
LAWRENCE (T.E.) The Diary of T.E. Lawrence. MCMXI, ONE OF 130 COPIES on Parchment substitute paper, from an overall edition of 203 copies, Corvinus Press, June 1937
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LAWRENCE (T.E.)
Footnotes
RONALD STORRS' COPY, PRESENTED TO HIM BY THE PUBLISHER, LORD CARLOW - "Here is the book, or The book, or even THE [underlined three times] book. What a time it has taken to complete!... I herewith feel honoured at fowarding you your copy... How about 'Orientations'; is it out yet?". On the letter from Carlow (on Corvinus Press headed paper), enclosing the book and enquiring about Storrs' memoir Orientations (which was also published in 1937), Storrs notes that he acknowledged receipt of it on 4 September 1937 "... & read in sun on balcony of 84 & PG: only worth printing as written by T.E.L.". Storrs was appointed Oriental Secretary to the British Agency in 1909, and in 1917 Political Officer representing the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. He was a great supporter of T.E. Lawrence, who wrote in The Seven Pillars that "The first of all of us was Ronald Storrs,... the most brilliant Englishman in the Near East, and subtly efficient, despite his diversion of energy in love of music and letters, of sculpture, painting, of whatever was beautiful in the world's fruit... Storrs was always first, and the great man among us".
Lawrence's Syrian diary from 1911 was written during his solitary "off-season" journey on foot through the north of the country, where he had been employed on an archaeological dig. "This was the most ambitious and handsome volume published by the Corvinus Press... The text was reprinted in Oriental Assembly" (O'Brien).
Provenance: Ronald Storrs (1881-1955), presentation inscription to him from the publisher; George Lloyd, Baron Lloyd of Dolobran (1879-1941), who first met Storrs when working in Cairo in 1917, and remained a close friend until his death. Both men attended Lawrence's funeral, Storrs as a pallbearer; by descent to the present owner.
Saleroom notices
Provenance should read "presentation letter to hime..." rather than "presentation inscription to him from the publisher"