Poems

Poems by Oscar Wilde. London: David Bogue, [1881]. Second edition. Rare. Crown 8vo (7.5 x 5 inch); pp. ix + 236.  Covers of white parchment, gilt lettering to spine, spine gilt in a design of a prunus blossom, outer corner of each cover stamped in gilt with a similar design (the prunus blossom design on the sides is slightly larger than in the first edition), top edge trimmed and gilt, other edges deckled, plain endpapers. Very good condition in original publisher's binding. A little wear to covers with a few blemishes on the parchment covers, extremities and spine a tad tanned and grubby, very light bumping to corners and spine tips. Offsetting to prelims, previous owner's signature very neatly penned to FFEP, tanning to pages with a few odd foxing spots throughout. A remarkably clean copy otherwise in lovely condition with a tight binding. Scarce, especially in such condition.

The first printing (June 1881) consisted of 750 copies, of which only 250 copies were used for the first edition, the remaining 500 being equally divided between the second and third editions. For this edition, a printing of 250 copies of half the first sheet [pp. iii-vi] was made on July 22, the remainder of the book being part of the first printing in June. (Stuart Mason, Bibliography of Oscar Wilde, [305]).