Peter Harrington is delighted to announce that the recently discovered presentation copy of Frankenstein, given to Lord Byron by its author Mary Shelley, has been sold for an undisclosed figure to a UK collector, with the assurance that the book will be made available for future public viewings and exhibitions in the UK.
Since the book’s discovery by Sammy Jay in the library of his grandfather, the late Douglas, Lord Jay, the book has attracted a good deal of media attention and a general feeling that it would be a shame for such an evocative object to be hidden away again after such a short time in the public eye.
As owner Pom Harrington comments, “At Peter Harrington, we’re very pleased that this amazing find will be staying in the UK and will be seen again by the public. We enjoyed having the Frankenstein copy in the shop and look forward to the next find that we can exhibit. It has all been tremendous fun and also a reminder of what is so thrilling about the rare book trade”.
To share these exciting events we have prepared a film of the book’s unveiling on the evening of Tuesday, 25 September 2012. Beginning with an introduction by early literature specialist Adam Douglas, the film’s highlights include a talk by Shelley’s biographer Miranda Seymour, comments on the book’s discovery by Sammy Jay, and a reading by actress Serena Gordon of Mary Shelley’s preface to the third edition ofFrankenstein.
Our special thanks go out to all who participated in the evening and the events surrounding the exhibition, and we hope that those unable to view the book in person will enjoy the film below.
