[Literature] Joyce, James. Ulysses

Paris: Shakespeare and Company, 1922. First and limited edition, #701/750 numbered copies on handmade paper (from a total edition of 1,000). 4to. Publisher's limp blue wrappers, lettered in white, wear to extremities and spine; ownership signature of American journalist, editor, and literary critic, Burton Rascoe (1892-1957) on front free endpaper; in quarter morocco fall-down-back box. Slocum & Cahoon A17; Connolly, The Modern Movement 42

Unsophisticated rare first edition of James Joyce's masterpiece, one of the most important works of modern literature.

This first edition was published on February 2, 1922, by Sylvia Beach, an American expatriate and the owner of the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris. Due to its controversial content, which led to obscenity trials and bans in various countries, Joyce faced significant difficulties in finding a publisher. Beach took the courageous step to publish the book herself, ensuring its availability to the public. Beach commissioned printer Maurice Darantiere in Dijon to print 1,000 numbered copies consisting of 100 signed copies on Dutch handmade paper, 150 numbered copies on vergé d'Arches paper, and 750 copies on handmade paper, plus an extra 20 unnumbered copies on mixed paper for libraries and press. Tasked with typesetting Joyce's ever-changing text, Darantiere also faced challenges related to the cover. Joyce insisted that the cover must resemble the colours of the Greek flag, blue and white, an allusion to the book's connection to Homer's Odyssey and the Greek literary tradition. Despite Darantiere's efforts with various blue papers, none met Joyces exacting standards. With less than a month until publication, Joyce sent the small Greek flag from Shakespeare and Company to artist Myron C. Nutting, who identified the correct pigment. Darantiere then lithographed the "Greek-flag blue" onto white paper, creating the distinctive blue cover of this first edition.

To request further details about this lot, please email [email protected]

Please contact the Auction Specialist for details.

Darren Winston, Senior Vice President at Freeman’s, has served as Head of Department for Books & Manuscripts, Philadelphia, since 2018. He has been a trustee of the Rosenbach Museum and Library since 2022, is a member of The Manuscript Society, The Bibliographical Society of America, and Philadelphia’s Philobiblon Club.

Raised in northern New Jersey, Darren moved to New York City in 1988 and began his career there as a bookseller in 1995. He spent the next 18 years selling to private clients and at East Coast book fairs. In 2003 he moved with his young family to Sharon, Connecticut where, in 2009, he opened his own bookshop. Darren Winston, Bookseller offered rare and vintage books, prints, fine art, and more, and hosted over 50 book signings and art shows. He was a trustee and, later, Board President, of the Sharon Historical Society, and for six years a trustee of Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Darren has hosted the radio program "Darren Winston's Book Report" for NPR-affiliate WHDD since 2009, appeared in the 2014 book-themed documentary The Paper Trail, and in 2024 he joined Antiques Roadshow as a books and manuscripts appraiser. From 1999 to 2005, Darren was the buyer and consultant to the Fine and Rare Books Department at Asprey, the British luxury goods company, at its New York headquarters. While there he spearheaded various in-store events including readings by Salman Rushdie and Dominick Dunne.

In 1993, Darren was hired as a Creative Consultant to Columbia Records, where he assisted in the repackaging of their 12-record Aerosmith back catalogue. He later sold his extensive collection of Aerosmith memorabilia, which he began amassing at the age of 14, directly to the band.

Darren now lives on the Main Line, outside Philadelphia, with his wife, two children, and dog. The family travels frequently to his wife's native England and Scotland. When not bookselling, he plays guitar in Pumped, an Aerosmith tribute band. Darren also appears on the top-rated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow.

Books and Manuscripts

[Literature] Joyce, James. Ulysses

Books and Manuscripts

[Literature] Joyce, James. Ulysses

Lot Description

Condition Report

Preview

Auction Contact

Shipping | Pickup