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Heritage Auctions: Sold Sylvia Plath lots

Just a brief auction sold lot to mention today. Heritage Auctions.

On one of the most Plathian days in 2009, June 16, a lovely Victoria Lucas edition of The Bell Jar sold in Lot 37219 for $1553.50 inclusive of buyers premium.

The description from the sale reads:
"[Sylvia Plath]. Victoria Lucas [pseudonym]. The Bell Jar. London: Heinemann, 1963.

"First edition. Octavo. 258 pages. Dust jacket designed by Thomas Simmonds.

"Original black cloth with titles stamped in gilt on the spine. Small Grolier Book Shop sticker to the lower front free endpaper. Dust jacket price-clipped with some small folds at the lower front edge, trivial toning to the back panel, and light wear to the spine panel including a small round scrape mid-spine. Overall, a very good copy.

"An exceptional first edition of Sylvia Plath's first book written under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. Sadly it was to be her last book as she committed suicide a month after its initial publication. Truly a roman á clef as it describes the author's unhappiness and descent into mental illness. An uncommon book, the more so in this condition."


I'll have a bigger auction report at the weekend.

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  1. Melanie Smith23 March, 2011 18:05

    That look like a lovely copy.
    Thank you for all this information!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Peter K Steinberg23 March, 2011 18:37

    Melanie, you are welcome. I find the prices realized, by comparison between the respective auction houses and over the years, really fascinating. This copy - with price clipped duswrapper and Bookshop sticker on the - fetched much more than copies in better condition. I guess it has to do with the time, and that prices have done nothing but rise. makes me want to play the lottery!

    pks

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous24 March, 2011 09:34

    Hi Peter and Good Morning. This is a lovely thing you're doing with this blog and the auction reports. I'm nearly done with my own piece (hope to have it to you by the weekend), which I hope you will like and post. It's bringing a lot of memories back to me just thinking about it.

    -Margi

    ReplyDelete

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