Wednesday, August 13, 2014

159. A Flow Chart of the Reprint of The Picture of Dorian Gray

Last week's blog, The Puzzling Reprint of The Picture of Dorian Grayand its perhaps confusing chronology, asks for a sort of flow chart of events. Below one finds the information on the publication of The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1891 and the reprint of 1895, along with some biographical dates from Wilde's life, and the sources for assumptions or facts. Assumptions that could not be corroborated are given in red.


Date
Oscar Wilde
Published evidence


April 1891

The Picture of Dorian Gray
Published April 1891 (Ward, Lock & Co)
Deluxe edition: July 1891

Mason, Art & Morality (1912), p. 282
Mason, Bibliography (1914), p. 343
Mentioned as published in The Publishers’ Circular, 18 April 1891
July 1891
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Deluxe edition published: July 1891

Mason, Art & Morality (1912), p. 282
Mason, Bibliography (1914), p. 345 [British Library copy dated 4 July 1891]
October 1894
New PDG edition published

Mentioned in a letter to Walter Ledger (1904)
End of 1894

New edition PDG in preparation
Mason, Art & Morality (1912), p. 282
The PC did not mention a reprint of PDG in the notes on 'Books reduced in price', or 'New editions'; there was no announcement of it by Ward, Lock, Bowden & Co.
March 1895

New edition is ready
Mason, Art & Morality (1912), p. 283
Mason, Bibliography, p. 347.
5 April 1895
Wilde is arrested

27 April 1895
Edward Baker, Birmingham, advertises his wish to buy copies of Wilde’s books, incl. PDG
Publishers’ Circular, 27 April 1895, advertisement by Edward Baker (‘Books wanted to purchase’): ‘Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray. Any edit[ion]
------ ------- The Happy Prince
------ ------- The Sphinx
------ ------- Any books by’.
25 May 1895

Wilde is sentenced to prison

14 September 1895
Edward Baker wants to buy 'Wilde's Chameleon'.
The Publishers' Circular, 14 September 1895: Edward Baker published a list of books he wanted to buy, including 'Wilde's Chameleon'.
12 October 1895

New edition of PDG published
The Publishers' Circular, 12 October 1895: announcement as published: ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray. Cr.8vo. p.334, 6s.net. Ward & L.'

English Catalogue (1896):
October 1895
Mason, Art & Morality (1912), p. 282.
12 and 19 October 1895
Copies of PDG offered for sale by Edward Baker

The Publishers' Circular, 12 October 1895: advertisement by Edward Baker, offering for sale: 'Oscar Wilde's "Dorian Gray." […] The book which was much talked about in the trial Wilde v. Queensberry. Suppressed by the publishers. Few remaining copies, 6s. each; 10 copies, 5s. each; 25 copies, 4s.6d. each.'

Also published: 19 October 1895

26 October – 28 December 1895



Copies offered for sale by
Edward Baker (incl. large paper copies of first ed.)

Adv. Republished: 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 November, 7, 14, 21 and 28 December 1895.


The Publishers’ Circular, 26 October 1895

Also published: 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 November, 7, 14, 21 and 28 December 1895.

9 November 1895

Edward Baker wants to buy copies of 'Wilde's (Oscar) Poems. 1892'.
The Publishers’ Circular, 9 November 1895 ('Books wanted to purchase')
September 1896


New edition of PDG remaindered, after Bowden retired from Ward, Lock, Bowden & Co.

Mason, Bibliography, p. 347
Mason, Art & Morality (1912), p. 283