An Ideal Husband (By the Author of Lady Windermere's Fan)

Wilde, Oscar

Published by Leonard Smithers & Co., London, 1899

About this Item

FIRST EDITION. LIMITED EDITION. Being 1 of 1000 unnumbered copies. With "One thousand copies of this edition have been printed" to first blank following title page. There was no author stated on the first printing, with merely "By the Author of Lady Windermere's Fan" printed on title page, as per this copy. Dedication to Frank Harris printed in the front of the book. Printed at the Chiswick Press:- Charles Wittington & Co., Tooks Court, Chancery Lane, London. "An Ideal Husband is an 1895 comedic stage play by Oscar Wilde which revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. In the summer of 1893, Oscar Wilde began writing An Ideal Husband, and he completed it later that winter. He initially sent the completed play to the Garrick Theatre, where the manager rejected it, but it was soon accepted by the Haymarket Theatre. The play gave the Haymarket the success it desperately needed. After opening on 3 January 1895, it continued for 124 performances. In April of that year, Wilde was arrested for 'gross indecency' and his name was publicly removed from the play. On 6 April, the same day as Wilde's arrest, the play moved to the Criterion Theatre where it ran from 13-27 April. The play was published in July 1899 when Wilde was living in France, although Wilde was not listed as the author. This published version differs slightly from the performed play, for Wilde added many passages and cut others. Prominent additions included written stage directions and character descriptions. Together with The Importance of Being Earnest, it is often considered Wilde's dramatic masterpiece. After Earnest, it is his most popularly produced play." Bound in publisher's original lavender cloth, bright gilt lettering to spine (title, publisher & date, with no mention of author), with bright gilt nouveau feather design to both front & rear boards plus spine, edges untrimmed. The binding was designed by wood engraver, lithographer, and painter Charles Shannon, who also designed the binding of Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan, A Woman of No Importance, and The Importance of Being Earnest. Throughout the 1890s, artist and designer Charles Ricketts and his lifelong friend and companion Charles Shannon designed, either singly or together, almost all of Wilde's books. Slight handling wear, mild surface rubbing to boards, top edge & fore-edge cloth partly rubbed/worn through to boards, light toning to endpapers, bookseller's tiny label to rear pastedown, otherwise overall a VERY GOOD nice clean tight solid hardcover copy. Internally clean & unmarked. Pagination complete. 213pp. RARE. Seller Inventory # 001502

Bibliographic Details

Title: An Ideal Husband (By the Author of Lady ...

Publisher: Leonard Smithers & Co., London

Publication Date: 1899

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

Edition: First Edition