Lot 262
Rowling, J.K.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - [one of 500 first edition, first impression hardcovers]
£45,201
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs
Auction: 19 June 2024 from 10:00 BST
Description
London: Bloomsbury, 1997. First edition, first impression hardback with the number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, ‘Philosopher’s' miss-spelled ‘Philospher's’ on the lower cover and ‘1 wand’ listed twice on page 53, original pictorial laminated boards [Errington A1(a)].
An excellent copy of the work. A very bright and very well-maintained book with a tight text block which sits neatly and smartly on the shelf. No foxing, ink ownership inscriptions or turned-down corners. Any small condition issues are limited to some minor bumping to corners of covers and spine ends, with some slight bubbling and peeling to the laminate in a few discreet places; no fading to spine; some evidence of previous ownership on the front-free endpaper and the title-page removed via professional and sensitive restoration, achieved before the current owner acquired the book from Adrian Harrington’s Kensington Church Street shop over two decades ago. A neatly erased pencil inscription to front-free endpaper; a small red ink dot to upper edge; the usual light toning to margins which is found in almost every copy of the book; a very minor crease to the corner of pp.27-28 visible only in bright light; an additional later dust-jacket is provided for protection, which has contributed to the preservation of the volume. A vivid and lightly handled example with no marking to the text.
Provenance
Private American collection
Footnote
Few books have inspired the imaginations of a generation of children and adults like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. The boy wizard first appeared on bookshelves in 1997 and, nearly 30 years later, the fantasy of boarding the Hogwarts Express bound for magical adventures has not diminished. Alongside seven books and a host of offshoots, such as The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the franchise has expanded to encompass eight Harry Potter films, three Fantastic Beasts films, a sell-out stage play, three theme parks and a studio tour. As of 2016, the franchise as a whole was estimated to be worth $25 billion.
Here we present a first edition, first impression copy of the first book in the series: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. This is indicated by a number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the publisher’s imprint page, the publisher being listed as Bloomsbury, the error of ‘1 wand’ being listed twice in Harry’s school equipment list and ‘Philosopher’ being misspelt ‘Philospher’ on the lower cover. It is an exceptionally rare book to find in any condition, and one in the present quite collectable condition could well be called the jewel in any Harry Potter collector’s crown.
During the summer of 1990, J.K. Rowling caught a train from Manchester to London and the methodical rattling of the carriage alongside some time to think worked their magic: Rowling formed the idea of Harry Potter there and then! She wrote the book in her spare time, famously: “…in snatched hours, in clattering cafes or in the dead of night.” Much of this writing took place in Edinburgh, which boasts sites reminiscent of the later books in the series, such as the gravestone of Thomas Riddell Esq. in Greyfriars Kirkyard, thought by many to be the inspiration behind the true name of the series’ antagonist, Lord Voldemort (or Tom Riddle). It is therefore fitting that this early and important piece of Harry Potter history will be sold in Edinburgh.
There are many legends surrounding Harry Potter’s road to publication. For example, urban myth states that the manuscript had been rejected many times before Bloomsbury offered an advance to Rowling of £1500. However, by all accounts, when Bloomsbury did finally secure the manuscript, there was great excitement about the book’s potential. However, the publisher still proceeded with caution and issued only 500 copies of the first edition, first impression in hardback. Around 300 copies are said to have gone to libraries, were much read and are often found to be fairly tired if they have survived at all. A further 200 copies were retailed. Taking these numbers into account, it is evident that finding one of these books in good condition is rather unusual!
The success of Harry Potter has been outstanding. The bibliographer, Philip W. Errington, writes: “Never before did a series start with 500 copies in hardback and conclude with a matching edition of over eight million copies.” The book for sale here represents the beginning of this incredible success story, offering somebody the opportunity to own one of the few original copies of the book that started it all.
