Vathek; An Arabian Tale, by William Beckford. Gibbings & Company, 1900
Vathek: An Arabian Tale was written in French in 1782 by William Beckford (1760–1844), an English novelist, art collector, and eccentric. It is one of the earliest Gothic-Orientalist novels, blending Gothic horror with Middle Eastern exoticism. It had a strong influence on writers like Byron, Poe, and later Gothic and fantasy traditions.
Vathek; An Arabian Tale, by William Beckford. With Notes by Henley, an Introduction by Dr. Garnett, and Etchings by Herbert Nye.
Published by Gibbings & Company, Limited, London, and J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, 1900. Appears to be a third edition for Gibbings (they mention 2 earlier small format versions crediting Lawrence & Bullen and Ballantyne, Hanson, but presumably Gibbings was involved in these)
Provenance - bookplate of a 'Water Delay Ward' to first pastedown - Captain Walter Delay Ward (1882–1918) was a British Army officer and book-collector whose distinctive bookplate turns up in late-Victorian/Edwardian fine press and decadent literature. Educated at Blundell’s School, Tiverton, he was commissioned into the Hampshire Regiment (1/9th Bn.) and died aged 36 at Bangalore on 4 September 1918; he is buried at Bangalore (Hosur Road) Cemetery and recorded as the son of John Charles and Lily Ward. His collecting taste is attested by copies such as Aubrey Beardsley’s privately printed “The Story of Venus and Tannhäuser” that carry his bookplate.
A very good copy of this attractively bound hardback with camel brown spine and corners. The spine with raised bands, gilt tooled decoration and gilt title. With marbled paper over boards. The leather is a little rubbed with darkening to spine, and some scuffing to boards. Head and tail a little worn to extremities. With marbled endpapers - all soundly bound.
Text is in very good condition throughout - a hew discolored markings to endpapers and mild offsetting to title page, but a good quality printing with green and black title page and attractive etchings. Text is bright and clean with a few very minor pencil annotations from previous owner. Top edge gilt.
A smart volume.
Text in English.
xl + 265pp + (1) + (6) Plates (all present as called for).
Dimensions: Approximately 175mm x 114mm x 22mm.
Weight: Approximately 304g (unpacked).