James Branch Cabell : An Illustrated Bibliography

THE WHITE ROBE: A Saint's Summary

Hall Code
Description
WR-B1 (E)
First English Edition 1928

IMAGES:

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COMPILATION

Full Title:

Title page recto: [all enclosed in a border consisting of columned arch] [lettered in black with initials in red] THE | WHITE ROBE | [in black] A SAINT'S SUMMARY | BY | JAMES BRANCH CABELL | WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY | ROBERT E. LOCHER | [in red italic] "Righteousness shall be the girdle of his | loins, and faithfulness the girdle | of his reins; and the wolf | shall dwell with the | lamb." | [enclosed within lower portion of the arched border, in italic] London: John Lane The Bodley | Head Limited • New York: | Robert M. McBride & Company (see image above).

Title page verso: COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY JAMES BRANCH CABELL | PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (see image above).

Publication:

London: John Lane The Bodley Head Ltd., October, 1928 (Brussel says the actual issue date for the American edition was November 28, 1928. He does not list the English edition).

Collation:

Quarto [30.6 cm. (12 1/16 in.) x 18.4 cm. (7¼ in.)]. All pages are unnumbered and include catchwords on text pages. Pp. (x) + (86). (i) half-title; (ii) limitation; (iii) title page; (iv) publication data; (v) dedication (verso blank); (vii) Contents (verso blank); (ix) list of Illustrations; (x) Note; (1)-(83) text (verso blank); (85) manufacturer's Note (verso blank). Pages (2), (6), (8), (10), (14), (16), (18), (22), (26), (30), (32), (34), (40), (44), (46), (50), (52), (54), (60), (62), (66), (72), (74), and (82) are blank. Pages (1), (9), (17), (25), (33), (39), (45), (53), (61), and (73) are fly-titles.

Binding:

Quarter bound in brown leather over beveled paper boards, which are covered in wood grained paper to simulate a medieval leather and oaken binding, gilt lettering on spine. All edges untrimmed. Spine: [in italic] THE WHITE ROBE [ lettered vertically up the spine] (see image above).

The leather used on this binding is very soft, scuffs and peels easily, and often has not worn well over the years.

Limitation:

Of this volume, The White Robe, | 200 copies have been printed from| type in October, 1928, for sale in| England, and the type has been destroyed | [hand lettered] No 168. (see image above).

Dedication:

[in italic] For |FRANCES NEWMAN | [in italic] — inevitably — this story of dead | lovers that were | faithful (see image above).

Dust jacket / Slipcase:

Issued in a fragile, unmarked glassine tissue dust jacket (not shown).

Slipcase is sturdy cardboard, covered on all sides with oak grained paper (see images above).

Notes:

Limited to 200 copies for sale in England. Each copy was numbered. The sheets are of the American printing, with new title page leaf. This leaf does not appear to be a cancel. Instead, it looks like the first quire was specially printed for the English copies.