13 works, all presentation copies

Sold
£ 9 450
Auction dateClassic
29.09.2023 11:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
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Archive
ID 1029082
Lot 431 | 13 works, all presentation copies
A group of thirteen volumes, comprising:

WODEHOUSE, P. G. (1881-1975). Summer Lightning. London: Herbert Jenkins Limited, 1929.  
First English edition, presentation copy. McIlvaine A41(b). Octavo. 1 leaf of publisher’s ads at end (scattered spotting, heaviest to title). Original orange cloth, spine and upper cover with titles, lower cover and spine with publisher’s device, all stamped in black (extremities rubbed and lightly faded, spine with some black staining, endpapers partially browned); original dust-jacket with illustration by Roberts? (heavily restored, spine faded and marked, two large restored chips with several letters supplied in facsimile, including the entirety of publisher’s name on spine, half the green price label and a tiny portion of printed title to backstrip). Provenance: authorial presentation inscription (front free endpaper, dated August 1929).

— French Leave. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1959. 
First American edition, presentation copy to Ira Gershwin. McIlvaine A78(b). Octavo. Original blue boards, spine and upper cover with title and decoration stamped in dark blue and green (extremities somewhat worn); original pictorial dust-jacket (small chips to head and foot of spine affecting a few letters, faint edge wear). Provenance: Ira Gershwin (authorial presentation inscription to front free endpaper: ‘To Ira Gershwin, Gent, from his most humble and obedient servant Plum. P. G. Wodehouse, Jan 6-1960’).

— Very Good. Jeeves. New York: Doubleday, Doran & Company Inc., 1930.  
First edition, presentation copy. McIlvaine A42(a). Octavo. Original orange cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black (lacking dust-jacket, extremities trivially rubbed). Provenance: Sam Marx (authorial presentation inscription to front free endpaper, dated 23 November 1930). 

— The Most of P. G. Wodehouse. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1960.  
First edition, presentation copy. McIlvaine B12(a) .Octavo. Original cream cloth-backed green boards, spine lettered in red and green, upper cover with illustration stamped in dark green, green endpapers, top edge stained green (extremities lightly soiled and rubbed, light stain to top portion of spine, some white speckled stains to lower board); original dust-jacket designed by Paul Bacon supplied from another copy (a few creases and tiny closed tears, spine ends a little frayed). Provenance: William Cole (1919-2000, American editor, anthologist and author who was publicity director at Simon and Schuster; authorial presentation inscription to first leaf, dated Oct 4. 1960) — Loosely inserted: 2 publicity photographs of Wodehouse taken by Cole; envelope addressed to Cole; four typed letters signed ‘Plum’ (P. G. Wodehouse) to Cole dated: August 28, 1958; March 25, 1959; April 27, 1965; June 11, 1971.

— Author! Author! New York: Simon and Schuster, 1962.  
First American edition, presentation copy. McIlvaine A76(b). Octavo. Original yellow cloth-backed boards, upper cover with author’s signature in facsimile stamped in orange, decorative boarder in blind, spine lettered in orange (extremities with some wear and staining, head- and tailcap lightly bruised); original pictorial dust-jacket (backstrip sunned). Provenance: Peter Schwed (Wodehouse’s editor at Simon and Schuster; authorial presentation inscription to front free endpaper, dated Aug 14 1962).

— The Intrusion of Jimmy. New York: J. Watt and Company, 1910. 
First edition, presentation copy. McIlvaine A13(a). Octavo. Decorative title and frontispiece printed in colour. Original black cloth with spine and upper cover lettered in gilt, upper cover with design stamped in green and yellow and colour-printed portrait pasted on, publisher’s device stamped in blind on lower cover (very faint wear). Provenance: Clarence Walker Smith (authorial presentation inscription to front free endpaper: ‘To Mr Clarence Walker Smith with the author’s compliments P. G. Wodehouse’).

— Jeeves Omnibus. London: Herbert Jenkins Limited, 1931.  
First edition, presentation copy. McIlvaine B1. Octavo. Photographic frontispiece portrait of author (light marginal spotting). Original green cloth, spine and covers lettered and decorated in back, lower cover with publisher’s device stamped in black (lacking the dust-jacket, extremities lightly rubbed, spine tanned). Provenance: authorial presentation inscription ‘To Joe, from Plum. P. G. Wodehouse, Nov 16 1931’.

