The Aran Islands.
Dublin: Maunsel & Co., Ltd.; Elkin Mathews, London, 1907 Stock Code: 142886
A superb copy
Signed limited edition, number 42 of 100 large paper copies signed by Synge and Yeats, and with plates hand-coloured by the artist. This book, based on the author's annual visits to the islands prompted by W. B. Yeats, would become the "the great prose manifesto of the Irish literary revival" (ODNB).Accompanying this copy is a loosely inserted typed letter, dated 6 July and signed "Billy", from the bibliophile William W. Appleton to his nephew Peter Hendricks, bequeathing the work, "since you have such a passion for Ireland". Appleton notes that he "prefers it to any of Synge's plays and in his opinion it ranks among the best of all travel accounts", perhaps explaining why he spent 20 years looking for it and spent "a fortune - truly" to acquire it, "but it's worth it".
Description
Large octavo (250 x 190 mm). Finely bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe in dark green morocco, titles and rules in gilt to spine, single gilt fillet frames to boards, edges, and turn-ins, grey-blue endpapers, top edge gilt, others untrimmed.
Illustrations
12 hand-coloured illustrations by Jack B. Yeats.
Condition
The binding sharp and unfaded, occasional finger-soiling to lower margins, else internally crisp; else a fine copy.
DELIVERY
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