[Literature] (Lawrence, T.E.) Two Leaves From the Oxford Edition of "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom"

(Oxford: privately printed by the Oxford Times for the author, 1922). Comprising two printed leaves (two columns, rectos only), extracted from one of only eight printed copies of this edition. Manuscript in margin of first leaf, "Chap XXI Complete" (but Chapter XXII). Creased along center from old fold; light spotting. O'Brien A034

Two leaves from one of only eight copies ever printed of the Oxford Edition of T.E. Lawrence's monumental The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Lawrence's first manuscript for The Seven Pillars was lost in Reading Terminal in late 1919. The second manuscript was then completed in London in a period of three months between 1919-20 (this was burned by him in 1922 in Chingford, London). The third manuscript (based on the second), was written in London, Jeddah, and Amman between 1921-22. The final text of this latter manuscript was then printed on the presses of the Oxford Times--both in order to protect against loss of the manuscript, and to provide copies for members of the Hejaz Expeditionary force as well as literary friends to read and criticize (the latter included G.B. Shaw, E.M. Forster, Thomas Hardy, and Siegfried Sassoon). Of the eight copies that were printed, one was destroyed, four are now in institutional collections, and one was disbound into individual leaves (including those here).

These two leaves contain the text of chapter XXII, which corresponds to chapter XXI (pp. 105-110) of the Subscriber's edition, but with many textual differences. Rare.

Provenance

From the Collection of Jay R. Butterman. New York, New York

[Literature] (Lawrence, T.E.) Two Leaves From the Oxford Edition of "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom"