signed first edition
1846 · London
by Browning, Robert
London: Edward Moxon, 1846. First edition. Very Good. First edition of each of the original eight parts, bound in publisher's printed wraps. Parts IV, VI and VII signed by Robert Browning with his initials and warmly inscribed to his uncle Reuben with "affectionate regards." 16; 20; 16; 19; 16; 20; 24; 32 pp. Half-title in Part. II. Very Good with light soiling, edgewear, and age toning to each issue; paper somewhat brittle; splits and chipping to spines. Old tape repair to Part VIII spine; rear cover torn and partly detached. In a custom chemise slipcase, quarter red morocco over red cloth, several shallow abrasions to leather, lacking ribbon pull. Former owner's label and the bookplate of Frank Brewer Bemis on the chemise. Broughton A17, A40, A41, A42, A44, A48, A49, A52.
Bells and Pomegranates is the covering title for a series of plays and short dramatic poems published by Robert Browning between 1841 and 1846. The eight pamphlets comprise Pippa Passes (1841), King Victor and King Charles (1842), Dramatic Lyrics (1842), The Return of the Druses (1843), A Blot in the ‘Scutcheon (1843), Colombe's Birthday (1844), Dramatic Romances and Lyrics (1845), Luria (1846), and A Soul's Tragedy (1846). Modestly priced, they were intended to make his work available to a large audience at a time when a book was a luxury item. Cheap paperbacks were limited to reprints and penny dreadfuls, and the break with tradition was noted by several reviewers.
The series contains some of Browning's best-known work from his early career, including The Pied Piper of Hamelin (No. III) and How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix (No. VII). The seventh pamphlet had a lasting effect on Browning’s life after it won the admiration of Elizabeth Barrett, whose praise in verse began a correspondence that turned into one of the most famous marriages of the Victorian era.
This collection of pamphlets, each in its first edition, holds particular significance. Three of the booklets are inscribed to Reuben Browning, a clerk at Rothschild’s Bank and the poet’s favorite uncle. Sets seldom have more than two presentation numbers. The Buxton Forman-Pforzheimer copy had three presentation numbers but not all to the same recipient.
The first volume is signed with the name "Henry Morley," likely the editor and critic who corresponded with Browning and who contributed to Charles Dickens' Household Words and All the Year Round. A remarkable set in its original wraps. First editions of the fifth part are very rare, and three presentation copies together are extraordinarily scarce. (Inventory #: 140947391)
Bells and Pomegranates is the covering title for a series of plays and short dramatic poems published by Robert Browning between 1841 and 1846. The eight pamphlets comprise Pippa Passes (1841), King Victor and King Charles (1842), Dramatic Lyrics (1842), The Return of the Druses (1843), A Blot in the ‘Scutcheon (1843), Colombe's Birthday (1844), Dramatic Romances and Lyrics (1845), Luria (1846), and A Soul's Tragedy (1846). Modestly priced, they were intended to make his work available to a large audience at a time when a book was a luxury item. Cheap paperbacks were limited to reprints and penny dreadfuls, and the break with tradition was noted by several reviewers.
The series contains some of Browning's best-known work from his early career, including The Pied Piper of Hamelin (No. III) and How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix (No. VII). The seventh pamphlet had a lasting effect on Browning’s life after it won the admiration of Elizabeth Barrett, whose praise in verse began a correspondence that turned into one of the most famous marriages of the Victorian era.
This collection of pamphlets, each in its first edition, holds particular significance. Three of the booklets are inscribed to Reuben Browning, a clerk at Rothschild’s Bank and the poet’s favorite uncle. Sets seldom have more than two presentation numbers. The Buxton Forman-Pforzheimer copy had three presentation numbers but not all to the same recipient.
The first volume is signed with the name "Henry Morley," likely the editor and critic who corresponded with Browning and who contributed to Charles Dickens' Household Words and All the Year Round. A remarkable set in its original wraps. First editions of the fifth part are very rare, and three presentation copies together are extraordinarily scarce. (Inventory #: 140947391)
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