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Although Collectors and Dealers Have Long Recognized the existence of a crux in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Beautiful and Damned (1922), the situation has been confused by the inexact application of bibliography using guesswork in place of analysis. When the copies of the novel are examined closely, the problem resolves itself.[1]
Let us first look at the account as it now stands. Depending upon which catalogue one consults, two states or issues or variants of the first impression are said to exist, presumably resulting from the stop-press addition of the Scribner seal to the copyright page. The so-called second state has two additional leaves at the end of the novel, but these cannot be accounted for by any stop-press theory.
The crucial, overlooked fact is that these two forms of the novel are gathered differently—the one without the seal is in 8's; that with the seal is normally in 16's. Thus we are dealing with a concealed impression. This is supported by the Scribner records, which indicate delivery of two pre-publication impressions. The only way by which the existence of two states of the first impression could be established is the discovery of a copy gathered in 8's, with the seal but without the extra leaves. No such copy has come to my attention,[2] and there is no reason to suppose that one exists.
The priority of either of these pre-publication impressions cannot be established with any real certainty. But from the fact that subsequent impressions retain the seal and the extra leaves and are bound in 16's, it seems likely that the impression in 8's without the seal precedes the impression in 16's with the seal. The only copy available at the Library of Congress has been rebound, but its copyright page is without the seal.
Binding states (that is, variants in the form of the casing) are of almost no bibliographical significance and should never be used to differentiate impressions; however, since collectors have given some attention to the binding variants of The Beautiful and Damned, no harm will be done by discussing them. The second impression includes two binding states, one
- Copyright page: COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY / CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS / [rule] / Published March, 1922 / [rule] / COPYRIGHT. 1921, 1922, BY THE METROPOLITAN PUBLICATIONS, INC. / PRINTED AT / THE SCRIBNER PRESS / New York, U. S. A. Collation: [unsigned: 16 2-298], 230 leaves, pp. [i-x] [1-2] 3-449 [450]. No advertisements. B cloth.
First Impression
- Copyright page: COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY / CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS / [rule] / Printed in the United States of America / [rule] / Published March, 1922 / [rule] / COPYRIGHT, 1921, 1922, BY THE METROPOLITAN PUBLICATIONS, INC. / [Scribner seal].
- Binding State 1 Collation: [unsigned: 18 2-1516], 232 leaves, pp. [i-x] [1-2] 3-449 [450-454]. pp. [451-452] have advertisements for the 12th printing of This Side of Paradise and the 5th printing of Flappers and Philosophers. B cloth.
- Binding State 2, Substate A Same collation; same advertisements. FL cloth.
- Binding State 2, Substate B Collation: [unsigned: 18 216 316 (—15, 16) 4-278], 230 leaves, pp. [i-x] [1-2] 3-449 [450]. Two leaves cancelled after p. 66; this does not affect the pagination. No advertisements. FL cloth.
Second Impression
Although no textual alterations were made in the plates of The Beautiful and Damned, an interesting textual problem was introduced when the novel was republished in 1958. Since the original plates had been destroyed, and since the publisher wanted to avoid the expense of re-setting the novel, the new copies were manufactured by photo-offset. Before the pages of the book were photographed, 78 corrections were made in the text by pasting the printed corrections over the offending lines or by opaquing out some of the hyphens.[6] By strict application of the vocabulary of bibliography, the 1958 photo-offset copies represent only another impression (though a revised one) of the first edition of 1922, for they reproduce the original setting of type.
"Published March, 1922" | "AA 2-58 [MH]" | |
p. 7 | drawing-room | drawing room |
p. 22 | dinner-coat pockets | dinner coat pockets |
p. 24 | opera-cloaks | opera cloaks |
p. 27 | waiting-room | waiting room |
waiting-room | waiting room | |
p. 36 | carroming | caroming |
p. 37 | Divine function | Divine Function |
p. 53 | dressing-gown | dressing gown |
semilegible | semi-legible | |
p. 54 | fetich | fetish |
p. 67 | ticket-desk | ticket desk |
dinner-parties | dinner parties | |
Sunday-night "concerts" | Sunday night "concerts" | |
p. 76 | subway-station | subway station |
p. 83 | motion-picture actress | motion picture actress |
p. 86 | vermuth | vermouth |
p. 92 | tennis-ball | tennis ball |
p. 93 | tennis-ball | tennis ball |
p. 96 | side-show ballyhoo | side show ballyhoo |
dressing-room | dressing room | |
p. 97 | side-how | side show |
p. 124 | maple-syrup | maple syrup |
p. 125 | fox-terrier | fox terrier |
fox-terrier | fox terrier | |
p. 131 | sandwich-man | sandwich man |
p. 132 | geranium-plants | geranium plants |
p. 137 | swimming-pools | swimming pools |
p. 141 | mid-Western | Mid-Western |
p. 144 | table-drawer | table-drawer |
p. 154 | firing-squad | firing squad |
p. 156 | night-clerk | night clerk |
p. 156 | how, | how |
p. 159 | night-clerk | night clerk |
night-clerk | night clerk | |
p. 172 | house-parties | house parties |
swamp-maples | swamp maples |
swamp-maples | swamp maples | |
p. 174 | living-room | living room |
p. 182 | drinking-glass | drinking glass |
p. 185 | dinner-dances | dinner dances |
p. 193 | moving-picture magazines | moving picture magazines |
car-window | car window | |
p. 195 | good night | good-night |
p. 197 | railroad-tickets | railroad tickets |
p. 198 | ticket-office | ticket office |
p. 217 | living-room | living room |
p. 219 | milk-bottles | milk bottles |
milk-bottles | milk bottles | |
milk-bottles | milk bottles | |
p. 240 | cigar-smoke | cigar smoke |
p. 245 | railroad-bridge | railroad bridge |
railroad-bridge | railroad bridge | |
p. 257 | steam-engine | steam engine |
p. 261 | living-room | living room |
p. 263 | post-cards | post cards |
p. 273 | love-song | love song |
p. 280 | wonder-palaces | wonder palaces |
p. 318 | wrong-size shoes | wrong size shoes |
p. 319 | well policed | well-policed |
p. 320 | tent-door | tent door |
p. 323 | wild-rose hedges | wild rose hedges |
p. 336 | less-exacting medical examiner | less exacting medical examiner |
p. 350 | barber-shop | barber shop |
p. 356 | powder-box | powder box |
p. 366 | tea-table | tea table |
p. 376 | wine-table | wine table |
p. 383 | office-building | office building |
p. 387 | fountain-pens | fountain pens |
p. 393 | mail-box | mail box |
p. 395 | living-room | living room |
telephone-receiver | telephone receiver | |
p. 397 | leopard-skin coat | leopard skin coat |
p. 411 | motion-picture palaces | motion picture palaces |
p. 421 | apartment-house | apartment house |
p. 425 | living-room | living room |
p. 431 | loan-offices | loan offices |
p. 437 | green-plush carpet | green plush carpet |
p. 447 | wheel-chair | wheel chair |
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