Oscar Wilde

Hard-to-find, signed and numbered copy of the 1932 hardcover book, My Friendship With Oscar Wilde: Being the Autobiography of Lord Alfred Douglas. Signed by the author, Lord Alfred Douglas, the poet and intimate companion of the great Irish playwright Oscar Wilde. Limited to an edition of just 1,000, of which only 100 were signed by Douglas (this being #58), this is the first American edition of his 1929 Autobiography, published in London.

Cover has some tears to the marbling, with uniform rubbing on both front and back covers. Strong spine and binding with shelf wear at bottom and rubbing at corners, otherwise in very good condition with clean, bright pages throughout. 307 pg, hardcover. Published in 1932 by Coventry House, NY. Facsimilie signature by Douglas on frontispiece photo of author. Signed on page preceding Title Page. In addition to frontispiece, there are illustrations of Douglas at 8 years, and of his mother at 20 years. No marks on the interior of the book. Rare.

LORD ALFRED BRUCE DOUGLAS (1870-1945), was a British writer who first came to prominence in the 1890s as the young intimate companion of Oscar Wilde. After Douglas’ father, the 9th Marquess of Queensbury, publicly accused Wilde of sodomy, Wilde filed the libel lawsuit that led to his own conviction and two-year prison term for indulging in “the love that dare not speak its name.”

During the later part of 1897, Wilde and Douglas lived together near Naples, but for financial and other reasons, they separated. Wilde lived the remainder of his life primarily in Paris, and Douglas returned to England in late 1898. Douglas published several volumes of poetry, two books about his relationship with Wilde, and an autobiography.

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