Folio Society: The Early Years (Part 4 - 1952)

This is part four of my ongoing series showcasing the early years of the Folio Society following its launch in 1947. Having previously covered 1947-1951, we now move on to the Society's 6th year.

1952 saw ten new publications from the Society, plus the 1952 Presentation Volume, "The Reign of Nero", an extract from Tacitus' "The Annals". This is one of the publication years I have had the most difficulty in collecting, having only managed to find 9 of the 11 publications.

As a taster of what is to come in following posts, I have shown below the 8 regular publications from 1952 I own. The picture is missing the Presentation Volume, as I can't put my hands on my copy at the moment (too many books!), but I hope to have found it before I get to the end of the thread. In a series of posts over the next few days I will provide the usual selection of pictures from each of the volumes. As I am missing "A Tale Of Two Cities" (Ref. 51 from the FS bibliographies) and "The Book of Psalms" (Ref. 52), if anyone has them and can spare the time to add photos here, that would be great (I am thinking of perhaps garyjbp!).

EDIT: Image updated to include "A Tale of Two Cities" and "The Reign of Nero"

No 43 – 1952 – The Vicar of Wakefield – Oliver Goldsmith

We start with a binding I absolutely love. Some people who have only known modern Folio Society publications often fail to see the beauty in the early publications, but this, for me, is exactly the sort of publication that makes me love books. A delightful binding, lovely subtle endpapers, printed by letterpress, perfect size for reading and handling (fondling!), and wonderfully illustrated in a style that perfectly suits the text. And affordable, just as Charles Ede intended (my copy is price clipped, but I suspect the original price was c.15 shillings).

Book Description

Illustrations by Margaret Wetherbee. 184 pages, plus eight plates in black with a green wash reproduced by lithography. Monotype Bembo type (11-pt). Printed by the Chiswick Press. Bound by James Burn in full white linen with a reverse repeat pattern in dark green by Wetherbee, an red titling panel. Green endleaves, decorated in black. White dust jacket printed in green and black.

No 44 – 1952 – Madame Bovary – Gustave Bovary

If there is a drawback to any of the early FS publications translated from another language, it is that often the translations have been superseded by better ones. This is true in this case as well (for me, Adam Thorpe's translation is the best translation of any book into English ever - only a great poet could do justice to Flaubert's poetic prose), but nevertheless the history of this translation is an interesting one. Madame Bovary was never published in English in Flaubert's lifetime. That is not to say it wasn't translated into English, as it was. Juliet Herbert, governess to Flaubert's niece (and possibly his lover) translated it into English from a manuscript, and Flaubert declared it to be a masterpiece. Unfortunately it was never published, and has been "lost". We had to wait until six years after Flaubert's death for the first published English translation, which was this one, by Eleanor Marx Aveling ( Karl Marx's grand-daughter).

Whilst my copy of the book itself is in great condition, the dust jacket is rather chipped, particularly around the top of the spine (normally the lilac binding would show through - the white in the picture is of course just the backing of the protective plastic jacket).

Book Description

Dry-point engravings by Grau Sala. Medium Octavo. 312 pages, plus twelve plates reproduced by collotype. Monotype Garamond type (11 point). Printed by Mackay, the collotypes by the Chiswick Press. Bound by Mackay in full lilac linen cloth, blocked with a design by John Westwood in black and silver on the front board and spine. White dust jacket printed in green and black.

>1 Conte_Mosca: I have both "Tale of Two Cities" and "The book of psalms". Will try to load up later in the day, unless someone can do it beforehand.

>1 Conte_Mosca:

I do have both The Reign of Nero and the Book of Psalms. I'll wait for SimB to post what he has and then add what he doesn't.

Since you have twice been unable to find your presentation copies, you might take a tip: I have all the presentation volumes, shelved in order by year. I think I posted a couple of photos of the whole set in a previous thread.

51 A Tale of Two Cities

The drawings are by Richard Sharp and there are 13 of them. My copy is somewhat foxed. 360 Pages, printed by Mackay.
Monotype Plantin type, with Perpetua for main title.

52 - The Book of Psalms

Although as not as many colours as "The Sound and the Fury, the text is in two colours, purple and green. Scribed by Helen E. Hinkley and set as poetry. It was reproduced lithographically by Jarrold. Charles Ede originally planned an illustrated version, but decided against it as the illustrations would have to be completely banal to avoid giving offense to some readers. Ede regarded it as a "tour de force" for the scribe, but not "an altogether happy solution from a publishing point of view".

