Joyce (James) Dubliners, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author, 1914.
Joyce (James) Dubliners, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author "To Beatrice Randegger - James Joyce. Trieste, 19 June 1914" to front free endpaper, original cloth, lettered in gilt, spine a little dulled, minor bumping to spine ends and corners, small bump to foot of upper cover, but an unusually crisp, excellent copy overall, [Slocum and Cahoon A8], 8vo, Grant Richards Ltd., 1914.
⁂ An inscribed copy of one of the greatest short story collections in the English language. We can trace only 3 other inscribed copies at auction in the last 70 years, and only 1 other with a contemporary inscription (inscribed to Robert Prezioso, also on 19th June 1914, sold Sotheby's 2012 for £105,000).
The publication of Dubliners was a tortured process. Joyce sent Dubliners to Grant Richards in November 1905 but the printing ran into trouble almost immediately when the printer objected to passages in certain stories and Richards informed Joyce that changes would have to be made. This led to protracted wrangling between the pair, with neither Richards backing down in his requests for changes, nor Joyce in his intransigence. In September 1906 Richards communicated to Joyce that he could not accept the collection and, after briefly considering beginning legal proceedings against the publisher, Joyce was forced to begin another search for a publisher. He finally found a willing publisher in John Falconer who published an edition of 1,000 copies in July 1910. Once again however the delicate sensitivities of a printer were to intervene and the entire edition, with the exception of the proofs that Joyce had retained, was burned. Joyce began, yet again, a search for a publisher and, in January 1914, wrote again to Richards asking him to reconsider and offering the Falconer proofs to save money in setting up the type. On 29th January, Richards agreed to publish. The terms were poor for Joyce - he had to undertake the sale of 120 copies himself (which more than likely included this copy), would receive no royalties for the first 500 copies and Richards had first refusal of all work by Joyce for the next 5 years, nevertheless the writer willingly accepted. On 15th June 1914, Dubliners was finally published in an edition of 1,250 copies.
The recipient of this copy was Beatrice Randegger neè Richetti, daughter of Ettore Richetti, a prominent lawyer, financier, industrialist and politician, who was President of the Jewish Community in Trieste, President of the Trieste and Istria Bar Association from 1903 to 1915, Deputy Mayor of Trieste from 1909 to 1915, Member of the board of of Generali Assicurazioni from 1896 to 1915, and Director in 1915. Her uncle Edondo Richetti was President of the Treste Jewish Community after his brother Ettore, was also Secretary of Generali Assicurazioni for almost twenty years), and President of the Trieste Chamber of Commerce. Edmondo Richetti was also one of the few commoners who was made Baron Richetti of Terralba by the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph.
Joyce had arrived in Trieste in 1904, in pursuit of an allegedly vacant post at the Berlitz school, only to discover on arrival that the post was no longer available. In order to provide for himself and his family Joyce set about seeking lines of credit in the new city as well as taking on private pupils, one of whom most likely was Beatrice Richetti. Joyce's life would occasionally intersect with that of Ettore Richetti (he rented an apartment adjoining property owned by him and taught at the Revoltella school at which Richetti was guardian), a reflection both of the modest size of Trieste at the time and of Joyce's links with the wealthy Jewish community there. It seems likely therefore that the Richetti surname would have held some significance for him; of a greater significance still would have been Richetti's married name.
Richetti married Henry Victor Randegger in 1914. The Randeggers were prominent in Trieste but of greater significance was Richetti's new uncle Alberto Randegger (1832-1911), the renowned composer, conductor and singing teacher who had spent almost all of his professional life in England. Reviews and other music-related news from the period are peppered with Alberto Randegger's name, and Joyce even cited Randegger in a letter to his brother Stanislaus in May 1907 as a signifier of Trieste's musical heritage. In his long and varied career, Randegger had been professionally associated with an array of people who would become part of Joyce's fictional world including Barton McGucken (an inspiration for Bartell D'Arcy in The Dead), William Ludwig (who would appear in the Eumeaus section of Ulysses) and Marie Du Bédat (whose name would form part of the intricate wordplay of Finnegans Wake). It seems more than likely therefore that Joyce would have noted and enjoyed the coincidences thrown up by his pupil's new name when he inscribed his newly published work to her.
