Oscar Wilde

"Online Bidding Terms and Conditions IMPORTANT These terms and conditions apply to all online bidding at auction sales conducted by or in conjunction with Bonhams (""Online Bidding""). By registering to participate in a Bonhams auction sale (a ""Sale"") via Online Bidding, you expressly agree to these terms and conditions. These Bonhams Online Bidding Terms and Conditions are supplemental, meaning that they shall apply in addition to the general Conditions of Sale and other terms and conditions applicable to bidders and buyers participating in the subject Sale (collectively, the ""Bid Conditions"") and shall be deemed incorporated by reference and made a part of the Bid Conditions for such Sale. The general Bid Conditions are published in the catalog for the Sale (the ""Catalog"") and/or on our web site, among other places. Additional information applicable to the Sale may also be set out in the Catalog, on our web site, and/or in a notice displayed at the Sale venue, and it is your responsibility to review that information. Please be aware that announcements affecting the Sale may also be made orally before and during the Sale without prior notice. In registering to bid at any Sale, you agree to the applicable Bid Conditions. In addition, use of the Bonhams Online Bidding service is at all times subject to the Bonhams Conditions of Web Site Use. References in this document to ""Bonhams"", ""we"" or ""us"" mean Bonhams 1793 Limited, Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers Corporation, or (if different) the other Bonhams Group company that is conducting the relevant Sale and any successors and assigns thereto. References herein to ""you"" and ""your"" mean the person or entity registering to bid or bidding in a Sale via the Online Bidding service. 1. Registration 1. Before you can bid via Online Bidding, you must register to bid online. The registration page can be accessed by clicking here. Please note that you must be registered at least 24 hours prior to the start of any Sale or you may not be able to bid online in that Sale. 2. Once you have registered you should keep your account details strictly confidential and you must not permit any third party to use or access your account on your behalf or otherwise. You will be liable for any and all bids made via your account. 3. You will need to register for each Sale that you wish to bid on. This can be done on the relevant Sale details screen. 2. Online Bidding Process 1. Once you have successfully registered for Online Bidding in a Sale, you will be eligible to bid online at that Sale. 2. During a Sale, you can bid for a lot by clicking the Bid button. Each bid shall be final and binding as soon as you click the Bid button. 3. The current bid will be displayed on your screen during the Sale. In the event of a tie between a bid placed by you online and any other identical bid(s) (including bids made in person at the Sale, telephone bids, absentee bids, and other online bids), it will be at the auctioneer's discretion as to which bid shall be accepted. 4. You acknowledge that you are bidding in a live auction and you agree that each bid submitted as provided in these terms and conditions is irrevocable and cannot be amended or corrected, even if submitted in error and notified to us. You accept full liability for all bids submitted via your Online Bidding account (including the liability to pay in full and on time in accordance with the Bid Conditions for any lot that is the subject of a successful bid submitted from your account). 5. Please note that Bonhams reserves the right to reject a registration to bid online, withdraw its permission for you to use Online Bidding, or terminate an Online Bidding account, for any reason at any time prior to, during or after a Sale. 3. After the Sale 1. To find out if you have been successful in your bidding, you may check the results that are published by Bonhams online after the Sale. 2. You agree to pay for and collect any lot that is the subject of a successful bid submitted by you or from your Online Bidding account, in accordance with the Bid Conditions. 4. Use of the Online Bidding Service and Limitations Of Bonhams' Liability 1. Lots are available for inspection prior to any Sale, and it is for you to satisfy yourself as to each and every aspect of a lot. You are strongly advised to examine in person any lot on which you may bid or have it examined on your behalf before any Sale. 2. If you choose to use the Online Bidding service, you do so entirely at your own risk. Access to and use of Online Bidding is dependent upon, among other things, the availability of the internet and the speed and quality of internet connections, and we therefore encourage bidders to attend Sales in person whenever possible. 3. A currency conversion tool is provided on the Online Bidding screen to enable estimates for lots and the final purchase price to be displayed in certain currencies. The currency conversion tool is provided for your convenience only and is an approximate guide to the equivalent amount in the specified currencies. You are therefore advised to conduct your own research into the applicable exchange rates prior to placing a bid. Please note that the Sale is conducted, and all bids must be made, in the currency of the country in which the Sale is held. All bidding increments will be in that currency only. Payment for any lot that is the subject of a successful bid must also be made in the currency of the Sale and not in any other currency (even if that currency is displayed on the currency conversion tool). We do not accept any responsibility for any errors that may occur as a consequence of reliance upon the currency conversion tool. 4. The content displayed via the Online Bidding service may contain inaccuracies and typographical errors and we do not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the content or that any defects will be corrected. Any reliance on any such content, advice, statement, or other information shall be at your sole risk. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to correct any errors or omissions in any portion of the Online Bidding service and to make any changes to the features, functionality or content of the Online Bidding service at any time. 5. Access to the Online Bidding service is made available as a convenience and on a temporary basis, and we reserve the right to suspend or terminate any aspect or feature of the Online Bidding service (including the Online Bidding service in its entirety) at any time, with or without notice. Without limiting the foregoing, we may suspend access to Online Bidding to carry out scheduled or unscheduled maintenance or for any other reason at any time. 6. WE ACCEPT NO LIABILITY FOR ANY FAILURE OR DELAY IN EXECUTING BIDS OR ANY ERRORS CONTAINED IN BIDS PLACED VIA THE ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE. 7. BONHAMS AND ITS SUPPLIERS PROVIDE THE ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE AND THE BONHAMS WEB SITE ""AS IS"" AND WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OR CONDITION, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, WE ACCEPT NO LIABILITY FOR ANY FAILURES, DELAYS OR ERRORS CAUSED BY INTERRUPTIONS IN THE AVAILABILITY OF THE ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE OR OUR WEB SITE OR ANY ERRORS OR DEFECTS IN THEIR CONTENT OR FUNCTIONALITY, ANY SOFTWARE AND/OR HARDWARE DEFECTS (WHETHER YOURS OR OURS) AND/OR ANY INTERNET CONNECTION PROBLEMS (WHETHER YOURS OR OURS), AND WE DO NOT REPRESENT OR WARRANT THAT THE ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE OR THE WEB SITE WILL BE ERROR-FREE, FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS, OR THAT ANY DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED. 5. Changes to These Terms and Conditions We may from time to time make changes to these terms and conditions. Any changes will be posted on our website and we will endeavor to notify you of the same by means of a notice and link to the revised terms on our web site. Please review these terms and conditions regularly to ensure you are aware of any changes made by us. If you use Online Bidding after changes have been made and posted, you shall be deemed to have agreed to such changes. If you do not agree to such changes, you should not make any subsequent use of the Online Bidding service. 6. Governing Law, etc. These Bonhams Online Bidding Terms and Conditions shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws that govern the general Bid Conditions in respect of the applicable Sale as specified therein, and by the other terms and conditions as are set forth in such Bid Conditions. IMPORTANT These terms and conditions apply to all online bidding at auction sales conducted by or in conjunction with Bonhams (""Online Bidding""). By registering to participate in a Bonhams auction sale (a ""Sale"") via Online Bidding, you expressly agree to these terms and conditions. These Bonhams Online Bidding Terms and Conditions are supplemental, meaning that they shall apply in addition to the general Conditions of Sale and other terms and conditions applicable to bidders and buyers participating in the subject Sale (collectively, the ""Bid Conditions"") and shall be deemed incorporated by reference and made a part of the Bid Conditions for such Sale. The general Bid Conditions are published in the catalog for the Sale (the ""Catalog"") and/or on our web site, among other places. Additional information applicable to the Sale may also be set out in the Catalog, on our web site, and/or in a notice displayed at the Sale venue, and it is your responsibility to review that information. Please be aware that announcements affecting the Sale may also be made orally before and during the Sale without prior notice. In registering to bid at any Sale, you agree to the applicable Bid Conditions. In addition, use of the Bonhams Online Bidding service is at all times subject to the Bonhams Conditions of Web Site Use. References in this document to ""Bonhams"", ""we"" or ""us"" mean Bonhams 1793 Limited, Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers Corporation, or (if different) the other Bonhams Group company that is conducting the relevant Sale and any successors and assigns thereto. References herein to ""you"" and ""your"" mean the person or entity registering to bid or bidding in a Sale via the Online Bidding service. 1. Registration 1. Before you can bid via Online Bidding, you must register to bid online. The registration page can be accessed by clicking here. Please note that you must be registered at least 24 hours prior to the start of any Sale or you may not be able to bid online in that Sale. 2. Once you have registered you should keep your account details strictly confidential and you must not permit any third party to use or access your account on your behalf or otherwise. You will be liable for any and all bids made via your account. 3. You will need to register for each Sale that you wish to bid on. This can be done on the relevant Sale details screen. 2. Online Bidding Process 1. Once you have successfully registered for Online Bidding in a Sale, you will be eligible to bid online at that Sale. 2. During a Sale, you can bid for a lot by clicking the Bid button. Each bid shall be final and binding as soon as you click the Bid button. 3. The current bid will be displayed on your screen during the Sale. In the event of a tie between a bid placed by you online and any other identical bid(s) (including bids made in person at the Sale, telephone bids, absentee bids, and other online bids), it will be at the auctioneer's discretion as to which bid shall be accepted. 