Ballads and Sonnets (1881), proof Signature M (Delaware Museum, first author's proof, copy 1)

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Production Description

Document Title: Ballads and Sonnets
Author: Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Publisher: F. S. Ellis
Printer: Chiswick Press, C. Whittingham and Co.
City of publication: London
Date of publication: 1881 April 25
Pre-Publication Information: proof
Pagination: [161]-176
Issue: 1
Authorization: DGR
Collation: M 8

Provenance

Current Location: Library, Delaware Art Museum

Physical Description

Point: 10 point; 6 point leading
Font: roman
Lines per Page: 17
Margin top: 2 cm
Margin bottom: 3.8 cm
Margin right: 2 cm
Margin left: 2.5 cm
Dimensions of Document: 19 x 12.8cm (crown octavo)

Scholarly Commentary

Introduction

This is a complete copy (dated 25 April 1881) of the first author's proof of Signature M of the Ballads and Sonnets volume. Notable here is DGR's correction of the running heads, which he marks so that the sonnet titles run on the rectos and the title of the whole sequence on the versos (see page 164). But the proof is even more notable for DGR's note on page 163. This proof came to DGR along with Signature N on 25 April. The note to the printer on page 163 shows that both of these signatures were directed for major redesign, with one sonnet to be printed on each page. In the first proofs for Signatures M and N, the sonnets ran over to the versos so that on Signature M only seven sonnets plus the Introductory sonnet were first printed, and on Signature N only eight sonnets were printed.

Textual History: Revision

In addition to this complete initial author's proof, the library of the Delaware Museum of Art has as well a revise of the first proof that incorporates DGR's corrections. The British Library proofs have another copy of revise proofs for this signature (dated 28 April). This BL proof exhibits the change DGR called for on page 163 of this proof.

Electronic Archive Edition: 1