label to upper cover, with Prokosch's manuscript 'Bibliographical Note' on blue paper; a fine copy, preserved in marble

• Binding: Hardcover

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