Baroness Orczy Scarlet Pimpernel books x5 1909 Emperor’s Candlesticks Old man in the corner

Description

Reading copies, x5

1 The Emperor’s Candlesticks book 1910, Greening, – No rips, no tears, no writing, covers are intact with no loose pages, the covers show some water staining.

2 The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel 1922, Hodder & Stoughton, – Original red boards with the black printed imprint of the pimpernel in a peasant costume, no writing, some cover staining, tears at the top and bottom of the spine coverings, first endpaper is loose half way, the binding paper is split but the threads remain intact on the front cover, the back cover is loose half way down.

3 The Scarlet Pimpernel: Popular edition, 21st impression, reading copy, poor condition, 312pp, front cover shows threads but intact, title page is loose from binding, quilled gift inscription on ffep

4 The Elusive Pimpernel: Copp, Clark company Toronto, printed in Great Britain, 288pp, ex library, library stamps date to 1932, repaired interior hinges, reading copy,

5 The Old Man in the Corner, 1909, Greening, First edition, well worn reading copy, spine is separated, some loose pages at the beginning, picture plates are intact but loose from the book.

Baroness Orczy was born 1865 in Hungary and died 1947. As a young bride she helped her husband as an illustrator and co-writer of plays. Her first novel was written following the birth of her only child and was published in 1899 with disappointing results.

In 1903, The Scarlet Pimpernel was first released as a play while her manuscripts for the novel awaited a response from 12 different publishers. At first, the play drew small numbers but it continued to run for 4 years and broke theater records. When the novel was published in 1905, the play’s success bolstered the novel’s sales immensely. The Baroness continued to publish novels, 50+, over a dozen of which were sequels to the Scarlet Pimpernel.