Heart's Desire. Inscribed by me: Chrysilla von Dansdorf. [With an Introduction by E.D.] Crown 4to, 25cm, pp.43 + 7 plates, Paris: For Private Circulation, n.d. (1939) [Recte: Printed by Vincent Stuart, Brockweir, for Christopher Sandford, London.]
One of 70 copies (a hole has been punched to eradicate the number) printed in maroon and black on good quality laid paper. Title-page engraving, and 7 full-page copper engravings by John Buckland Wright. Quarter maroon calf with gilt spine titling, marbled paper-covered boards (of a sort occasionally used on Golden Cockerel Press books), gilt ruled, gold top. Small stain to upper board, slight wear to extremities. A very good copy.
This most erotic of Buckland Wright's books needs some explanation. Clearly, that Dansdorf is an anagram of Sandford is no coincidence and he may be presumed to be the author. Furthermore, there are clear references within the 'Introduction' both to Sandford's Golden Cockerel 'Golden Bed of Kydno' and his 'Greek Anthology'. The trouble has always lain in identifying the printer of the text. (The quality of the printing of the plates is high and this, when compared with the text, suggests that they at least were done by the artist.) Stylistic oddities imply that this book was not printed to Golden Cockerel Press standards at tthe Chiswick Press (usual for Sandford/GCP productions by 1939) - but elsewhere. From an interesting letter in the David Chambers' collection, dated August 1938, the answer is that it was printed by Vincent stuart, former owner of the Tintern Press - also a printer of Ralph Chubb's engravings. The type is Romanee, Stuart's favourite. Copies were bound in three ways (a) 3 copies in full yellow levant; (b) 37 copies in marbled cloth with gilt leather label; (c) 30 copies in various styles of half vellum. (Reid A30) - The fact that this does not quite conform to any of these, plus the number "punch" - perhaps suggests a retrie copy.