>5 garyjbp:
>6 SimB:

Thank you very much gentlemen. SimB, nice to see a Tale of Two Cities. I haven't even seen a copy before, although I have been on the look-out for several years.

Gary, it isn't so a much an issue of organisation, but one of space! I have around 1500 FS books, and insufficient space to shelf them all (and whilst I have a lot of shelving, it isn't exclusively used for FS books). I have therefore had to resort to boxing around 500 of my FS books (along with many hundreds of non-FS books), and many of the Presentation Volumes have had to be stored there. I usually have a pretty good handle on where everything is (these are labelled airtight plastic containers), but occasionally my detective skills fail me when tracking down a particular title. I am in the process of cataloguing the individual content of boxes which will make it easier.

No 45 – 1952 – Memoirs of Prince Alexy Haimatoff – Thomas Jefferson Hogg

Thomas Jefferson Hogg is little known these days, but was a friend and biographer of Percy Bysshe Shelley. This is an early example of the Society not just reprinting well-known classics, but in this instance, helping introduce the literary world to a rare literary "find". At the time of publication in 1952 only two copies were known to still exist. Shelley himself had described the book as a"strange and powerful performance...", and Shelley's original review (under the pseudonym of John Brown in the Critical Review Vol Vi no 6 December 1914) is included at the end of the volume, and is of considerable length.

The exact date of writing is unknown, but it appears to have been first published in 1813. In 1814, Shelley wrote to Hogg. "Your novel is now printed. I need not assure you with what pleasure this extraordinary and animated tale is perused by me. Every one to whom I have shown it agrees with me in admitting that it bears indisputable marks of a singular and original genius. Write more like this. Delight us again with a character so natural and energetic as Alexy - vary again the scene with an uncommon combination of the most natural and simple circumstances: but do not persevere in writing after you grow weary of your toil: aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus: and the swans and the Eleutherarchs are proofs that you were a little sleepy."

Book Description

Introduction by Sidney Scott. Wood-engravings by Douglas Percy Bliss. 156 pages, inlcuding eight full-page illustrations. Monotype Bodoni type (11 point). Printed and bound by Jarrold. Quarter dark green buckram, with marbled paper boards.

Interesting how the cover dustjacket combines figures from two separate illustrations within the book. Not sure I've ever seen that before, it's an intriguing idea.

>8 Conte_Mosca: on book organisation:

My apologies: I now seem to remember that you explained that once before. All my books are shelved, but I still have trouble finding them.

On another note, a technical question. I have noticed that most of the pictures you post are on pics.cdn.librarything.com, but are not in your member gallery. How do you upload to whatever place you put them? I have just been uploading to my member gallery before adding them to a thread.

>11 garyjbp: The good news is that I have now found my copy of Incognita as I am sorting through my boxes! (see the 1951 thread) I am pretty sure The Reign of Nero will follow within the next hour or so!

As for the photos, those that are actually in my member gallery are mainly errors. By default I upload the photos I use in threads to my Junk Drawer and leave them there, otherwise they quickly clog up my gallery. Sometimes though I forget to change the option from the drop down menu on the upload page, which by default is set to Member Gallery. In short it is the same process that you use, I just select Junk Drawer rather than Member Gallery.

...and no sooner said than found! Who says I am not organised!

So before moving on to publication no. 46, a quick step back to no. 42, the 1952 Presentation Volume.

No 42 – 1952 – The Reign of Nero – Cornelius Tacitus

The early bibliographies make no mention of any sort of dust wrapper, so I had always assumed it didn't come with one. However, Folio 60 indicates that some copies (but not all) came with red dust-jacket, printed in black, but I have never seen a copy with one. Have you?

Book Description

Translated by G.G.. Ramsay, with an introduction by A.S. Osley. The illustrations consist of six pen-and-ink drawings by Eric Fraser, including the full page frontispiece (the other five being smaller, within the text, one of which also happens to be the year heading illustration in Folio 60). Monotype Imprint type (12 point) with Bembo Light Titling and Bembo for display. 148 pages. Printed and bound by Mackay. Full gold cloth with a frieze design in black by Eric Fraser. Endleaves with a map in black (illustrated below). The text was selected by G.G. Ramsay, the translator, from the "Annals".

