A. J. A. Symons: A Bibliomane, his Books, and his Clubs . By Simon C. W. Hewett

A. J. A. Symons was, as Simon C. W. Hewett puts it, ‘bibliophile, bibliographer, bookdealer, calligrapher, serial club founder, gourmet, author, biographer, and expert on Baron Corvo, Oscar Wilde, and Victorian musical boxes’. The range of his interests has made a full bibliographical record a particular challenge.

This well produced catalogue of a Grolier Club exhibition goes some way to repairing this deficiency. Mr Hewett begins with ‘A Summary Biography’ that sets out succinctly most of what can be established about Symons's life. This is followed by what is potentially the most important section: ‘Symons's Published Works: A Preliminary List.’ Even allowing for the cautionary ‘Preliminary’, this list has various problems. The range of omissions is considerable. None of Symons's published letters is mentioned, including his first periodical publication, ‘The Bibliography of Meredith’, a letter in the Times Literary Supplement, 21 June 1923, p. 422. A number of other periodical publications are omitted, as are a number of reviews. For example, members of the Grolier Club might well have some interest in his article on the ‘Pleasures of Collecting’, in The Listener, 9 October 1935, p. 606. Since Hewett specifically mentions Symons's interest in Victorian musical boxes, it is a pity that his article on the subject in the same journal (10 August 1939, p.289) is not included. Among his omitted reviews are those of The Origins of Pickwick by Walter Dexter and J. W. T. Ley in the Fortnightly Review, 139 (1936), 625‐26; Desmond Flower and A. N. L. Munby's English Poetical Autographs in Twentieth Century Verse, 14 (December 1938), 139‐40; and of Nicolete Gray, Nineteenth‐ Century Ornamented Types and Title Pages in the Times Literary Supplement, i October 1938, p.632 (this last unsigned). Throughout page numbers, and in some instances dates, are not given for periodical publications or contributions to books.

There are other, strangely unsystematic omissions from publications in which Symons had more extensive involvement. For example, Symons's contributions to the periodical Wine and Food begin here with no. 14 (1938). But Symons had also contributed to numbers 1‐6, 12‐13; his contributions to numbers 15‐18, 20‐21 are also not noted. Similarly, while various of his contributions to Book‐Collector's Quarterly are recorded, in numbers I, III, V, VIII, XIII, XV, his signed contributions to numbers VI, XI, XII, XVI, XVII are not. A significant number of Symons's other publications have been overlooked. One article, on Edward Bawden in Art and Industry (April 1937) is included, but not another in the same year: ‘How the Jacket Sells the Book’ (June 1937), 213‐15, nor one in an earlier incarnation of the journal: ‘Mark of the Best’, Commercial Art and Industry, 19 (July‐December 1935), 215‐30.

There are a number of inaccuracies: the title, Emin, the Governor of Equatoria (1928) is recurrently rendered as ‘Equitoria’ (see, e.g., pp.34, 83). Under ‘1925’ (p. 33) is recorded a work titled A Bibliography of the First Editions Proof Copies and Manuscripts of Books by Lord Byron with a preface by Symons. In fact, this

is correctly titled Bibliographical Catalogue and has not a preface but only ‘Acknowledgements’ and a ‘Prefatory Note’ both signed by Symons. Symons's Bibliography of the First Editions of Books by William Butler Yeats (1924) is also said to have a preface by him but actually has only ‘Acknowledgements’. An article ‘The Nineteenth Century Forgeries’ in Book Collectors’ Quarterly, number XV is correctly recorded on p.37, but appears again on p.86 as ‘The Nineteenth Century Forgers’ and assigned to number XVI. ‘Nancy Quennel’ (no. 82, p.86) should be ‘Nancy Quennell’.

Some items that contain contributions by Symons do not appear in the ‘Preliminary List’ of Symons's writings, but are noted in the ‘Checklist of the Exhibition’ that concludes this catalogue—for example, the annual accounts, Fifty Books of the Year, to which he wrote Introductions that appeared between 1928 and 1938 (possibly not annually), some of which are only noted here (numbers 40‐43, 45, pp.74‐76).

Such instances of incompleteness, inaccuracy, and confusion do not exhaust the problems of this ‘Preliminary List’, but they clearly compound the difficulties that exist in attempting to gain control of Symons's bibliography. There are considerable challenges in rooting out his contributions to various publications, not least those of The First Edition Club which he created and ran throughout its rackety existence. A helpful list of its publications is included here (pp. 42‐46) and of its exhibitions (pp. 47‐52). But the former does not include, for example, A Catalogue of Recent French Books Exhibited by The First Edition Club (1930), which has a ‘Prefatory Note’ by Symons.

It is not possible to know how much guidance the Grolier Club gave Mr Hewett in the preparation of this catalogue, but it is evident that a little more would have helped. His enthusiasm for his subject is clear and there is much potentially useful material here, but further editorial oversight would have done more justice to this complicated subject.