Modern First Editions 1919-1929

Our pick for 1919 is Winesburg, Ohio: A Group of Tales of Ohio Small-Town Life. The collection of 22 short stories set in Winesburg, Ohio was Sherwood Anderson's third book, but it was the one that made his name known.Winesburg, Ohio was published in New york in 1919 by B. W. Huebsch after the publisher for Anderson's first two novels declined to publish it, calling the novel "too gloomy." It is uncertain how many copies were printed in the initial run, but the book did well enough that it was reprinted several times.The work was unconventional in structure and prose when compared to popular novels of the day, and is now considered an important part of American literature, and one of the earliest examples of Modernist literature.

John Galsworthy's To Let is of special note for some dubious reasons in the world of book collecting. To Let is the final installment in Galsworthy's Forsythe Saga, one of the most important and well regarded works of the time. In 1932 Galsworthy had won the Nobel Prize for literature, and signed, limited editions of many of his works were highly sought by book collectors. His first, pseudonymous work, From the Four Winds commonly commanded prices of more than $500 in the early 30's, a fair bit of money today, and a small fortune at the time. While Galsworthy is still read and known, in part from the BBC television series based on the Forsythe Saga, his books are typically not worth a great deal of money to book collectors, and in fact, sell for less now than they did 80 years ago. John Galsworthy is possibly the first example of hypermodern book collecting, a phenomenon that now commonly sees brand newly released book selling for large sums of money in the antiquarian book market as dealers and collectors vie to speculate on future value, trying to buy in before prices go up. As we see in the example of poor Mr. Galsworthy, this speculation often is wrong in the longterm.

Enter Lord Peter Wimsey, a detective of discerning tastes and impeccable lineage. Whose Body introduced the world to Wimsey, whose name characterizes his approach the art of detection. Like Sherlock Holmes with whom he is often compared, Wimsey solves crimes as something of a gentlemanly diversion. Sayers quickly accumulated a devoted following for the adventures of this fictional detective, resulting in 11 completed full length novels and a number of short stories featuring Wimsey.

Like Doyle's creation Sherlock Homes, Lord Peter Wimsey outlived his creator with novelist Jill Paton Walsh completing Sayer's last unfinished installment, and continuing to write novels featuring Wimsey as recently as 2013.

Lord Peter Wimsey is a natural choice for book collectors, as the detective himself is an avid collector of incunabula, and an expert on typography. Wimsey's character is even the author of a fictional book on the subject of book collecting, Notes on the Collecting of Incunabula.

The last novel published in E. M. Forster's lifetime, A Passage to India explores the complexity of human relationships as it reflects against the cultural fears and prejudices during the colonial occupation of India by the British during the height of the Indian independence movement. Deeply critical of his own countrymen in a time of sharply divided views, it has been praised as one of the greatest works of fiction of the 20th century by sources such as Modern Library and Time Magazine and is a highly sought after high point of modern first editions.

British author, E. M. Forster's A Passage to India tells the story of two British women who befriend a Muslim physician, Dr. Aziz, in India during the colonial occupation and independence movements. After an visit to a remote area of India, one of the women, Adela, believes to have been raped and the doctor is accused and later stands trial. At trial, Adele casts doubt on her recollection of events and Dr. Aziz is exonerated.

Thornton Wilder's second novel was published in November 1927 to great popularity. The Bridge of San Luis Rey tells the stories of five unrelated people who die when a bridge collapses and deals with the philosophical questions of the problem of evil and nature of love. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928.

Published by Albert & Charles Boni, the UK edition preceded the US edition by a few days. The first issue dust jacket is rare, and has a review of Wilder's Cabala on the back.

Published in 1928, D.H. Lawrence's novel Lady Chatterley's Lover was almost immediately banned in Britain for its graphic language and explicit descriptions of sex, and after decades of abridged copies later, it was the subject of a groundbreaking British Obscenity Trial in 1960. The prosecution argued that the novel's depictions of sex, along with the frequent use of certain four-letter words, made the book unsuitable to be sold to the public. In a particularly memorable moment, the prosecutor asked the jury, "Is it a book that you would even wish your wife or your servants to read?" It is believed that at that moment, the prosecutor's case was lost, in large part because of the seeming disconnect between the values of the prosecution and the lives of everyday Britons. Bishops, academics, and various other "experts" were called as witnesses for the prosecution, but the verdict of "not guilty" was decided on 2 November 1960.

The case had a dramatic effect on the bookselling industry, as eight days later, bookshops all over the United Kingdom sold out of unabridged copies of Lady Chatterley's Lover.

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf is not often included in the realm of Modern Firsts, as it is considered both fiction and non-fiction. The essay, while presented by fictional characters, was generally based on real lectures delivered by Woolf in 1928.

Virginia Woolf noted in her journal, "I shall be attacked for a feminist." The novel has continued to be an inspiration to women authors since its publication, and it remains an important book in literary studies.