4. You acknowledge that you are bidding in a live auction and you agree that each bid submitted as provided in these terms and conditions is irrevocable and cannot be amended or corrected, even if submitted in error and notified to us. You accept full liability for all bids submitted via your Online Bidding account (including the liability to pay in full and on time in accordance with the Bid Conditions for any lot that is the subject of a successful bid submitted from your account). 5. Please note that Bonhams reserves the right to reject a registration to bid online, withdraw its permission for you to use Online Bidding, or terminate an Online Bidding account, for any reason at any time prior to, during or after a Sale. 3. After the Sale 1. To find out if you have been successful in your bidding, you may check the results that are published by Bonhams online after the Sale. 2. You agree to pay for and collect any lot that is the subject of a successful bid submitted by you or from your Online Bidding account, in accordance with the Bid Conditions. 4. Use of the Online Bidding Service and Limitations Of Bonhams' Liability 1. Lots are available for inspection prior to any Sale, and it is for you to satisfy yourself as to each and every aspect of a lot. You are strongly advised to examine in person any lot on which you may bid or have it examined on your behalf before any Sale. 2. If you choose to use the Online Bidding service, you do so entirely at your own risk. Access to and use of Online Bidding is dependent upon, among other things, the availability of the internet and the speed and quality of internet connections, and we therefore encourage bidders to attend Sales in person whenever possible. 3. A currency conversion tool is provided on the Online Bidding screen to enable estimates for lots and the final purchase price to be displayed in certain currencies. The currency conversion tool is provided for your convenience only and is an approximate guide to the equivalent amount in the specified currencies. You are therefore advised to conduct your own research into the applicable exchange rates prior to placing a bid. Please note that the Sale is conducted, and all bids must be made, in the currency of the country in which the Sale is held. All bidding increments will be in that currency only. Payment for any lot that is the subject of a successful bid must also be made in the currency of the Sale and not in any other currency (even if that currency is displayed on the currency conversion tool). We do not accept any responsibility for any errors that may occur as a consequence of reliance upon the currency conversion tool. 4. The content displayed via the Online Bidding service may contain inaccuracies and typographical errors and we do not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the content or that any defects will be corrected. Any reliance on any such content, advice, statement, or other information shall be at your sole risk. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to correct any errors or omissions in any portion of the Online Bidding service and to make any changes to the features, functionality or content of the Online Bidding service at any time. 5. Access to the Online Bidding service is made available as a convenience and on a temporary basis, and we reserve the right to suspend or terminate any aspect or feature of the Online Bidding service (including the Online Bidding service in its entirety) at any time, with or without notice. Without limiting the foregoing, we may suspend access to Online Bidding to carry out scheduled or unscheduled maintenance or for any other reason at any time. 6. WE ACCEPT NO LIABILITY FOR ANY FAILURE OR DELAY IN EXECUTING BIDS OR ANY ERRORS CONTAINED IN BIDS PLACED VIA THE ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE. 7. BONHAMS AND ITS SUPPLIERS PROVIDE THE ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE AND THE BONHAMS WEB SITE ""AS IS"" AND WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OR CONDITION, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, WE ACCEPT NO LIABILITY FOR ANY FAILURES, DELAYS OR ERRORS CAUSED BY INTERRUPTIONS IN THE AVAILABILITY OF THE ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE OR OUR WEB SITE OR ANY ERRORS OR DEFECTS IN THEIR CONTENT OR FUNCTIONALITY, ANY SOFTWARE AND/OR HARDWARE DEFECTS (WHETHER YOURS OR OURS) AND/OR ANY INTERNET CONNECTION PROBLEMS (WHETHER YOURS OR OURS), AND WE DO NOT REPRESENT OR WARRANT THAT THE ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE OR THE WEB SITE WILL BE ERROR-FREE, FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS, OR THAT ANY DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED. 5. Changes to These Terms and Conditions We may from time to time make changes to these terms and conditions. Any changes will be posted on our website and we will endeavor to notify you of the same by means of a notice and link to the revised terms on our web site. Please review these terms and conditions regularly to ensure you are aware of any changes made by us. If you use Online Bidding after changes have been made and posted, you shall be deemed to have agreed to such changes. If you do not agree to such changes, you should not make any subsequent use of the Online Bidding service. 6. Governing Law, etc. These Bonhams Online Bidding Terms and Conditions shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws that govern the general Bid Conditions in respect of the applicable Sale as specified therein, and by the other terms and conditions as are set forth in such Bid Conditions."

