Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
WILLIAMS, William Carlos. THE TEMPERS. Elkin Mathews, London, 1913.
Price: US$937.50 + shipping
Description: Original cream boards, gilt-lettered on front cover and spine (3-3/4" x 5"). Williams's second volume of poetry, and the first by a commercial publisher, after POEMS, published privately in 1909 in a very small limitation. Pencil signature on the front endpaper and a few pencil marks in text by Wright S[altus] Ludington, noted art collector and a founding member of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Some soiling and wear with slight loss of paper on spine. Very Good, lacking the uncommon glassine dustwrapper
Seller: Charles Agvent, est. 1987, ABAA, ILAB, Fleetwood, PA, U.S.A.
Williams, William Carlos. The Tempers. Elkin Mathews, London, 1913.
Price: US$4500.00 + shipping
Description: 16mo, [32]pp; original boards, stamped in gilt. The poet's second book, one of "probably 1000 copies printed" (Wallace A2). This copy signed in full by Williams in blue ink on the first leaf - an early signature with fountain pen. A scarce and delicate book. Light abrasions to front panel; spine a bit rubbed, no wear, without the glassine wrapper.
Seller: Locus Solus Rare Books (ABAA, ILAB), Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
William Carlos Williams. The Tempers. Elkin Mathews, London, 1913.
Price: US$5500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: 1st Edition. Hardcover. Original cream paper-covered boards, with original glassine wrapper that is virtually fine aside from a slight bump at rear top. Wallace A2. Inscribed on front free end paper to a patient May 7/50, after a heart attack but before a series of strokes. Housed in a 1/4 leather blue linen custom clamshell box.
Seller: Lyons Fine Books, Neenah, WI, U.S.A.
Williams, William Carlos. The Tempers. Elkin Mathews, London, 1913.
Price: US$5875.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: 32 pages. First edition of his first regularly published book. Preceded only by the privately published "Poems" in 1909. Ezra Pound arraigned for this title's publication. Signed by Williams on the first sheet in his post-stroke hand. Fine book in a fine original glassine wrapper. Housed in a beautiful custom made black quarter leather slipcase. A beautiful copy!
Seller: Fireproof Books, MINNETONKA, MN, U.S.A.