Hedda Gabler.: Skuespil i fire akter.

Copenhagen: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag,, 1890. An exceptional copy in the rare jacket First trade edition, cloth issue, of a defining stage work of the period, ushering in one of the theatre's first truly developed neurotic female protagonists almost a decade before Freud's first work of psychoanalysis. This sparkling copy comes from the library of Aagot Juel, a Norwegian philanthropist. Copies are scarce in fine condition, particularly with the original jacket; we can trace only three copies in jackets appearing at auction in the last 20 years. Printing and the Mind of Man considers Ibsen's whole theatrical oeuvre canonical. "Ibsen's influence on the whole course of modern drama may be indicated by the inclusion of his plays in the repertoire of every avant-garde theatre of his day—the Theatre Libre, Paris, 1887, Die Freie Buhne in Berlin, 1887, and The Independent Theatre in London, 1891—and although on every occasion that they were produced audience reaction was largely a mixture of protest and bewilderment, Ibsen's revolutionary technique has now become firmly established" (PMM). Under the illusion that publication was necessary to protect his copyright, Ibsen had 12 copies each of Hedda Gabler, The Master Builder, and John Gabriel Borkman printed in London just prior to their publication by Gyldendal. Hedda Gabler was published on 16 December 1890, issued simultaneously in cloth and wrappers, and premiered on 31 January 1891 at the Königliches Residenz-Theater, Munich. It was the first of Ibsen's plays to be issued in English, German, and French translations almost simultaneously. Provenance: Aagot Juel (1859-1937), with her signature on the front flyleaf and title page. Aagot was the wife of Jens Harald Andreas Alfstad (1851-1936), the editor of the pro-liberal newspaper Drammens Tidende (1882-1890) and an avid art collector. Together, the couple set up a sizeable trust for the people of Drammen, Norway. Ibsen's play, John Gabriel Borkman was performed in Norway for the first time in Drammen, and it was "the only time Ibsen let a provincial theatre be honoured in such a way" (Drammens Tidende). Octavo. Original red cloth, spine lettered in gilt, spine and front cover richly decorated in gilt and black, patterned endpapers, gilt edges, red silk bookmarker. With dust jacket. Slight lean to spine; jacket sharp and unclipped, a few nicks to ends of toned spine, trivial chips at corners, short closed tear to head of rear flap fold: a fine copy in fine jacket. Den Internasjonale Ibsen Bibliografien ("The International Ibsen Bibliography"), accessible online; Norske Førsteudgaver ("Norwegian First editions"), p. 5; Printing and the Mind of Man 375. "Henrik Ibsen og Drammen", Drammens Tidende, 17 January 2006, accessible online.