HARDY FORUM ARCHIVE H01037 3/31/01 "RETURN OF THE NATIVE EDITION QUESTION" ============================================================================= From: "Robert Goddard" Subject: Return of the Native: Harpers or O, M & Co? Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2001 15:14:26 +0100 Dear fellow Hardyans, I wonder if anyone can help solve what for me is a small mystery. I have a copy of "The Return of the Native", dated 1895, issued under "The Wessex Novels". It's bound in dark green cloth, and contains on the front the distinctive, gold Hardy monogram, now used by the TH Society. To the mystery: the spine carries the "Harpers" name, but inside there is only mention of Osgood, McIlvaine & Co. No mention of Harpers. Is anyone able to shed a little light? With best wishes to you all, Robert (Goddard) Trinity Hall, Cambridge. ========== Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2001 10:57:38 -0800 From: Betty Cortus Subject: Re: Return of the Native: Harpers or O, M & Co? Dear Robert, This might be a longshot, but you might try writing to, or faxing Peter Lennon. He is the owner of Casterbridge books in Chicago, which specializes in Hardy's works among other things. I haven't spoken to him since 1998, so I don't know his current situation. He told me at that time that he was continuing the work of Richard Purdy, cataloging the American publications of Hardy's works, particularly the pirated editions. He was not computerized, and did not have an e-mail address at that time, but his postal address, and telephone numbers were as follows: Mr. Peter Lennon Casterbridge Books 729 S. Dearborn, Suite #601 Chicago, Illinois 60605 Phone: (312) 294-0055 Fax: (312) 360-9177 Betty Cortus hardycor@mailhost2.csusm.edu ========== Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2001 16:39:01 -0500 From: Robert Schweik Subject: Re: Return of the Native: Harpers or O, M & Co? Robert, I'm not where I can place my hands on a copy of Purdy's descriptive bibliography of Hardy's writings, but off the top of my head the situation reflected in that publication you have is this. Hardy's works were published in collected form first by Osgood McIlvane. Then, Osgood was taken over by the American firm of Harper. The Osgood plates were then reissued, but with the Harper binding. Bob Schweik ========== Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2001 14:21:04 -0800 From: Betty Cortus Subject: Re: Return of the Native: Harpers or O, M & Co? I think you are right Bob. Where Purdy describes the Osgood McIlvaine Collected Edion of 1895 (279-282) he adds: "Sheets of the Osgood McIlvaine edition of the Wessex Novels with an altered title page were published in America by Harper & Brothers, except for the copyright volumes they already had in type . . . ." Could this account for Robert's copy? I did check Purdy before my last message but looked only under the year instead of under Collected Editions. Betty Cortus ========== From: "Robert Goddard" Subject: Re: Return of the Native: Harpers or O, M & Co? Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 08:36:21 +0100 Dear Betty and Robert, Thanks very much for your responses to my posting. I think that Robert's suggestion must be "right": the edition I have would appear to be a post-Harper's acquisition of Osgood, copy. Thanks, too, for the pointer to Purdy: something I shall explore further. With best wishes, Robert Trinity Hall, Cambridge. ==========