The Story of My Life.

London: Hutchinson & Co.. 1908.

Inscribed by Ellen Terry to her daughter's lover Clare Atwood). First edition. Large 8vo. 218x150mm. pp. xv [i], 381 [1]. Illustrated throughout. Cream buckram, with a dark blue stamped border to upper cover and lettered in blue to spine. Corners bumped, small closed tears to head and foot of spine and some soiling to covers. Three leaves (pp119-122 and one illustration) are loose but otherwise in very good condition. Verso of half title states that this is the "extra illustrated edition limited to 1000 copies for sale, of which the first 250 copies are signed copies". Although there is a place for the number to be written, there is no number but this copy was kept back for a special inscription on the title page to "Tony with great love from "Gandy" - Ellen Terry. 1920". Tony was the nickname of Clare Atwood, the painter who lived in a menage a trois with Terry's daughter Edith Craig and the writer Christabel Marshall. Ellen Terry was known by those very closest to her as "Gandy". Atwood painted Terry and they were clearly close as the warm inscription on this lovely association copy attests.
SOLD WITH:
ATWOOD, Clare. Engraving of the front door of Priest House, Smallhythe. n.d.
Etching on paper. 138x128mm. Mounted and framed (310x260mm in the frame). In very good condition. Priest House at Smallhythe was the home of Clare (Tony) Atwood, Edith Craig and Christabel Marshall (Christopher St John). It was an idyllic Tudor house in the grounds of Smallhythe Place where Edith's mother Ellen Terry lived. Atwood's etching captures the secluded, romantic essence of Priest House and the life that the three women lived there.