— The Ice in the Bedroom. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1961.  
First edition, presentation copy. McIlvaine A84(a). Octavo. Original black cloth-backed boards, spine and upper cover lettered in yellow, white, and red (lightly bumped); original price-clipped dust-jacket designed by Paul Bacon, yellow endpapers (light edge wear, a few small tears repaired on verso with tape). Provenance: authorial presentation inscription (front free endpaper).

— A Damsel in Distress. New York: George H. Doran Company, 1919.
First edition, presentation copy. McIlvaine A24(a). Octavo. (Some occasional spotting) Original brown boards, spine and covers lettered and decorated in red and black (lacking the dust-jacket, extremities rubbed and stained, spine fraying with some textual loss to publisher’s name on spine, hinges cracked but holding). Provenance: authorial presentation inscription ‘to Maud and Felix, with love from the author. P. G. Wodehouse, Oct 27, 2019’ — Frits Menschaar (no internal evidence of provenance).

— Spring Fever. London: Herbert Jenkins Limited, [1948]. 
First English edition, presentation copy. McIlvaine A67(b). Octavo. (Light marginal spotting.) Original orange cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black, spine and lower cover with publisher’s device printed in black ( slightly cocked, extremities lightly rubbed, lightly faded in places, head- and tailcap bruised); original dust-jacket with illustration by Frank Ford (somewhat rubbed, lower panel lightly soiled, a few creases, some minor short closed tears, a few small cips including to spine ends, 28mm tear to fold of upper flap). Provenance: John Arlott (authorial presentation inscription to front free endpaper, dated Sept 22, 1965) — Frits Menschaar (no internal evidence of provenance).

WODEHOUSE, P. G. (1881-1975) and Guy BOLTON (1884- 979).  Bring on the Girls! New York: Simon & Schuster, 1953.  
First edition, presentation copy. McIlvaine A75(a). Octavo. 32 photographic illustrations (some marginal staining). Original green cloth-backed dark blue boards, spine lettered and decorated in red and green (edges lightly sunned, stain to top left corner of upper cover); original dust-jacket designed by Paul Bacon (light spotting and edge wear, one short tear to lower flap fold). Provenance: authorial presentation inscription: ‘To Si A million kisses from P. G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton’. — Frits Menschaar (no internal evidence of provenance) — Loosely inserted newspaper clipping of The New York Times dated 9/06/1979. 

WODEHOUSE, P. G. (1881-1975). Ice in the Bedroom. London: Herbert Jenkins Limited, 1961. 
First English edition, presentation copy. McIlvaine A84(b). Octavo. (A few faint spots.) Original red boards, spine lettered in gilt, lower board with publisher’s device stamped in blind; original pictorial dust-jacket (backstrip faded, some spotting, light edge wear). Provenance: authorial presentation inscription (to half-title: ‘Senile good wishes from octogenarian P. G. Wodehouse’). 

— No Nudes is Good Nudes. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1970.  
First American edition, presentation copy. McIlvaine A92(b). Octavo. Light orange cloth-backed boards, spine titled in black (faint mark to lower board); original dust-jacket with design by Zaid (somewhat tanned, edges a touch rubbed). Provenance: Christine (authorial presentation inscription to front free endpaper, dated Feb 21-1970).

— Nothing But Wodehouse. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1946.  
First edition, reset, the fourth issue. McIlvaine B2(a). Octavo. Illustrative title. Original red cloth, spine lettered and decorated in black (spine ends lightly worn and with stain to foot); original price-clipped dust-jacket with drawing by Reisie (some spots, spine panel tanned, a few minor chips or short tears). Provenance: Roger MacBride (authorial presentation inscription to front free endpaper, dated Christmas 1947;) — additional inscription: ‘To Roger – This is a gift from me. I merely got P.G. to autograph it for you. Dad’. — Frits Menschaar (no internal evidence of provenance).

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
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SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
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