James Branch Cabell : An Illustrated Bibliography

THE KING WAS IN HIS COUNTING HOUSE: A Comedy of Common Sense

Hall Code
Description
KCH-B2 (E)
Second English Printing 1939

IMAGES

bindingbooksrectoverso

 

 

 

 

 

dedicationdust jacket

 

 

 

 

 

COMPILATION

Full Title:

Title page recto: THE KING WAS IN HIS | COUNTING HOUSE | [in italic] a comedy | of common sense | by | BRANCH CABELL | JOHN LANE THE BODLEY HEAD | LONDON (see image above).

Title page verso: [in italic] First published in May 1939 | Reprinted May 1939 | Made and Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Ltd., Frome and London (see image above).

Publication:

London: John Lane The Bodley Head; 1939.

Collation:

Large duodecimo [19.7 cm. (7¾ in.) x 14 cm. (5½ in.)]; tops trimmed, otherwise untrimmed; (i) half title; (ii) list of books by Mr. Cabell; (iii) title page; (iv) publication data; (v) dedication (verso blank); vii-xi Preface (verso blank); xiii Contents (verso blank); xv-xvi People of the Story; 3-304 text; each of the five parts headed by fly-titles on pp. (1); (47), (125), (199), and (247) (verso of each blank)

Binding:

Purple cloth. Spine in black italic: The King | was in his | Counting | House | [device of a five-pointed star] | The Bodley Head (see image above).

Dedication:

FOR | HAZEL RASCOE | 15 line acrostic poem all in italic (see image above).

Dust jacket:

Illustrated by Gifford (see image above).

Front panel: [background of a pen and ink illustration in black, purple, and white] [in white italic] THE KING WAS IN HIS | COUNTING HOUSE | BRANCH CABELL

Spine: [background of black and purple] [all in white] THE KING | WAS IN HIS | COUNTING | HOUSE | [lettered vertically down the spine] BRANCH CABELL | [lettered horizontally] THE | BODLEY | HEAD

Rear panel: [all on a white ground] [in purple] 4 OPINIONS | [in purple italic] of this book | [in purple] FICTION | [in black] [excerpts from four reviews of the book]

Front flap: [initial "M" in purple, remaining in black] 23 line blurb in two paragraphs | [in purple] SECOND PRINTING | [flush right] 7s 6d net

Rear flap: [in purple italic] by the same author | in black caps, list of 15 titles by Mr. Cabell | [device of a purple 5-pointed star] | THE BODLEY HEAD

Notes:

advertAn advertisement for the second Bodley Head printing of The King was in his Counting House, published in The Sunday Times, May 21, 1939.