Alf's Button - A Collection - Author's copies / Film & Theatrical Adaptations etc

Darlington, W. A. (William Aubrey)

Published by London Herbert Jenkins Limited 1919-1941, 1919

The following is material from the Darlington family, including inscribed copies of the Alf books, theatre programmes and episodes from what would become 'Alf's Carpet' which first appeared in The New Magazine, hand edited by Darlington. But perhaps the most interesting items are the substantial groups of stills from the 1920 silent film, only the last reel of which seems to have survived. Despite a long and illustrious career as a theatre critic, 'Alf's Button' probably remains W. (William) A. (Aubrey) Darlington's greatest success. It first appeared in issues of The Passing Show, was published in book form in 1919, filmed in 1920, adapted for theatre in 1924 and again for film in 1930, the success also inspiring Darlington to write two less successful sequels. The whole is being sold as a collection but there are detailed descriptions in loosely chronological order below. Darlington, W. A. Alf's Button Herbert Jenkins Limited 1919 First edition. Inscribed by Darlington to the front endpaper: "From the author to his revered and respected mother-in-law, Lady Stradling, with much love. May 20th 1919.". William Aubrey Darlington married Marjorie in 1918, whose father was apparently Signey Muntz Sheppard, which according to "online sources" would make Lady Stradling Mary Sheppard (née Lock). Below the inscription is the later ownership stamp of Darlington's son-in-law. The book is bound in the publisher's blue cloth lettered and bordered in darker blue, the cloth is stained and rubbed, the hinges are weak with tears to the cloth and the corners are bumped. The text block itself is reasonably firm but the gutters are cracked, the pages are slightly toned and foxed with minor marks. A well-read family owned first edition of the novel that began Alf's Button's unstoppable popular rise in post-war Britain's collective consciousness. This was partly due to the desire for escapism, but it was also regarded as one of the most accurate depictions of the everyday tedium and horror of trench warfare. This description of No-Man's-Land being a prime example: "It was as though the earth had been some stricken monster, which had stiffened into death in the very midst of the maddened writhings of its last agony. For the most part it was a land without landmarks a land featureless, but torn and tortured, poisoned and pulverised, where the eye could find no certain resting place and the mind no relief.". 43 large stills of the 1920 silent film Alf's Button, 2 signed by Director Cecil Hepworth The stills are approximately 25.5cm by 20cm and were probably produced for promotional or press purposes, looking at one time to have been bound together, with residual signs of this to the left of each as well as a few missing corners. Two of the stills are inscribed to the reverse by the film's director and one of the most important figures of the early British film industry, Cecil Hepworth. In the inscriptions he notes the actors who feature in the image and signs his name below. The stills are all quite uniformly curled at their edges and slightly toned and marked, but in general the images remain sharp. I believe only the final reel of the film still exists, so these and the smaller photos below may well constitute the best surviving record of the adaptation. 35 small photographs from the 1920 silent film, Alf's Button The photographs are approximately 15cm by 10cm, all are a little toned and rubbed with curling at their edges, a few are lightly marked. Seemingly some of the original set of photographs which were blown up for promotional use. These are more sepia-toned than the larger images, with some silvering or mirroring to be seen on the surface of a few. 8 Theatre Programmes for Alf's Button 1924 1939, and 'Alf's Album' The earliest programme is dated 25th August 1924 for a performance at Portsmouth Theatre Royal, which I believe is the first performance of the play or certainly a very early one. There are others from 1925 up to December o. Seller Inventory # 6788

Bibliographic Details

Title: Alf's Button - A Collection - Author's ...
Publisher: London Herbert Jenkins Limited 1919-1941
Publication Date: 1919
Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included
Signed: Signed by Author(s)
Edition: 1st Edition