FEDERATION PRESS – BRITISH PULP FICTION AT
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[London] : Federation Press, [1928?]. First edition. A scarce and early Paul Renin title, the first of a series of four, this issue containing two stories – Phillip Baker’s “Her Secret Lover” and Renin’s own “The Madcap of Paris”, described as “a true story of a mad little bohemian in the world’s wickedest city”. Dated from internal evidence – the Federation Press, here giving an address at Gramol House, became Gramol Publications in 1928, but Moritz & Chambers, who advertise on the lower wrapper from 80 York Road, appear not to have been at that address prior to that year.
Crown 8vo (20cm). 32pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers in a design in red and black by Gordon Robinson; worn, dusty and rather creased, with a few minor internal flaws, but a reasonable copy of a fragile production. Just a single copy (Arizona) located in the world’s major libraries.

SOLD

London : Federation Press, (1927). First edition. A great white yacht beneath a tropical moon – young Madeline is shocked by her beast of her husband, Lord Farlingham.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 158,[ii]pp. Original pictorial wrappers in a design by George Peace Micklewright (1893-1951); a wreck of a copy – upper wrapper damaged and detached; spine crudely repaired with brown paper; lower wrapper chipped and dampstained; text tanned and brittle, with tears to several preliminary leaves; edges spotted. A copy without merit save that of being unrecorded – an edition unknown to Holland & Williams in their 1990 Rénin checklist and untraced in any major library worldwide.

£25

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London : Federation Press, [1924]. First edition : with a copyright date of 1924 and issued from the publishers’ pre-1925 Fetter Lane address. “A story of love that came too late to a woman of sin” – a tale also commencing with two contrasting impoverished writers on Fleet Street. With a 3pp authorial preface quoting from Omar Khayyam omitted in later editions.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 152,[viii]pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers; some very minor wear; lower wrapper a little dusty; text a little tanned; a touch of rust to staples, but overall a very good copy of a scarce and fragile production. No copy of this edition and only a single copy (British Library) of any later edition located in major libraries worldwide.

£100

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London : Federation Press, (1926). First edition. Although better known in the Archer Press edition of 1949 with its Reginald Heade cover (almost universally regarded as the first edition), this early Vane – “the most daring exposure ever written of the world’s wickedest city” – has a much longer history. The Federation Press, already here operating from Gramol House, later became the Gramol Press under the direction of Arthur Gray and Frederick Mowl – both of whom later suffered imprisonment in Wormwood Scrubs for transgressing the bounds of pre-war public decency with their racy publications. The lure of Montmartre, among the Apaches, black women and white men, gambling dens, tempting English girlhood, and more.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 160pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – exotic dancer, sophisticated audience; lightly worn at extremities; a little creased; small chip and short tear to lower wrapper; text lightly tanned; small hole to half-title, but a good copy of a scarce and fragile item. Just a single copy of this edition (University of South Carolina) located in major libraries worldwide.

SOLD