Provenance: By descent in the family.
View it on
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
Joyce (James) Dubliners, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author "To Beatrice Randegger - James Joyce. Trieste, 19 June 1914" to front free endpaper, original cloth, lettered in gilt, spine a little dulled, minor bumping to spine ends and corners, small bump to foot of upper cover, but an unusually crisp, excellent copy overall, [Slocum and Cahoon A8], 8vo, Grant Richards Ltd., 1914.
⁂ An inscribed copy of one of the greatest short story collections in the English language. We can trace only 3 other inscribed copies at auction in the last 70 years, and only 1 other with a contemporary inscription (inscribed to Robert Prezioso, also on 19th June 1914, sold Sotheby's 2012 for £105,000).
The publication of Dubliners was a tortured process. Joyce sent Dubliners to Grant Richards in November 1905 but the printing ran into trouble almost immediately when the printer objected to passages in certain stories and Richards informed Joyce that changes would have to be made. This led to protracted wrangling between the pair, with neither Richards backing down in his requests for changes, nor Joyce in his intransigence. In September 1906 Richards communicated to Joyce that he could not accept the collection and, after briefly considering beginning legal proceedings against the publisher, Joyce was forced to begin another search for a publisher. He finally found a willing publisher in John Falconer who published an edition of 1,000 copies in July 1910. Once again however the delicate sensitivities of a printer were to intervene and the entire edition, with the exception of the proofs that Joyce had retained, was burned. Joyce began, yet again, a search for a publisher and, in January 1914, wrote again to Richards asking him to reconsider and offering the Falconer proofs to save money in setting up the type. On 29th January, Richards agreed to publish. The terms were poor for Joyce - he had to undertake the sale of 120 copies himself (which more than likely included this copy), would receive no royalties for the first 500 copies and Richards had first refusal of all work by Joyce for the next 5 years, nevertheless the writer willingly accepted. On 15th June 1914, Dubliners was finally published in an edition of 1,250 copies.
The recipient of this copy was Beatrice Randegger neè Richetti, daughter of Ettore Richetti, a prominent lawyer, financier, industrialist and politician, who was President of the Jewish Community in Trieste, President of the Trieste and Istria Bar Association from 1903 to 1915, Deputy Mayor of Trieste from 1909 to 1915, Member of the board of of Generali Assicurazioni from 1896 to 1915, and Director in 1915. Her uncle Edondo Richetti was President of the Treste Jewish Community after his brother Ettore, was also Secretary of Generali Assicurazioni for almost twenty years), and President of the Trieste Chamber of Commerce. Edmondo Richetti was also one of the few commoners who was made Baron Richetti of Terralba by the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph.
Joyce had arrived in Trieste in 1904, in pursuit of an allegedly vacant post at the Berlitz school, only to discover on arrival that the post was no longer available. In order to provide for himself and his family Joyce set about seeking lines of credit in the new city as well as taking on private pupils, one of whom most likely was Beatrice Richetti. Joyce's life would occasionally intersect with that of Ettore Richetti (he rented an apartment adjoining property owned by him and taught at the Revoltella school at which Richetti was guardian), a reflection both of the modest size of Trieste at the time and of Joyce's links with the wealthy Jewish community there. It seems likely therefore that the Richetti surname would have held some significance for him; of a greater significance still would have been Richetti's married name.
Richetti married Henry Victor Randegger in 1914. The Randeggers were prominent in Trieste but of greater significance was Richetti's new uncle Alberto Randegger (1832-1911), the renowned composer, conductor and singing teacher who had spent almost all of his professional life in England. Reviews and other music-related news from the period are peppered with Alberto Randegger's name, and Joyce even cited Randegger in a letter to his brother Stanislaus in May 1907 as a signifier of Trieste's musical heritage. In his long and varied career, Randegger had been professionally associated with an array of people who would become part of Joyce's fictional world including Barton McGucken (an inspiration for Bartell D'Arcy in The Dead), William Ludwig (who would appear in the Eumeaus section of Ulysses) and Marie Du Bédat (whose name would form part of the intricate wordplay of Finnegans Wake). It seems more than likely therefore that Joyce would have noted and enjoyed the coincidences thrown up by his pupil's new name when he inscribed his newly published work to her.
Provenance: By descent in the family.
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
