Lot 17: [BRONTË, Charlotte (1816-1855), Emily (1818-1848) and Anne (1820-1849)]. Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell . London: Aylott and Jones, 1846.

[BRONTË, Charlotte (1816-1855), Emily (1818-1848) and Anne (1820-1849)]. Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. London: Aylott and Jones, 1846.

8υo (169 x 106 mm). Errata slip at end. (Gatherings G and H sprung.) Original green cloth, covers blocked in blind with geometric design, gilt-lettered on front cover (front hinge weak); morocco pull-off case. Provenance: owner's gift inscription on front free endpaper.

FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE of the Brontë sisters' first published work. IN CARTER'S EXCEEDINGLY SCARCE BINDING A, without lettering on the spine. Wise did not record the existence of binding A, but Carter located the copyright examples at Cambridge, Oxford and Dublin all in binding A; only six further copies of the Aylott & Jones issue are recorded in A. 1000 copies of the first issue were published by Aylott & Jones in 1846, but sales were few. Smith, Elder and Co., hoping to capitalize on the success of Jane Eyre, purchased the unsold stock of 961 copies in September 1848 and re-issued the book with a cancel title-page, retaining the original date (see next lot). Ashley I., p. 70-71; Smith The Brontë Sisters 1.