Colombine. With an original etching and six illustrations by Norman Lindsay

Sydney : Art in Australia, 1920. Quarto, quarter vellum over green cloth, ruled in gilt, title label to spine, pp [x], 52, ten tipped-in black and white plates with captioned tissue guards, internally clean, the original signed etching ‘Colombine’ tipped-in (this is copy number 10). The deluxe edition, limited to only 31 copies, of which 25 were for sale, issued with an original signed etching; a trade edition of 1000 copies in smaller format was also issued.

Norman Lindsay first met Hugh McCrae in Sydney when the artist was eighteen. The two developed a strong friendship through time spent in bohemian artistic and literary circles. Many years later, through a chance encounter in the street, McCrae gave Lindsay some sheets of poetry and Lindsay took them immediately to his publisher George Robertson, suggesting an illustrated edition should be made. At first only a trade edition was to published, but Lindsay convinced Robertson to also produce this deluxe edition, which was accompanied by a fine, large etching; the proceeds of sales were to go to the poet, who was struggling financially. The success of this book, the author’s second volume of poetry, cemented McCrae’s opinion of Lindsay as ‘the most generous man I have met in my life’ (Bloomfield, p. 56). Printed in a small edition of only 31 copies; six of these are held in Australian public collections, and a number have been destroyed because of the value of the original etching. A rare piece of Lindsayana, most uncommon in the market.