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JOYCE, JAMES.
Anna Livia Plurabelle, Part I from “Work In Progress.”
12-inch, 78 rpm shellac record album, white labels printed in green (70mm; 85mm diame-
ters), with “The Orthological Institute, 10 King’s Parade, Cambridge” on both labels and
“Manufactured by The Gramophone Co., Hayes, Middlesex” on Part II only, reference
number in pencil on one side; original brown paper sleeve, edge splits and few small chips
and creases; preserved in custom cloth folding portfolio with matching clamshell box
(Alexander Neubauer bookplate).
FIRST PRESSING OF THIS RECORDING
, produced by C.K. Ogden in Cambridge (later press-
ings were issued by His Master’s Voice; the Argus Book Shop, Chicago; and the Gotham
Book Mart, NewYork). Slocum and Cahoon incorrectly list London as the site where the
recording was made; Sylvia Beach writes: “Mr. Ogden boasted that he had the two biggest
recording machines in the world at his Cambridge studio and told me to send Joyce over
to him for a real recording. And Joyce went over to Cambridge for the recording of Anna
Livia Plurabelle” (Beach, p. 176). A typescript in half-inch letters was prepared to compen-
sate for Joyce’s dwindling sight, but the overhead illumination in the studio proved
inadequate so that Joyce ended up reciting much of the text from memory, prompted by
Ogden, who is audible at moments on the recording. Slocum and Cahoon p. 173.
Cambridge:The Orthological Institute, [1929]
[4,500/6,000]
WITH
-
Typed letter signed, “Yours sincerely, T.S.
Eliot” to “Dear Ogden.” London. June 30,
1930. 4to, one leaf, recto only, on the Criterion
stationery, with autograph emendations in black
ink. Eliot’s request for both his paid copy of the
album and a review copy for an upcoming series of
reviews of Joyce’s work in the Criterion.
Reads in full: “Dear Ogden, Having not come
across you at the Club for some time, I am writing
to claim my copy of the Joyce gramaphone [sic]
record. Can you let me know how it can be sent to
me here, and I will send my cheque forthwith.
Hamish Miles is reviewing our
ANNA LIVIA
PLURABELLE
, together with
SHEM AND SHAUN
,
and
HAVETH CHILDERS EVERYWHERE
, and
Gilbert’s
ULYSSES
in the September Criterion and
he would very much like to review the gramaphone
[sic] record at the same time.Would it be possible,
in consideration of the fact that we are advertising
the record with
ANNA LIVIA
, (which, I may men-
tion, is now in its third impression) to provide a
review copy of the record? Miles has a gramaphone
[sic]. But if you can’t give away a copy, I will lend
him mine when it comes. By the way, I had
intended to send you a complimentary copy of
Gilbert’s book when it was published, and by an
oversight this wasn’t done. If you have not got a
copy I should be delighted to send you one now.
Yours sincerely, [signed] T.S. Eliot.”
AN IMPOR
-
TANT LITERARY ASSOCIATION
.