More Brontë lots at the historical Sotheby's auction that will take place next December 15th. Besides a Charlotte Brontë manuscript, Ellen Nussey's copies of the Brontë novels are also auctioned:
English Literature, History, Private Press,Children's Books & Illustrations
London / 15 December 2011 10:30 AM
Lot 41
Wuthering Heights. A Novel by Ellis Bell and Agnes Grey. A Novel by Acton Bell. London: Thomas Cautley Newby, 1847.
8vo (194 x 120mm.), 3 volumes, first edition, Ellen Nussey's copy with her ownership signature on front endpaper of volume 3 ("E Nussey"), p.342 in volume one misnumbered "242", p.382 in volume 2 misnumbered "282", p.313 in volume 3 misnumbered "213" (all points listed by Smith), one leaf (of two) present from advertisements at the end of volume 3, late nineteenth-century polished red calf gilt by Zaehnsdorf, original brown cloth spines bound in, spines in six compartments with morocco labels, top edges gilt, inner dentelles, red coated endpapers, dates on imprints partially erased (see below), spines sunned and with some slight wear, some minor soiling and spotting to text.
Estimate 70,000-100,000 GBP
Provenance
Probably presented by the author's sister Charlotte in or before January 1849 to their close friend Ellen Nussey, ownership signature ("E Nussey") on front free endpaper of volume 3 (Agnes Grey) and references in The Letters of Charlotte Brontë, ed. M. Smith; given by Ellen in May 1889 to Sir George John Armytage, 6th baronet of Kirklees (Armytage bookplate and additional printed leaf, c.1889, with full provenance, signed by Ellen Nussey, bound in at the front of each volume); thence by descent.
Lot 36
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. By Acton Bell. London: T.C. Newby, 1848
12mo (201 x 120mm.), 3 volumes, first edition, second issue (so-called "second edition"), presentation copy inscribed by the author to the Brontës' great friend Ellen Nussey ("Presented to Ellen Nussey by her affectionate friend A. B. January 8th 1849"), title page replaced with a smaller title page from the first issue, bound without the preface normally present in the second issue, publisher's advertisement leaf at the end of volume 1, original brown cloth spines bound in (Smith's binding variant C), late nineteenth-century polished red calf gilt by Zaehnsdorf, original brown cloth spines bound in, spines in six compartments with morocco labels, top edges gilt, inner dentelles, red coated endpapers, minor spotting, spines sunned and with some slight wear
Estimate 30,000-50,000 GBP
Provenance
Presented by the author on 8 January 1849 to Ellen Nussey, inscription on front endpaper; given by Ellen in May 1889 to Sir George John Armytage, 6th baronet of Kirklees (Armytage bookplate and additional printed leaf, c.1889, with full provenance, signed by Ellen Nussey, bound in at the front of each volume); thence by descent.
Lot 39
Villette by Currer Bell.Smith, Elder & Co., 1853
8vo (195 x 124mm.), 3 volumes, first edition, presentation copy from the author to her lifelong friend Ellen Nussey, inscription in recipient's hand on front free endpaper ("E Nussey from the author"), publisher's 16pp. catalogue at the end of volume one dated March 1854, late nineteenth-century polished red calf gilt by Zaehnsdorf, original brown cloth spines bound in, spines in six compartments with morocco labels, top edges gilt, inner dentelles, red coated endpapers, spines sunned and with some slight wear, some minor soiling and spotting to text.
Estimate 6,000-9,000 GBP
Provenance
Presented by the author near the time of publication to her lifelong friend Ellen Nussey, presentation inscription in the hand of Ellen Nussey on front free endpaper; given by Ellen in May 1889 to Sir George John Armytage, 6th baronet of Kirklees (Armytage bookplate and additional printed leaf, c.1889, with full provenance, signed by Ellen Nussey, bound in at the front of each volume); thence by descent
Lot 44
The Life of Charlotte Brontë. Smith, Elder & Co., 1857
12mo (200 x 124mm.), 2 volumes, first edition, presentation copy from the author to Charlotte's Brontë's lifelong friend Ellen Nussey with inscription, probably in publisher's or editor's hand, on front free endpaper ("From the author"), marginal annotations and other markings on many pages in at least two different hands (one probably Ellen Nussey's), with comments and memories of Charlotte Brontë, autograph letter signed by Elizabeth Gaskell tipped-in to volume 1,photograph of Ellen Nussey pasted-in on front endpaper of volume 1, with cut signature of Ellen Nussey affixed beneath, 16pp. publisher's catalogue at the end of volume 2 dated March 1857, late nineteenth-century polished red calf gilt by Zaehnsdorf, original brown cloth spines bound in, spines in six compartments with morocco labels, top edges gilt, inner dentelles, red coated endpapers, spines sunned and with some slight wear, some minor soiling and spotting to text.
Estimate 4,000-6,000 GBP
Provenance
Presented by the author to Ellen Nussey, presentation inscription in the hand of the recipient on front free endpaper of volume 1; given by Ellen in May 1889 to Sir George John Armytage, 6th baronet of Kirklees (Armytage bookplate and additional printed leaf, c.1889, with full provenance, signed by Ellen Nussey, bound in at the front of each volume); thence by descent.
Catalogue Note
A fine presentation, association and annotated copy of the famous first published biography of Charlotte Brontë, a substantial portion of which was based on the correspondence between the author and Ellen Nussey herself. The hand in ink appears to be chiefly of an editorial kind, with, among other things, corrections to the quotations from Charlotte Brontë's letters; the other hand, quite probably Ellen Nussey's herself, written with a blunt pencil and comprising marginal crossings, markings, textual underlinings and annotations on many pages of the text, are clearly by somebody with a fairly intimate knowledge of her subject's life. In volume 1, for instance, on p.56 a long passage is marked concerning a "wild story" about a young girl residing in an isolated village near Haworth; the line "it was discovered that she had been seduced by her sister's wealthy husband" is changed to "...had been betrayed by her sister's husband..."; in volume 2 there are numerous marginal annotations with memories of the attributes and behaviour of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë (and their publishers), often with reference to works such as Jane Eyre. On pp.25-26, for instance, where Gaskell discusses the withholding of the true ownership of the Brontë sisters' tales, the annotator records that "Charlotte corrected the proof sheets of Jane Eyre while staying with S quite openly...." On pp.186-7 there is a long note with reference to Charlotte's long walks on the moors, and excursions apparently undertaken organised by Ellen and Emily for Charlotte's benefit.
The autograph letter signed by Elizabeth Gaskell (4pp., 8vo, no place or date) is to "Dearest Lily" (apparently a young friend), thanking her for her (unsuccessful) efforts to find her a replacement cook ("...You're a very good child & that you are! tho' you've not found me a cook...Cook leaves on Tuesday, but we shall all be glad to have no dinners, & get rid of her..."), recording that Nula is visiting Cannes ("...a...'weakening place, requiring quinine perpetually'...") and Nell is in London at 43 Eaton Place ("...sounding very gay, as people always do at a distance...I did not see you at the concert...").
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