[Travel & Exploration] Lawrence, T.E.
Seven Pillars of Wisdom
The Foundations of the Arab Revolt
No place, no date (privately printed, 1925). Second state prospectus for the 1926 "Subscriber's Edition" of the "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" (including chapters I-VII). One of approximately 100 copies. 4to (10 x 7 1/2 in.; 25.4 x 19cm). (2), 3-(40), (2) pp. Illustrated with color frontispiece portrait of Galil Bey Cha'lan, and one illustration after Eric Kennington on p. (40). Original limp white paper wrappers. O'Brien A036.
Together with:
Notice to Subscribers
June 1, 1925. 4to. Single sheet. Printed letter sent to subscribers regarding the delay in printing of the 1926 "Subscriber's Edition" of the "Seven Pillars of Wisdom". O'Brien A037.
Together with:
Specimen Page of the 1922 "Oxford Edition"
No place, no date (privately printed, 1922). 4to (11 x 8 1/2 in.; 27.9 x 21.5cm). Single sheet, printed on recto only, in double column format. Chapter not printed, but text corresponds with chapter LII. Eight copies of the "Oxford Edition" were produced by Lawrence between January-June of 1922, and loaned to various authors for critical comments. Of those eight original copies, six are currently in institutional or private collections, one was used for the 1926 revision and then destroyed, and the final copy was broken up into parts and included with the prospectus for the 1926 "Subscriber's Edition". See note in O'Brien A034. Rare prospectus for T.E. Lawrence's masterpiece autobiography, "Seven Pillars of Wisdom",
In the summer of 1925, exhausted from work and in a state of mental unrest, T.E. Lawrence sent out the above packet of documents to the subscribers of his forthcoming limited release of the "Seven Pillars of Wisdom". Accompanying it was a typed notice explaining the reasons for the delay of publication, "My estimate of the time to produce an adequate edition of my war narrative "The Seven Pillars" has proved wrong; and the sending out of these late proofs of the introductory pages is as pretext for a fresh statement…" Citing unceasing revisions, his distance from London where type was being set, lack of time while being in the army reserves, as well as the financial uncertainty and rising costs of production, Lawrence sought to reassure his subscriber's, while also expressing uncertainty as to when the book would be complete. "Seven Pillars" would go on to be released the following year in a small edition of 200. It was would the only unabridged edition released in his lifetime.