T. E. Lawrence: Letters to E. T. Leeds
Gloucestshire, UK: The Whittington Press, 1988. Quarto, quarter-bound in rust-coloured buckram with boards covered in pale-orange paper, spine embossed with gilt lettering, front cover printed with an image of Lawrence on horseback in rust-coloured ink, xxii, 140 pp.,, six double-sided plates of black-and-white photographs and reproductions of letters included at the back (unpaginated), illustrated with drawings in rust and white throughout, two appendices included. Presented in a brown slip case with rust-coloured buckram top and tail edges. Very slight rubbing on tail end of spine, very slight rubbing on top and tail spine-end corners of slipcase; otherwise a fine copy. First edition, copy Number 424 of an edition of 650 copies.
This very handsome limited edition, complete with slipcase, presents a selection of Lawrence's letters to one of his most valued friends, scholar E. T. Leeds. The letters were written between 1909 and 1918, with the majority dating between 1911 and 1914, when Lawrence was working as a field geologist at an archaeological site in Carchemish, Northern Syria. During these years, he wrote more letters to Leeds than to anyone else.
Most of the correspondence from that time deals with the Hittite seals Lawrence purchased for the Ashmolean Museum, where Leeds was an assistant to the Keeper, D. G. Hogarth (Leeds was later appointed Keeper following Hogarth's death). The letters show Lawrence's commitment to the Ashmolean collection, which he hoped would remain the finest in the world.
This volume includes an introduction by the editor, J. M. Wilson, a memoir of E. T. Leeds by D. B. Harden and evocative illustrations by Richard Kennedy. Loosely inserted within is a card from The Whittington Press detailing their specialist printing services (this book would have been one of only six niche works they released in the year of its publication). Item #4985
Price (AUD): $450.00