No 46 – 1952 – The Tragedy of Antony & Cleopatra – William Shakespeare

I never tire of the early Shakespeare series. Whilst the text itself has been bettered since these editions, they are simply beautiful.

Book Description

Introduction by Sir Laurence Olivier. Designs for costumes by Audrey Cruddas and drawings for sets by Roger Furse. The designs were created for the Olivier production in this year at the St James's Theatre. Monotype Bembo type (12 point). Printed in purple and black by Mackay, the lithographs by Jarrold. Bound by Mackay in the series binding. White dust jacket printed in yellow, black and colour. 136 pages.

No 47 – 1952 – The Quest for Corvo – A.J.A. Symons

Book Description

Introduction by Sir Norman Birkett. Memoir by Sir Shane Leslie. The illustrated plates consist of five portraits of Frederick Rolfe, better known as Baron Corvo (on two plates), and four facsimiles of manuscripts. Medium Octavo. 320 pages, plus the six plates reproduced by collotype. Garamont type (13 point) with Egmont for display. Printed by Mackay, the collotypes by the Chsiwick Press. Bound by Mackay in quarter blaxck buckram, pale grey paper boards with a design in grey and red by John Westwood. White dust jacket printed in red.

Charles Ede added in Folio 21:

"The engraved portrait on the title-page spread was by Sam Hartz and the binding design by John Westwood. The type used had originalluy been set for a projected edition by another publisher and, although we had it hand-leaded, it is perhaps a little large for our page. Following publication we received a delightful letter from Sir Shane Leslie:

'We, who have sometime in the past, truly or figuratively, been saluted in the privacy of the literati as Grand Master of an Order, whose name has been writ in wine upon the sands of the past - do hereby declare that by all standards of workmanship the Folio Society remains benemerent in the opinion of the Corvine Society and alone of all publishers and presses shall have the right to style themselves Printers to the said Society...'"

No 48 – 1952 – The Last Days of Shelley and Byron – E.J. Trelawney

Book Description

Edited by J.E. Morpurgo. Illustrated with contemporary portraits and engravings. Medium Octavo. 228 pages plus eight plates reproduced by collotype. Monotype Baskerville type (11 point). Printed by William Clowes in quarter grey buckram, with dark green linen cloth sides. White dust jacket printed in black and green.

Charles Ede added in Folio 21:

"The complete text of Trelawney's 'Recollections' based on the first edition of 1858, with additions from other contemporary sources"

No 49 – 1952 – Mr. Facey Romford's Hounds – R.S. Surtees

And now we come to the fourth of R.S. Surtees novels published in as many years by the Society.

Book Description

Colour plates by John Leech and 'Phiz' (Hablot K. Browne). Medium Ocatvo. 440 pages plus sixteen plates reproduced by collotype and hand-coloured by pochoir by Maud Johnson. Monotype Imprint (11 point). Printed by Mackay, the collotypes by the CHiswick Press. Bound by Mackay in full red cloth, uniform with the series. White dust jacket printed in grey and black. The plates are from the original edition, first published in parts between May 1864 and April 1865.

No 50 – 1952 – Two Tales of the Congo – Joseph Conrad

Book Description

Copper-engravings by Dolf Rieser. Demy Octavo. 168 pages including eight plates reproduced by collotype, but paginated in. Monotype Poliphilus and Blaod (13 point) with Albertus for display. Printed by R. and R. Clark, the collotypes by Waterlow. Bound by Hunter and FOulis in full natural canvas, blocked with a design in black by Rieser. White dust-jacket, printed in black.

The two tales are "An Outpost of Progress" and "Heart of Darkness". A suite of impressions of the original engravings was also published by the Society, in a limited edition of 75 copies.

...and with pictures of No. 51 and No. 52 having been kindly provided by SImB, here endeth another Folio Society year.

I hope you have enjoyed the review. 1953 coming soon :-)

>19 Conte_Mosca:
>7 SimB:

Many thanks for a wonderful job done! So many great editions to hope for ...

>19 Conte_Mosca:
Superb work once again!
Once again I have inserted a link to this thread on the FSD group wiki and tidied up the catalogue section a bit at the same time.

