Rowling, J.K.
The Harry Potter Gift Set, Signed
£5,500
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs
Auction: 30 September 2020 at 11:00 BST
Description
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London: Bloomsbury, 1997. First edition, 4th impression, signed by J.K. Rowling on front endpaper; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Bloomsbury, 1998, First edition, 7th impression, signed by J.K. Rowling on front endpaper, dustwrappers, both combined in the original slipcase, with the telephone number of Bloomsbury written in biro on the verso of the title page of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, with light pencil inscription "98, Darling Fraser, Much Love, Mummy and Daddy" on title of Philosopher's Stone & half-title of Chamber of Secrets, Philosopher's Stone with very small crease and 2mm tear to p.201 and with 27mm. vertical biro mark to margin of p.26, Chamber of Secrets with marginal crease and 1cm. tear to p. 161, extremely light creasing to extreme edge of dustwrappers, slipcase with very slight loss to foot panel (c. 15mm x 45mm.); with a colour photograph of J.K. Rowling loosely inserted, housed in a folding grey cardboard box lettered "Special Book"
Footnote
Note: The gift set was bought in August 1998 by the vendors from Waterstones Bookshop in Richmond upon Thames as a present for their oldest son, Fraser, who turned eight in August 1998. They wrote on the inside title page in light pencil - ’98, Darling Fraser, Much love, Mummy and Daddy". At the same time, Fraser had started a Harry Potter book club with his Tower House school friends and Fraser's mother emailed Bloomsbury to see if JK Rowling would visit to do a reading, something that seemed perfectly reasonable in 1998 before Rowling had become famous. Bloomsbury replied in the negative but sent a publicity photo of the author - included in the lot - as a 'stand in' and hoped it would help and encourage the boys. It is an original photo print dated 28/8/98 on the back and there is a written note on the back of the photo asking for it to be returned to Bloomsbury, something however they failed to do.