Lots 402a - 402d

Lot 402a
Wyndham (John). The Day of the Triffids, 1951 ("second impression before publication"); The Kraken Wakes, 1953; The Chrysalids, 1955; The Seeds
of Time, 1956; The Midwich Cuckoos, 1957; The Outward Urge, 1959; Trouble with Lichen, 1960; Consider Her Ways & Others, 1962; The John Wyndham Omnibus, 1964; Chocky, 1968, all 1st UK eds. (except The Outward Urge and Trouble with Lichen both 2nd imp.), pub. Michael Joseph, together 10 vols., Kraken Wakes with typed poem by Emily Pettifell tipped-in to front free endpaper, and with Sangorski & Sutcliffe binding receipt addressed to J.B. Harris loosely inserted, Chocky and Ominibus with publisher's slip loosely inserted 'with good wishes for Christmas and the New Year from all at 26 Bloomsbury Street', a.e.g., all finely bound in uniform crushed morocco by Sangorski & Sutcliffe (various colours), spines with dotted roll decorated raised bands, compartments gilt panelled with single fillet border, gilt lettered direct in second and third compartments, covers with gilt single fillet border, double fillet on turn-ins, some spines faded and a few minor marks, Omnibus with sl. fading to upper edge of covers, 8vo/large 8vo
John Wyndham's own copies of his works, in fine Sangorski & Sutcliffe bindings commissioned by the author. (10)
Est: £1500-2000 - £2300

402a

Lot 402b
Wyndham (John). The Day of the Triffids, 1st ed., Doubleday, New York, 1951, some markings to endpapers, orig. cloth in d.j., d.j. rubbed and
sl. chipped at edges, with protective cellophane wrapper sellotaped to flaps (sellotape stain to rear pastedown), 8vo, together with a chrome-plated rocket on a circular oak plinth, with a silver plaque on the side of the plinth engraved with the words 'To John Beynon Harris (John Wyndham) from his friends in appreciation of his "The Day of the Triffids." 1952', height 225 mm (9 ins), diameter of base 110 mm (4.25 ins)
John Wyndham's own copy of the first edition of his best-known work. The US edition preceded the UK edition and is more elusive. The rocket echoes the image on the rear panel of the US dustjacket, and is very similar to the International Fantasy Award which was promoted between 1951 and 1957. 'The Day of the Triffids' was nominated for the award in 1952, but Wyndham lost out to fellow-author John Collier. It is probable that this rocket was commissioned by Wyndham's friends as a result of this, as a consolation and to mark the success of 'Triffids'. (63)
Est: £400-600 - £500

402b

402c
Wyndham (John). Blackmoil, An Anticipation, c.1967, original 9ff. typescript, Scott Meredith Literary Agency label mounted to
title-page (title foxed), ink corrections in the author's hand, generally lightly creased, stapled to upper left corner, slim 4to, together with a single-page typed letter from Carv Tefft, Jr., at Scott Meredith to Grace Harris, dated 29th August, 1985: 'We're forced to do some housecleaning, and since you may wish to have this script by the late John Beynon Harris, I'm returning it to you for your safe-keeping.'Blackmoil was a short story commissioned by Esquire magazine and submitted on 12th April 1967. However, it was not published until much later, by the Darkside Press in 2003. (64)
Est: £100-150 - £240


402d
Wyndham (John,). A book of manuscript poems, 1944-1945, a small notebook containing twelve poems by John Wyndham, in his hand, on 15pp., some dated, orig. qtr. cloth, and patterned paper boards, with 'Poëzie' printed in red on upper cover, together with a manuscript poem in Wyndham's hand contained in a heart-shaped silver-plated locket, with a pair of silver-plated foliate earrings and a silver heart and arrow brooch, and a lace handkerchief with a number of typed poems, plus an autograph letter signed from Grace Harris to Michael Soldetov, plus a book of periodical extracts by Wyndham pub. in the US, 1930s/1940s, which the author complied and had bound, plus approx. eighteen family photograhs, a small engagement diary for 1951 belonging to Wyndham, the author's pair of corporal uniform stripes, an address book belonging to Grace Wilson, Wyndham's death certificate and a copy of his will made just before his marriage to Grace, plus a few other ephemeral items related
Between 1940 and 1943 Wyndham was a government official, working in the wartime censorship system. He then went into the army, serving as a corporal cipher operator in the Royal Corps of Signals, and participated in the Normandy landings. Whilst he was away he wrote constantly to Grace and often sent her poems he had composed as well as gifts of jewellery. The notebook contains the poetry he wrote to Grace, some of the poems with details of where they were written, and for what occasion. For example one was written on the occasion of Grace's birthday, and another was written to accompany the lace handkerchief he bought for her. His passion for Grace is evident from the manuscript poem enclosed in the locket: "'Tis nothing but a hard and empty shell, The simulacrum before you wrought so well, To colour, soften, fill it, make it beat.... And to such atrophy must it decline/If 'er my Sweet be not my Valentine. J". The letter from Grace Harris to Michael Soldetov, thanking him for his sympathy on the death of her husband, throws more light on their relationship, as well as giving an interesting insight into Wyndham's writing, saying of the author, "He loved to read the 'old masters' - Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, etc. and tried to write himself, but it was not until after the war... that he had much success. He was very modest about his stories, and was amazed that over three million copies of his books have been sold all over the world. He could never explain how his unusual ideas came to him, but he had a most fresh and original mind and distrusted all that was conventional. He worked very hard, but not regularly and he tore up many attempts before he was satisfied'. (a folder)
Est: £300-500 - £580