Premium pages left without account:

Auction archive: Lot number 121

ELIOT, George (1819-1880). Middlemarch . Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood, December 1871 - December 1872.

Estimate
US$40,000 - US$60,000
Price realised:
US$81,250
Auction archive: Lot number 121

ELIOT, George (1819-1880). Middlemarch . Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood, December 1871 - December 1872.

Estimate
US$40,000 - US$60,000
Price realised:
US$81,250
Beschreibung:

ELIOT, George (1819-1880). Middlemarch . Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood, December 1871 - December 1872. An exceptionally fine and bright copy of the first edition in original parts of Eliot’s Victorian masterpiece, the work hailed as "magnificent" by Virginia Woolf and "the greatest" of English novels by Martin Amis and Julian Barnes. Due to the scope of her novel, Eliot and her companion George Lewes suggested to her publisher, John Blackwood, that the novel be published in eight parts priced at five shillings each and issued every two months starting in December 1871. While each part gave the reader more of the story than the traditional monthly serial publications, the more expensive price and the wait of two months for the next part meant Eliot needed to ensure her plot kept the public interested enough to purchase the next installment. Although Eliot found writing for serialization to be an enormously difficult task, Middlemarch proved to be a modestly popular success and cemented Eliot's reputation, selling 5,000 copies of the edition in parts and 3,000 additional copies of the four volume bound edition. Parrish 29-31. Eight volumes, octavo (178 x 120mm). Part-titles, all advertisements and slips present [volume one with front and back cover advertisements varying from those called for in Parrish], errata slip in book 4, catalogue at end of volume 8. Original green wrappers printed in black (some very light soiling, minor wear to extremities); green quarter morocco slipcase. Provenance : Amelia Walker (contemporary ownership signature one each part to either upper covers or titles).

Auction archive: Lot number 121
Auction:
Datum:
5 Dec 2017
Auction house:
Christie's
New York
Beschreibung:

ELIOT, George (1819-1880). Middlemarch . Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood, December 1871 - December 1872. An exceptionally fine and bright copy of the first edition in original parts of Eliot’s Victorian masterpiece, the work hailed as "magnificent" by Virginia Woolf and "the greatest" of English novels by Martin Amis and Julian Barnes. Due to the scope of her novel, Eliot and her companion George Lewes suggested to her publisher, John Blackwood, that the novel be published in eight parts priced at five shillings each and issued every two months starting in December 1871. While each part gave the reader more of the story than the traditional monthly serial publications, the more expensive price and the wait of two months for the next part meant Eliot needed to ensure her plot kept the public interested enough to purchase the next installment. Although Eliot found writing for serialization to be an enormously difficult task, Middlemarch proved to be a modestly popular success and cemented Eliot's reputation, selling 5,000 copies of the edition in parts and 3,000 additional copies of the four volume bound edition. Parrish 29-31. Eight volumes, octavo (178 x 120mm). Part-titles, all advertisements and slips present [volume one with front and back cover advertisements varying from those called for in Parrish], errata slip in book 4, catalogue at end of volume 8. Original green wrappers printed in black (some very light soiling, minor wear to extremities); green quarter morocco slipcase. Provenance : Amelia Walker (contemporary ownership signature one each part to either upper covers or titles).

Auction archive: Lot number 121
Auction:
Datum:
5 Dec 2017
Auction house:
Christie's
New York
Try LotSearch

Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!

  • Search lots and bid
  • Price database and artist analysis
  • Alerts for your searches
Create an alert now!

Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.

Create an alert