Although the above is the genuine first issue of The Trespasser, there are extant copies identical with it on the inside, but in a light green “case,” lettered on the front in black and on the backbone in gilt—except Duckworth, which is in black. The curious who have at hand a first edition of Mr. W. H. Davies’ Beggars, also published by Duckworth, will know the cover-design of The Trespasser in green. The texture and the color of the cloths differ somewhat. I know nothing about this unusual form, except that the copy I have is on the inside, page for page, identical with the above. One other copy has been reported to me, by Mr. Arthur Rogers, an English dealer.
The publishers (their file copies of The Trespasser having disappeared) are a bit vague, but they suggest that perhaps copies for the Colonial market were bound in green. This may be the answer; but since the green “case” is certainly more elaborate, and was probably more expensive than the blue, one suspects the former may have been a “trial” binding.
The first American edition of The Trespasser was published, from the Duckworth sheets, by Mitchell Kennerley, New York, 1912.
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LOVE POEMS AND OTHERS
Published February 1913
Love (dot) Poems / and (dot) Others / By (dot) D. H. Lawrence / Author of “The White Peacock” “The Trespasser” / Duckworth (dot) and (dot) Co. / Covent (dot) Garden (dot) London / MCMXIII
Collation:—pp. 6 (preceded by blank leaf) + lxiv, consisting of half-title (verso blank), pp. (1, 2); title-page, as above (with Several of these Poems have / appeared in the “English / Review,” the “Nation,” and / the “Westminster Gazette.” in center of verso), pp. (3, 4); table of Contents, pp. (5, 6); text, pp. i-(lxiv). Printers’ imprint, beneath line, at foot of p. (lxiv) as follows: Turnbull and Spears, Printers, Edinburgh
Large cr. 8vo, 8⅝ × 6; issued in dark blue cloth; front cover has one-line border in blind, and at upper left is lettered in gilt as follows: Love Poems / and Others / By / D. H. Lawrence Backbone ornamented and lettered across in gilt: (one thick, one thin line at top) / Love / Poems / and / Others / (a line) / D. H. / Lawrence / Duckworth / (one thin, one thick line at bottom). Back cover has in lower left corner blind stamp of publishers’ device, but is otherwise blank. Top edges gilt; fore and bottom edges cut. End-papers white.
Love Poems and Others was Mr. Lawrence’s third book, and his first volume of poetry. As to the comparative scarcity of this first edition opinion differs greatly. Of the six books of poems (not counting Bay, a private press volume) by Mr. Lawrence, I am inclined to rank Love Poems third in scarcity. I suspect that both Amores (first issue, with the catalogue) and Look! We Have Come Through! are scarcer than this item. Be that as it may, Love Poems is far from common. Fortunately, however, the book was stoutly built, and copies of the first edition, when they do turn up, are usually in quite satisfactory condition—satisfactory even to collectors.