Description:

The Centaur Press, Philadelphia, 1925

First Edition.

Octavo. Marbled paper boards with a natural cloth backstrip. Titles to spine in black. Top edge stained blue, fore and bottom edges rough trimmed. Discreet former owner label to front pastedown. Backstrip a little soiled, scattered minor foxing to bottom edge of paper block. Otherwise a near fine copy in the original black slip case in fine state with a tan paper label to spine titled in black.

Limited to 925 copies, including 475 copies for sale in England through Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co (slip laid in) of which this is number 63 written in blue ink to book and slip case. The first English edition was published by Secker in 1934 in the New Adelphi Library series.

Contains the full text of Lawrence's essay 'The Crown' written in 1915 and part-published that year in 'The Signature', the literary magazine started by Lawrence, Middleton Murry and Katherine Mansfield. The rest of the essays were probably written in New Mexico, including the title piece, while Lawrence was staying at the ranch of Mabel Dodge Luhan in the mountains above Taos.

Roberts A32