JULIA BRIDE

1909. Smedley, W.T.. Illustrated by W.T. Smedley. New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1909. Original dark blue cloth lettered in black, with dust jacket.

First Separate Edition. JULIA BRIDE's first appearance in book form had been in Vol. XVII of the New York Edition of James's works, published earlier the same year; there was no separate English edition. Per the dust jacket: This is the story... of a girl so beautiful... that even women stop to admire and wonder and bow down. She has been engaged to one rather undesirable man, and when she really wishes to marry, she chooses another -- a rock-ribbed conservative. E&L lists six (truncated) different bindings for this book, but not this dark blue cloth variant (nor an aqua one we have seen). The volume is in fine condition. The dust jacket, with the frontispiece plate reproduced on the front panel (one of the few pictorial jackets among James's first editions), is in near-fine condition -- clean and whole, with a few short closed tears (two with tape on the verso). Uncommon in this nice a dust jacket. Supino 66.6.0 (this variant binding); Edel & Laurence A66 (not citing this binding). (Inventory #: 15687)