Most of the books in this sale bear Jeremy Mason's bookplate. Introduction I was first introduced to Oscar Wilde in 1962 at Marlborough College through a master who played Micheál Mac Liammóir's recording of The Importance of Being Oscar and extracts from the Hesketh Pearson Life of Oscar Wilde which, for all its faults, I still believe to be the best general life of Wilde. I made my first purchase in the year I got married, 1970, acquiring the large paper Picture of Dorian Grey (lot 50) and the Ballad of Reading Gaol inscribed to Edward Strangman (lot 101). Following this were frequent lunchtime visits to Bertram Rota. Dealers were very helpful and kind, letting me pay in instalments. From this period I bought my first letter from Sawyer's; I could not have started with a more interesting one – Wilde to Reggie Turner, mentioning all the key players in his life and the only Turner letter that never made it into the Hyde Collection (lot 107). I have tried to collect only letters with content and which advance the story, and show something of Wilde himself and his conversational skill. The letter to Violet Fane on vegetarianism shows this so well (lot 36). The letter to 'the Sphinx' written after the first night of 'The Importance of Being Earnest' hums with the success and hubris of the moment – and just listen to the champagne corks popping (lot 96). Perhaps my favourites are the unpublished letters to Beatrice Faudel-Phillips which show Wilde's playfulness writing to the young girl in the style of his fairy stories (lots 12-13). The collection in general is meant to reflect all the aspects of Wilde's life, from his childhood (the Prize Book from Portora School, lot 3), to his rise, to the heights of his literary success and celebrity, his fall from grace, and his imprisonment and exile, summed up by the rare photo of his death bed inscribed on the reverse by Robert Ross and the wonderful and evocative invoice for the flowers for Oscar's funeral (lots 115, 116). Among the other photos are an unusual group showing the first performance of 'Lady Windermere's Fan', examples of the Sarony photos of Wilde, and images of other players in the Wilde story (lots 81, 24, 25, 84). Especially interesting is a Cameron studio photo of the young Lord Alfred Douglas signed by him with his age being twenty-three years (lot 80). Along with most of Wilde's first editions, some signed, I have acquired books from his Tite Street library; of special note is his review copy of Sententiae Artis full of his annotations, accompanied by the original review in the Pall Mall Gazette (lot 35). There are some important manuscripts previously in the Prescott Collection, of the 'Ballade de Marguerite' and 'The Grave of Shelley' – others being 'Dies Irae' and a version of 'The Garden' from the Lyric Club album (lots 11, 14, 7, 63). Lastly a sheet of workings for 'The Sphinx' and a discarded paragraph of a letter to the Pall Mall Gazette on artistic integrity (lots 85, 53). Among the most interesting of signed editions is a first edition of Salome inscribed to Stuart Merrill who gave advice on Wilde's French – linked to a letter from Merrill trying to raise a petition for Oscar in gaol (lot 68). As a footnote there is a file of solicitor's papers covering the Wilde family business in Ireland and the sale of Wilde's Bray cottages: a bit stained but some signed by Oscar and Willie (lot 6). There is also a section of foreign editions, especially an unusual group of very limited French editions, and some American editions mainly by Mosher (lots 144, passim, and 132). Along with other Americana is a collection of American trade cards produced to accompany Oscar's lecture tour – and newspapers and magazines reporting his progress (lots 30, 28, 29). I have been able to find quite a lot of interesting ephemera including copies of Punch, Woman's World and theatre programmes (lots 39, 38, passim). I have also enjoyed putting together a group of illustrated editions, not only contemporary but richly-produced 1920s, 30s and even 50s editions, showing how Wilde's works continued to inspire artists right up to the present day. I include my own illustrated editions (lot 156). There is much else, the result of the love and enthusiasm which has gone into the forming of this collection. I hope other collectors will find things to interest them, not only among the highlights, but among the pamphlets and the correspondence – it is the ephemera which gives the collection life. I dedicate this catalogue to my wife Joanna who gamely stood to one side for over fifty years and helped me pursue my lifelong passion for Oscar Wilde and books, spending money which we didn't have, and who pretended not to notice when purchases were hidden under the bed until a propitious moment arose. Her interest continued even when she could no longer see that little tent of blue. Jeremy Mason, January 2026