Poems.
New and enlarged edition.
London: Macmillan and Co., 1892 Stock Code: 130308
Arthur Edward Waite's copy of this attractive collection of Christina Rossetti's poems, with his bookplate to the front pastedown. This copy has the contemporary ownership inscription of Waite's muse and great love Dora Stuart Menteath to the front free endpaper, "Dora Stuart Menteath, Feb 23rd 1893".
Waite met Dora in 1886 and the two fell almost immediately in love; unfortunately for Waite in June 1887 she married a Reverend Granville Stuart-Menteath. In January 1888 Waite married her sister, Ada, with whom he had a daughter, Sybil. Dora and Waite remained close despite their marriages; the two families lived near one another in Gunnersbury, and the pair collaborated to great success on the poem Avalon: a Poetic Romance, published in 1894. Waite, whose own poetry owes much to Rossetti's gothic style, was one of the most significant writers on the occult and mysticism; "the 1890s were Waite's most prolific decade with ten books, fifteen works edited or translated, and the first independent journal in this field, the Unknown World, to his credit" (ONDB). He was the co-creator, with artist Pamela Colman Smith, of what is still one of the most popular Tarot decks ever produced, the partially-eponymous Rider-Waite deck. This edition of Rossetti's poems was first published in 1890, this copy being the fourth reprint, and includes her most celebrated poem "Goblin Market".
Description
Octavo. Original blue cloth, titles to spine in gilt, geometric design to spine and front cover in gilt, to rear cover in blind, fore and bottom edges untrimmed.
Illustrations
Frontispiece with tissue guard and 3 plates by Dante Gabrielle Rossetti.
Condition
Bookseller's ticket to rear pastedown. Slight wear to spine ends and tips, a couple of small marks to spine, small ripple to front cover, top edge dust toned, top edge of a couple leaves haphazardly opened, a couple unopened, foxing to endmatter, frontispiece starting but firm, nevertheless a very good copy.
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