Item #127349 Oblation. Norman LINDSAY, A. G. STEPHENS.
Oblation
Oblation
Oblation
Oblation
Oblation
Oblation
Oblation
Oblation

Oblation

Sydney, Printed by Websdale, Shoosmith & Co. (for the Authors), [1902].

Small folio, xxxvi pages with numerous illustrations by Norman Lindsay (many full-page).

Early half morocco and cloth, retaining the original overlapping wrappers; spine ruled and lettered in gilt (with the misprint 'Sydned' at the foot); cloth mottled and flecked; wrappers and text block a little foxed, with one opening a little marked and moderately foxed; six illustrations have additional light pencilling (see below); a very good copy. There is no binder's ticket, but the binding is similar in style and materials (if not condition) to the digitised copy of Number 5 of the special edition held by the Mitchell Library (DSM/ C679).

Number 193 of 650 copies on toned paper (priced at 3s 6d), all numbered by A.G. Stephens in his characteristic purple ink. There was also a large-paper issue of 99 numbered copies on white paper (priced at 5s), initialled by both authors, and 13 'special copies' (priced at £1 1s), fully signed by both authors. Only the thirteen copies of the one guinea edition included the unexpurgated text to the poem 'The Ballad which Villon might have made as he lay in prison at Meung', but an early owner has supplied the moderately bawdy text in ink at the foot of the page. He has also clearly taken umbrage with Lindsay's rendering of shadows, and has 'corrected' six of them in pencil. Beneath one he writes 'N. Lindsay does not understand how to find shadows. Many improvements can be made both in objects & figures' (page xxiii). 'Oblation' contains some of Lindsay's earliest works, but the foundations for his mature style are apparent.

Item #127349

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