JOHN INGERFIELD AND OTHER STORIES

First edition, first printing. Wrappers issue. Signed by the author. Illustrated with nine black and white plates by John Gülich. Publisher's original paper covers with blue titles to the spine, titles and illustration to the front, publishers monogram to the rear. Edges uncut. Three pages of publishers advertisements to the rear. A very good copy of this fragile production, the covers toned, rubbed and creased with a short split at the top of the spine and a short closed tear to bottom corner of the upper cover. The contents, with light spotting to the endpapers and a few finger marks to the margins, are otherwise clean throughout.

Inscribed by the author in black ink on the upper cover 'Yours ever / Jerome K. Jerome' with a score through his printed name. A collection of five stories comprising 'In Remembrance of John Ingerfield, and of Anne, His Wife'; 'The Woman of the Saeter'; 'Variety Patter'; 'Silhouettes'; 'The Lease of the "Cross Keys"'. All but the titular story were previously published in The Idler magazine (1892-1893). The first edition, published in December 1893 was issued in cloth at 2/- and (as here) in wrappers at eighteen pence (1/6). Both issues are scarce, the wrappers issue, given the fragility of the binding, notably so.