Skip to main content
T.E. LAWRENCE AND THE CORVINUS PRESS
Lot 225

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

Amended
19 August 2020, 13:00 BST
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £2,167.50 inc. premium

Own a similar item?

Submit your item online for a free auction estimate.

How to sell

Looking for a similar item?

Our Books & Manuscripts specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.

Find your local specialist

Ask about this lot

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, one gold-printed illustration, 13 photographic plates, tissue guards, AUTOGRAPH LETTER FROM LORD CARLOW TO RONALD STORRS loosely inserted, original morocco-backed boards, spine lettered in gilt, t.e.g., others uncut [O'Brien A194; Nash and Flavelle 16], 4to (293 x 230mm.), Corvinus Press, June 1937

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"

Additional information

Bid now on these items

Johnston, Robert Travels Through Part of the Russian Empire and the Country of Poland, first edition, London: Printed for J.J. Stockdale, 1815.

VIKING1 LANDER & ORBITER: 12 PHOTOGRAPHS 11 black and white and one (1) chromogenic color print, each 20 x 25 cm (8 x 10 inches), as follows:

APOLLO 9: 3 PHOTOGRAPHS OF APOLLO/SATURN V SPACE VEHICLE ON THE LAUNCHPAD

APOLLO 9: 4 PHOTOGRAPHS OF LUNAR MODULE SPIDER & EARTH VIEWS

APOLLO 12: 4 PHOTOGRAPHS OF APOLLO/SATURN ON THE LAUNCHPAD

APOLLO 14: 5 PHOTOGRAPHS OF LUNAR SURFACE, PREPARATIONS FOR LAUNCH

APOLLO 15: 3 PHOTOGRAPHS OF SIM MODEL, LAUNCH, AND LUNAR ROVING VEHICLE DURING EVA

APOLLO 16: EVA PANORAMA Large format chromogenic color photograph printed on fiber-based photographic paper with "A Kodak Paper" water mark, 36 x 28 cm (14 x 11 inches),

GEMINI I: GEMINI-TITAN II LAUNCH Large format chromogenic color photograph printed on fiber-based photographic paper with "A Kodak Paper" water mark, 36 x 28 cm (14 x 11 inches),

GEMINI V: GEMINI-TITAN V LIFTS OFF FROM LAUNCH COMPLEX 19 Large format chromogenic color photograph printed on fiber-based photographic paper with "A Kodak Paper" water mark, 36 x 28 cm (14 x 11 inches),

EARLY U.S. SPACE PROGRAM: 7 PHOTOGRAPHS OF LAUNCHES, 1958-1963 7 black-and-white photographs, each 20 x 25 cm (8 x 10 inches), as follows:

MERCURY-ATLAS 2: LAUNCH, FEBRUARY 21, 1961 Large format chromogenic color photograph printed on fiber-based photographic paper with "A Kodak Paper" water mark, 36 x 28 cm (14 x 11 inches),

MERCURY-ATLAS 6: LAUNCH OF FIRST CREWD AMERICAN ORBITAL SPACEFLIGHT Large format chromogenic color photograph printed on fiber-based photographic paper with "A Kodak Paper" water mark, 36 x 28 cm (14 x 11 inches),

PROJECT MERCURY: 9 PHOTOGRAPHS OF PREPARATION, LAUNCH, AND RECOVERY

APPLE COMPUTER, INC. THINK DIFFERENT: MAHATMA GANDHI. Printed vinyl banner with metal rail, 1562 x 692 mm, [Cupertino, c.1997/1998], the recto featuring an image of Mahatma Gandhi, the verso featuring "Apple" in white letters against a red ground.