"WHAT IS PORNOGRAPHY TO ONE MAN IS THE LAUGHTER OF GENIUS TO ANOTHER": FIRST EDITION OF LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER, SIGNED BY LAWRENCE

LAWRENCE, D.H. Lady Chatterley's Lover. Florence: Privately Printed, 1928. Octavo, original pictorial mulberry paper boards expertly respined, paper spine label, uncut. Housed in a custom cloth chemise and half morocco slipcase. $8500.

First edition of this controversial and oft-banned novel, number 45 of only 1000 copies signed by Lawrence.

Available by subscription only in this private Florence printing and banned in England and America for obscenity, Lady Chatterley's Lover was Lawrence's most ambitious attempt to present his vision of the mystery and wonder of sex. Lawrence described the book as "beautiful and tender and frail as the naked self," but in England and the United States police and customs officials routinely confiscated and destroyed any copies they could find and prosecuted the booksellers. Lady Chatterley's Lover was not available in the U.S. until Grove Press brought the matter to court in 1959, over 30 years after the publication of the first edition. Without rare original dust jacket. Roberts 42a. Pencil owner signature.

Occasional soiling to interior, very faint soiling to boards. Near-fine condition.