It’s no secret that I’m a huge Oscar Wilde fan and I usually
go out of my way to pick up interesting copies of his work. As you can
imagine, I own a lot of different versions of his books. Last week, though, was
the first time I’ve ever picked up a duplicate book – Oscar Wilde’s Salome:
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U9IFMRqsHCs/U-manD8i2eI/AAAAAAAAEJc/IAjGpHW8h9Q/s1600/Copy+of+slipcase+2.jpg) |
Black on black with a wax paper dustjacket. |
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wcpjeDuWBiI/U-maqfmS7BI/AAAAAAAAEJk/pWfPF6_ZGk8/s1600/Copy+of+slipcase+1.jpg) |
Giddy with excitement when I saw it. |
Years and years ago when I was first getting into book
collecting I came across a copy of this and fell in love with it. Published in
1945 by the Heritage Press, it was a thin slipcased black book that opened into
vivid gold and orange. When I saw a copy at the Monkey’s Paw with the original
wax paper wrapping, I picked it up in a heartbeat.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jzaWfF5jxkk/U-mawIjcsuI/AAAAAAAAEJs/s6TCAmY_w5Y/s1600/Copy+of+title.jpg) |
Actually more impressive in person. |
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HYuDo-5-Ap8/U-ma1hZ5e3I/AAAAAAAAEJ0/jhOq1v0XCX4/s1600/Copy+of+title+close.jpg) |
Spoiler alert - he loses his head. |
Translated by Lord Alfred Douglas, the 51 pages are a quick retelling
of the Salome and Herod story in play form. The illustrations are stated to be
decorated and hand-illuminated by Valenti Angelo, which pretty much just means
someone re-inked the lines and added highlights in gold ink to make the images
pop. Gorgeous? Yes. Done by one guy? Probably not.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t9s4TotMAsk/U-ma5ks74nI/AAAAAAAAEJ8/Vr72FYNuzSA/s1600/Copy+of+int+1.jpg) |
Most likely had a team of street urchins painting the shiny bits. |
What’s more intriguing is that the pages are printed on a
broadsheet then folded into the book instead of being cut. This leaves an
interesting double paged feel to the pages, adding the decadence of the book.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pAVCUHBeIJ8/U-mbD_dKzGI/AAAAAAAAEKE/o3YGx9uOnfQ/s1600/folio+pages.JPG) |
A great place to leave notes. |
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OaZxUw0VlH4/U-mbKDNJ0-I/AAAAAAAAEKM/roRmJwhpMaM/s1600/Copy+of+int+2.jpg) |
The infamous beheading scene. |
Also of note is that this particular copy bears an an
ex-libris plate of being from the library of William Albin Herold.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SkwM2k1hRxI/U-mbO2OXFzI/AAAAAAAAEKU/gMUOV8yggSQ/s1600/Copy+of+ex+libris.jpg) |
I should really get one of these done up. |
Could not
find any information on this gentleman outside of an obituary in Toronto, but
he must have been an interesting man to his own bookplate done up.
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