MACAIRE [in Stone & Kimball's Chap-Books].

Stevenson, Robert Louis and Henley, William Ernest

A Melodramatic Farce in Three Acts. In: [two issues of] The Chap-Book Semi-Monthly. Chicago: Stone and Kimball, June 1 & June 15, 1895. Original cream wrappers printed in red and black..

First Trade Appearance (? -- a London appearance came out the same month). The play "Robert Macaire" had been performed in England since 1835, and before that had been performed in France as early as 1823. Stevenson and Henley adapted it in late 1884, and the true first edition of their adaptation was an 1885 London publication "for private circulation only," that requested copies be returned to Henley.

On May 27, 1895, S&K filed two copies (as required) at the Library of Congress, and in June it appeared serially both in The New Review (London, published by Heinemann and edited by Henley), and in these "Chap Book"s of Stone & Kimball (these publications appear to have been coordinated between the two publishers, as Heinemann's publication refers to the Library of Congress filing). Soon thereafter, Heinemann issued a quick wrappered off-print of their serial pages (by Henley & Stevenson rather than by Stevenson & Henley), while S&K produced a hard-bound book (which probably took longer). A true English trade edition (hard-bound) would not come out until 1897.

These two issues are fine except that one has some slight darkening of the front cover. Not in Beinecke but see 341 (a copyright copy; from this same Chap-Book printing). Item #13646

Price: $200.00