Something of a triumph this, purchased on eBay at a very good price and a much better copy than many listed on book sites a twice the price and more. An interesting point with this two volume set, is the second state status, it has because of the price increase stickers, which are actually easily removed, but I rather like them, and have never seen a copy with the stickers on before, presumably because book-dealers tend to remove them. The over price sticker only indicates that the books were not sold until after 1961, when the Franc was revalued. Also the stickers are a much preferable effect than the alternative which is either a ink stamped over price, or even the price being completely obliterated.
As a New into the Collection title, these books are not available for sale or trade.
Bibliographical description courtesy of Patrick Kearney, The Paris Olympia Press, Liverpool University Press 2007.
1.13.1 LOLITA Vladimir Nabokov, 1955
VLADIMIR NABOKOV | LOLITA | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8, Rue de Nesle, Paris 6e Collation: two volumes. 192, 224 pp. Vol. 1: 1*-6*16. Vol. 2: 1**-7**16. 17.0 x 10.7 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper.
Contents: Vol. 1: pp. [i,ii] blank. p. [1] LOLITA, reverse blank. p. [3] title, as above. p. [4] All rights reserved in all countries. | Copyright 1955 by V. Nabokov and The Olympia Press . p. [5], PART ONE, reverse blank. pp. 7-10, Foreword by John Ray, Jr. Ph.D. [numeration skips pp. 11-12.] pp. 13-188, text. p. [189] blank. p. [190] PRINTED IN FRANCE | [rule] |Printed in August 1955 by S.I.P., Montreuil, France | Dépôt légal : 3e 1955 .
Vol. 2: pp. [1,2] blank. p. [3] LOLITA, reverse blank. p. [5] title, as above. p. [6] All rights reserved in all countries. | Copyright 1955 by V. Nabokov and The Olympia Press . p.[7], PART TWO, reverse blank. pp. 9-223, text. p. [224] PRINTED IN FRANCE | [rule] | Printed in August 1955 by S.I.P., Montreuil, France | Dépôt légal : 3e trimestre 1955 .
Binding: Green wrappers, printed in black. Front cover framed within two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black. Front cover: VLADIMIR NABOKOV | LOLITA |Volume One | THE | OLYMPIA | PRESS.
Binding: Green wrappers, printed in black. Front cover framed within two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black. Front cover: VLADIMIR NABOKOV | LOLITA |Volume Two]| THE | OLYMPIA | PRESS
Spine: [printed up spine, within a white panel edged in black:] * LOLITA.
Spine: [printed up spine, within a white panel edged in black:] ** LOLITA.
Back cover: [at bottom right:] Francs : 900. (Over price Sticker FRANCS 1200)
Back cover: [at bottom right:] Francs : 900. (Over price Sticker FRANCS 1200)
Notes: (1) Suppressed on December 10th, 1956 under the decree of May 1939 (article 14 of the law of July 29th 1881 sur la liberté de la presse), designed to combat politically and morally offensive périodiques et ouvrages de provenance étrangère. (2) Prosecuted on July 11th. 1958 under article 14 of a law passed on 16th July 1949 concerning the manner in which books, periodicals, &c. of an erotic character, could be sold, displayed and advertised. (3) This is the true first edition. It appeared in the distinctive green wrappers of the Traveller’s Companion Series, but not numbered and lacks any indication of being part of a series. Hence it is treated here as a general Olympia Press publication and not part of the TCS. See 7.66. (4) A handsome facsimile reprint of the first edition of Lolita was published in 1983 by the First Edition Library, Shelton, Connecticut, by arrangement with Alfred Knopf. It was issued in clamshell box covered in undressed buckram, with green leather labels blocked in gilt. The reprint was one of three that were done of scandalous modern works, the others being Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer and James Joyce’s Ulysses.
See Also LINKS
Books Wanted: Springtime in Paris,
Books for Trade: List. Traveller’s Companion Series duplicates (Part 9)