THE DOVER PATROL. A Tribute

1922. Canterbury: Printed for private circulation by H.J. Goulden, 1922. Original pale turquoise printed wrappers.

First Edition, second and usual printing. This was Conrad's tribute to the Dover Patrol, which during World War I had provided safe passage to the Continent for British troops, and generally protected Channel traffic. As with the companion volume issued by Goulden, JOHN GALSWORTHY, there were two distinct printings of this piece. The first printing, which is believed to have consisted of only 75 copies, has no title page and is stapled (and is printed on Chatham Mills watermarked paper). Conrad objected to the copies originally run off because there was no title page except the outside printed wrapper. So, to please the author, a title page and fore-title were added, the type re-imposed for gathering in quires of ten leaves, and a new printing made [sewn not stapled]... Copies from the second printing of both pamphlets are much more common than copies from the first printings [Cagle]. This is a very good-plus copy, with minor edgewear, a vertical crease (perhaps from original mailing?), and the inevitable fading of the pale turquoise wrappers; the leaves are still unopened. Supino B1.27.1; Cagle A56b.