The Vampire

Boston: Privately Printed, 1898. Pictorial Wrappers. Fine-. Scarce First Boston Edition of this unauthorized pamphlet featuring a poem written by Kipling to garner publicity for a mildly pornographic painting by his cousin Philip Burne-Jones, entitled "The Vampire," which was modeled by the actress Mrs. Patrick Campbell. Foolscap 8vo (146 x 108mm): [8]pp, printed in deep bluish green and scarlet with tipped-in frontispiece reproduction of Burne-Jones's painting and gothic-lettered title page with vignette by E. J. Clark of bats in flight beneath a crescent moon (repeated on each page, recto and verso). Original buff stiff paper wrappers hand sewn with red thread at centerfold, front cover lettered and decorated in types and design of title page. Manuscript ex libris of "George D. Goodrich, Boston," to front cover verso. Wanting the envelope. Short split to bottom of spine fold, else about Fine. Richards E1-23. Livingston 151 & 152. Grolier 232. Written to accompany the "The Vampire," portrait of a femme fatale leaning over her male victim, No. 15 in the catalogue of the New Gallery Summer Exhibition, in 1897, a major show that included works by John Singer Sargent as well as Philip's father, Edward Burne-Jones. Kipling's poem descried the foolishness of a man allowing himself to be destroyed by a heartless woman (Mrs. Campbell broke Philip's heart by dumping him for a leading man and then a series of other lovers). The poem became the inspiration for the 1909 Broadway play, "A Fool There Was," and the 1915 film of the same title, starring Theda Bara as the Vampire (earning her the nickname "the vamp"). Issued the following year in light gray crisscross cloth. Richards speculates the "private printer" was the Cornhill Press. N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).