An elegant piece of work, @Conte_Mosca, appreciate your continuing efforts.

A question from a relatively new collector. I bought Tom Jones recently very cheaply,as it had torn dust cover.It was on my shelf with other folios but the torn sleeve was a visual pain, so i discarded it, i guess this is the ultimate FS sin but im doubting many dust covers remain mint!! im happy to be proved wrong though :}

>23 frostymaxim: The Bookman term for "Mint" is "As New", and by definition, very few used books from any period meet this definition (despite what many Amazon Marketplace sellers say), let alone dust jackets!

A more realistic aspiration for collectors of used books is "Fine", and many of my older FS titles meet this definition, including some of those shown here (although whilst most of the bindings are Fine, the condition of the pages more probably qualify as "Very Good+" - I avoid saying Near Fine which seems to be used ubiquitously, even though it is not a true Bookman grading). However, the condition rating usually applies to the book itself, not the dust jacket, and as you rightly say, dust jackets tend to suffer over the years doing their job of protecting the book itself, unless it is itself protected in some way, so Fine copies are very rare indeed. But that isn't to say you can't find them in pretty good condition.

As far as I am aware there is no official Bookman-type condition rating specifically for dust jackets, but sellers and collectors often use the same rating system and apply the same general principles when describing the condition of the jacket separate to that of the book. On that basis, I would say that some of the dust jackets shown here are "Very Good" (Mr Facy Romford's Hounds, The Last Days of Shelley and Byron, Vicar of Wakefield), with the others I have posted rated as "Good / Good+" with the exception of "Madame Bovary" (Fair+).

Other than the aesthetic benefits, it is the dust jackets that help the books retain value. With a "Very Good" (or even a "Good") condition dust jacket, these early titles are typically worth £10-20 (a little more for some specific desirable titles). Without a dust jacket (or one that is in "Poor" condition, they typically have little to no monetary value - say £2-3, with. "Fair" condition title £5-10). These are only estimates of course, and some titles are valued more than others, but it is a reasonable guide.

If your copy of Tom Jones was in such a poor condition, and you preferred it without, then you did the right thing. In that sort of condition it would not have impacted the value, and from the sounds of it, it looks better without it. If you are after a particular title though, it is worth looking around for a copy with a Good or better condition dust jacket as they do exist, and are not generally expensive (even though some might argue that certain bindings may look better naked - in this thread, Two Tales of The Congo, The Quest For Corvo, Alexy Haimatoff and Vicar of Wakefield are all particularly attractive without their dust jackets.)

EDIT: It should be noted that a Fine book in a less-than-fine dust jacket doesn't prevent it from being described as Fine in combination. A slightly worn dust jacket, even with a small tear, still qualifies for the overall Bookman assessment of Fine, which is

FINE approaches the condition of As New, but without being crisp. For the use of the term Fine there must also be no defects, etc., and if the jacket has a small tear, or other defect, or looks worn, this should be noted..

But most collectors want something a little more specific than that, hence the general practice of separately rating the dust jacket itself (e.g FN/VG when the book itself is Fine, and the dust jacket is Very Good).

As a result of a bit of housekeeping, I have updated the image in the first post to include "A Tale of Two Cities" and "The Reign of Nero". It didn't include "The Reign of Nero" in the original image, as I couldn't find it at the time. I did find it the following day and added an individual entry (Item 42, sitting between Items 45 and 46!), but didn't update the main photo.

I managed to pick up an exceptional copy of "A Tale of Two Cities" a couple of years ago for the ridiculous price of £5. The dust jacket is in incredibly good condition, which is very rare for this title. SimB kindly provided some images when I originally created this thread, but for completeness, I will add an entry of my own below, with my usual description, and a few extra images.

No 50 - A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

Book Description

Drawings by Richard Sharp. Medium Octavo. 360 pages inlcuding 13 leaves of line-block plates. Monotype Plantin (11-pt) with Perpetua for display. Printed in red and black by Mackay. Bound by Mackay in full white cloth with a repeat pattern in grey by Sharp. White dust-jacket printed in pink and black. Although the plates were printed from line-blocks as part of the letterpress gatherings they are not included in the pagination. This was the first of many books in which such false "plates" were printed.

This title was launched with a price of 22s 6d, the equivalent of about £33.50 today.