Nineteen Eighty-Four. A Novel. First Edition, First Impression. Navy Morocco Design Binding.

Orwell, George [Eric Arthur Blair]

Edité par Secker & Warburg, London, 1949

A propos de cet article

ORWELL, George [Eric Arthur Blair]. Nineteen Eighty-Four. A Novel. London: Secker & Warburg, 1949.

First edition, first impression.

Octavo. Finely rebound in full navy morocco, with a striking pictorial design executed in red morocco onlays and gilt tooling across both boards: a solitary dark figure stands beneath converging geometric forms, a powerful visual interpretation of surveillance, isolation and control in Orwell's imagined world. Spine with five raised bands, gilt titles and repeated gilt eye devices; hand-sewn silk headbands; navy and cream marbled endpapers.

The first edition, first impression of George Orwell's most influential novel, with ?First published 1949? printed on the copyright page, together with the original production statement recording printing by The Alcuin Press and binding by Key & Whiting Ltd.

Published by Secker & Warburg in 1949, Nineteen Eighty-Four was Orwell's final completed book and remains one of the defining novels of the twentieth century. In the totalitarian state of Oceania, Winston Smith works at the Ministry of Truth, altering the historical record to meet the demands of the Party, while privately attempting to preserve memory, truth and individual freedom against the omnipresent authority of Big Brother.

The novel's cultural influence is reflected in the language it introduced or permanently transformed: Big Brother, Newspeak, doublethink and thoughtcrime remain central terms in discussions of surveillance, political manipulation and authoritarian control.

The present binding responds directly to these themes. Deep navy morocco is dramatically contrasted with vivid red onlays and sharp gilt lines, while the repeated eye motifs to the spine evoke the novel's atmosphere of constant observation. The binding is decorative and interpretative, giving the volume considerable presence as a collector's copy.

Internally, the original 1949 text block is preserved, with light age toning and occasional spotting visible in places. The design binding is in excellent condition, the gilt bright and the morocco clean and richly coloured.

An impressive and highly individual presentation of the first edition, first impression of Orwell's masterpiece, combining the bibliographical importance of the original 1949 printing with a powerful full morocco design binding inspired by the novel's enduring themes.

N° de réf. du vendeur ABE-1742888111050

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Nineteen Eighty-Four. A Novel. First Edition, First Impression. Navy Morocco Design Binding.
• Éditeur: Secker & Warburg, London
• Date de parution: 1949
• Langue: anglais
• Reliure: Hardcover
• Édition: Edition originale
• Impression: 1er tirage
• État de l'article: Fine