WODEHOUSE, P. G. (1881-1975). Something New. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1915.

The first novel in the Blandings Castle series: first edition in bright original cloth and the rare dust-jacket. We are unable to trace any copy in the jacket in auction records. This US edition preceded the first UK edition, titled Something Fresh, by 13 days. On this opening to the Blandings Castle saga, Wodehouse would later recall ‘In my first Blandings novel — circa 1915 — I said that Lord Emsworth joined the Senior Conservative Club in the year 1885… So when I write about him today, I am writing of a man well over a hundred’ [letter to Bennett Cerf, 12 August 1957, quoted in McIlvaine, A18b]. McIlvaine A18a.

Octavo. Frontispiece and three plates. Original red cloth, upper board and spine lettered and stamped with gilt, gold and green scarabs on upper board; original pictorial dust-jacket (front panel with tiny puncture hole, short tears along edges with a slightly longer one to front cover affecting one letter, spine ends a little frayed with two small chips to foot, some spots). Provenance: Frits Menschaar (no evidence of provenance).