A scarce private printing
The Secret Agent. Drama in Four Acts.
Canterbury: H.J. Goulden, Limited, 1921.
Price: $1,200.00
About the item
First English edition, one of 60. 69 pp. 4to. Brown board slipcase; boards are separated and chipping along edges, a fair amount of rubbing and toning to both sides, pencil inscription from original owner on recto above title label that is pasted down. Title page and last page are heavily toned and light chipping at edges, title page page is separated but others are still bound albeit tinder; overall a good scarce copy. Supino B2.11.0.
Item #346881
"The edition was originally intended to be of 50 copies, 40 of which would be for sale, priced at 63s., and the balance reserved for Conrad. However, on November 18 Conrad requested that Goulden send 40 copies to J.B. Pinker and the balance with any extras to him. He also requested that the top-edge of the copies be trimmed. On November 22 Conrad informed Pinker that he had received not 10 but 13 copies. The editors of of CLJC, Volume 6 state that Goulden's records show that Conrad in fact had been sent 15 copies, and that the firm had separately disposed of a further 5 copies, making the total printed 60 copies" (Supino, p. 386).
