Full title: Nineteen Eighty-four, The Facsimile of the Extant Manuscript. Edited by Peter Davison, Preface by Daniel G. Siegel. Published in Weston, Massachusetts by M&S Press in 1984.
Completed in 1984, this was clearly a labor of love for the men behind the project, Daniel Siegel and Peter Davison. Siegel was the collector who owned the manuscript and Davison was the Orwell scholar who edited the edition, transcribing and preparing the manuscript for publication. Orwell began writing in 1946 and composed his novel in four stages. The manuscript covers the narrative of 1984 in outline from the beginning to the conclusion, with some gaps.
A total of 330 copies of all kinds of bindings were printed, and it’s unlikely that this will ever be printed again, at least not in this extraordinarily finely crafted way. For anyone who appreciates both Orwell’s insights and the process of creation, this is an invaluable addition to their library. — Lee Wright | Founder
From the front of the publication, the list of special bindings:
"Three hundred and thirty copies of Nineteen Eight-four/The Facsimile have been printed on Tintoretto Bianco.
"Two hundred and seventy-five copies have been quarterbound by Gray Parrot in navy Niger goat with marbled sides produced by the Parrot shop.
"Fifty-five copies have been full bound by Gray Parrot with a special design in royal blue Niger goat and housed in a one-quarter leather traycase."
Ours is #4 and it is of this last kind, the most valuable and rare.
Size: 11 x 15 x 2.5"
Shipping: $45. Please allow two weeks for shipping.