JAMES, Henry (1843-1916). The Portrait of a Lady. London: Macmillan and Co., 1881.

First edition, first printing, one of 750 copies, with advertisements dated April 1881. Edel & Laurence state that the April ads were probably inserted in copies of the first printing either through error or through shortage of the December 1881 ads. “Although Hawthorne had written of Americans in Europe, James brought them into the field of literature, they became his special subject, his donnée. It was through him that the world of the American expatriates first found its voice [...] The Portrait supplies a key theme to be revised by the Americans of the 'twenties, the expatriate Bohemians" (Cyril Connolly, The Modern Movement 1). The novels of Henry James were known to be frequent companions of Maurice Sendak's, and his personal collection included sketches for an unpublished edition of the story The Turn of the Screw. BAL 10553; Edel & Laurence A16.

3 volumes, octavo (190 x 122mm). Half titles, 24 pp. of ads at rear of vol. 3 dated April 1881. Original dark blue cloth (remnants of Mudie's circulating library labels to upper covers and library stamps to rear endpaper of vol. 1; rear hinge of vol. 1 completely cracked and joint starting to split, with small chip to spine near "Lady"; repairs to spine ends and joints of vols 2 & 3). Provenance: R.C. Drew (bookplate) – S.F. Fitzgerald (ownership inscription dated 1884, Ballydonoghue) – small "Shanid a boo" labels to first pages of two volumes.