Page 44 - september-23

I’m Just Wilde About Levant

Hello. I was wondering if you could help me out with some information Later, determined to destroy the only evidence of the crimes he has
on this book I picked up at a flea market in western New York. It was in committed, he stabs the portrait. He is found the next morning
a box of random books. I like Oscar Wilde and that was the reason I dead from a stab wound. He is old and hideous while his portrait has
grabbed it along with a few others. After getting home and doing a little turned young.
research, I found it could be rare but I wasn’t sure if this is the correct I see online one copy for sale online in very good condition for
edition and what condition it was considered? I took it to a free appraiser $1,750, and another for $4,750. These are asking prices, but for what
at a local function who offered a hundred for it which seemed unprofes- it’s worth, I see by my hardbound ABPC that a Lippincott’s sold got
sional. So I know it may be hard from just the photos but would you know $190 in 1993.
if this is a rare edition and what value it may have? Any information you So, I guess the value is somewhere between $190 and $4,750.
could provide would be great. Thank you for your time with this. Anyway, it’s good you did not sell it for $100. – Jim
Kind regards, S.R.
Hello. Thank you very much for your
Dear S.R. What you have is the insight on the Lippincott magazine. I feel
first American appearance of Oscar much better about it and will make sure to
Wilde’s classic “The Picture of take proper care of it to preserve its condition.
Dorian Gray” in July 1890 issue of And thankful I did not sell it!
Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine. Thanks again – S
Sadly, my go-to reference for rare
book prices was the American Book Dear Jim,
Prices Current site which listed selling While I’m at it, I may as well ask you
prices of rare books from several about Borst’s comments on the Manuscript
upscale auctions, but tragically the site Edition of Thoreau’s works in 1906, a few
went defunct recently and that info is pages on. He talks about “levant” bindings
not easily obtainable. I do have volumes in different configurations (if not colors):
of ABPC from when it was in hardback does he mean by this “leather” of a special
book form but they only go up to 1995 sort? And are these of such as we have sets?
and much has happened since then. Yours in devoted minutiae, H
Of course, you can get rare book
prices online, but many of them are Dear H,
asking prices that may be inflated and Margaret Haller’s Book Collectors
unreliable, while the auction prices at Fact Book; Arco Publishing; 1976, says
least had some grounding in reality. On that levant is “A kind of morocco, made
the internet, anyone can ask any price of South American or Cape goatskin.
whatsoever for any item they want to sell, Tough and hardwearing, it is charac-
and many of the prices they would like to terized by a fairly coarse grain. It may
command will never sell. However, with be dyed in a variety of colors and is
some background knowledge and persever- often used for large books. Purists may
ance, often realistic prices can be estimated. say “levant-morocco.” p. 176
Lippincott’s magazine was published in And while we are on goatskin,
New York, London, and Paris in June Haller writes that “morocco” is a type
1890. The price new in the U.S. was 25¢. of leather made from goatskin tanned
The Picture of Dorian Gray is probably with sumac. The name comes from
Oscar Wilde’s best-known story. The its origin in Morocco and the Barbary
shorter Lippincott version was lengthened States. Today, however, it is widely produced and the name is only of
and published as a novel in 1891 and was later a play and at least historic significance. Morocco has always been a favorite leather with
two movies. bookbinders since it is not only extremely durable but supple and easy
The plot is that Dorian Gray is a very handsome young man who is to work.” p. 189
obsessed with his looks. He has his portrait painted and then makes a It would seem that the only difference between levant and morocco
deal with the devil that he will stay young while his portrait grows old. is the size of the pores in the goatskin.
Obsessed with himself, he commits numerous crimes including All the best – Jim
murder, but stays young as his portrait grows more and more hideous.

James Dawson has owned and operated the Unicorn Bookshop in Trappe, MD since 1975, when he decided that it would be more fun to buy and sell old books and maps than to get
a “real” job. For a born collector like Jim, having a shop just might be another excuse to buy more books. He has about 30,000 second hand and rare books on the shelves, and just
about all subjects are represented. He can be contacted at P.O. Box 154; Trappe, MD 21673; 410-476-3838; unicornbookshopMD@gmail.com; www.unicornbookshop.com

42 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles