James Branch Cabell : An Illustrated Bibliography
THE CREAM OF THE JEST: A Comedy of Evasions
Modern Library Printings
Hall Code |
Description |
CoJ-D2 (ML) |
"Second" Modern Library Printing Spring 1927 |
COMPILATION
Full Title:
Title page recto type "G": [All enclosed in a double rule] THE CREAM OF | THE JEST | [rule] | BY | JAMES BRANCH CABELL | [rule] | INTRODUCTION | BY | HAROLD WARD | [rule] | Bernhard Torchbearer device | [rule} | THE MODERN LIBRARY | PUBLISHERS : NEW YORK (see image above).
Title page verso: [in italic] Copyright, 1917, by | JAMES BRANCH CABELL | [double rule] [in italic] Eighth Printing | First Modern Library Edition | 1927 | [in italic] Manufactured in the United | States of America | [in italic] Bound for The Modern Library, Inc., by H. Wolff (see image above).
Publication:
New York, 1927. Catalog at rear, printed contiguously with the text, can be dated to Spring 1927 (includes The Purple Land, by W.H. Hudson, but not Jude the Obscure, by Thomas Hardy) (see image above).
Collation:
Sextodecimo [16.8 cm. (6 5/8-inches) x 10.8 cm. (4 1/4-inches)]. [i] half-title; [ii] advt; [iii] title; [iv] copyright; [v] line drawing; [vi] blank; [vii] dedication; [viii] blank; ix-xii INTRODUCTION; [xiii - xv] Contents; [xvi] blank; [1] The | Cream | of | the Jest; [2] [rule] | BOOK FIRST | [8 line poem] | [rule]; 3-250 text; [251-254] catalog; [255] blank leaf.
Binding:
Toledano Binding Style 4. Flexible leatherette in black and green (also likely in brown and blue). Spine all in gilt: [Double rule] | THE | CREAM | OF THE | JEST | [Rule] | CABELL | MODERN | LIBRARY | [Double rule]. Front in gilt: Bernhard Torchbearer device. (see images above).
Frontispiece:
Line drawing by James Branch Cabell: The Sigil of Scotia (see image above).
Dedication:
TO | LOUISA NELSON | [in italic] "At me ab amore tuo diducet | nulla senectus." (see image above).
Endpapers:
Bernhard design endpapers, as used in Modern Library titles 1925-1929 (see image above).
Dust jacket:
Style DJ-E dust jacket, blue paper with red bands, with style c rear panel. This jacket can be dated to Spring 1927 (includes The Purple Land, by W.H. Hudson, but not Jude the Obscure, by Thomas Hardy) (see image above).
Dust Jacket Outside:
Spine: [inside red band] THE | CREAM | OF THE | JEST | CABELL; [vertically down spine] THE CREAM OF THE JEST | Bernhard Torchbearer device | 126; [red band].
Front Panel: [inside red band] THE CREAM OF THE JEST | JAMES BRANCH CABELL | INTRODUCTION BY HAROLD WARD; Bernhard Torchbearer device | 22 lines text; [inside red band] THE MODERN LIBRARY.
Rear Panel: [inside red band] MODERN LIBRARY BOOKS ARE HAND BOUND | [in italic] THE EDITIONS ARE AUTHENTIC AND COPYRIGHTED | LIMP BINDING • STAINED TOPS • GOLD DECORATIONS; [in italic] Are you pleased with | this MODERN LIBRARY book? | 7 lines text | [enclosed in dashed lines] 7 line Order Form | The Modern Library • inc • new york | [in italic] In Canada • THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA • LTD • [in italic] Toronto; [inside red band] A NEW TITLE THE 25th OF EVERY MONTH.
Front Flap: 95¢ net [arrow device] | ($1 In Canada) | [in italic] On the inside of this jacket | is a list, arranged alphabet- | ically by authors, of all the | titles in THE MODERN LI- | BRARY. It is worthy of your | attention. | [double rule] 23 lines of text.
Rear Flap: 23 lines of text | [double rule] | [in italic] On the inside of this jacket | is a list, arranged alphabet- | ically by authors, of all the | titles in THE MODERN LI- | BRARY. It is worthy of your | attention. | [arrow device].
Dust Jacket Inside:
A COMPLETE LIST OF TITLES IN THE MODERN LIBRARY | [triple rule] | 4 column listing of titles in The Modern Library | [triple rule] | A NEW TITLE IS ADDED ONE THE 25th DAY OF EVERY MONTH (see image above).
Notes:
For an explanation of the terms used on this page that are specific to The Modern Library, see the Cabell in The Modern Library page.
Although this is not the first Modern Library printing, the title page verso still states First Modern Library Edition. A technical argument could be made that this is correct, since this printing was produced from the same plates as the first. However, in collector's parlance, and as is more often than not common for The Modern Library printings, "First Modern Library Edition" is taken as synonomous with "First Modern Library Printing." This anomaly has been noted with other Modern Library titles as well.
