Le Sphinx des glaces

Le Sphinx des glaces presents itself as a sequel to Edgar Allan Poe’s novel to which it is dedicated, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym (published in 1838). The novel appeared as a serial in the Magasin d’éducation et de récréation (January 1–December 15, 1897), then in book form from Hetzel in November, before the final two installments had even appeared.

This copy was presented to Betsy Vallerey, sister of Jules Vallerey (1853–1929), a naval officer and professor of hydrography at Dunkirk, later a hydrographic inspector. Her nephew Tancrède, a writer and translator of speculative fiction, would receive the Prix Jules Verne (awarded since 1927 to French authors of fantastic adventure and science fiction) for his book L’Île au sable vert in 1930. His wife Gisèle likewise translated adventure and speculative fiction, including Treasure Island, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Gulliver’s Travels, Grimm’s fairy tales, Robinson Crusoe and Ivanhoe. Verne had given her at least three of his books: L’Île à hélice (1895), Clovis Dardentor (1896) and this Sphinx des glaces, in January 1898. At the time, Verne was occupied with his municipal duties in Amiens, where he had met the young woman.

A fine copy of this title, “rare, as it is also sought after both on the market and by science-fiction collectors” (Roehtel).

Handsome polychrome publisher’s boards, spine type F, with an innovation: the fillet frame is doubled on the inside while forming a recess at the title. This is the only use of the gilt-globe motif on the spine panel for a first-issue title. In 1896 the gilt-globe boards would replace the so-called “portrait” boards. The back cover is type 3, with the rosette bearing JH et Cie; catalogue Y at the end, listing new titles for 1897–1898. The two errors of chapters XII and XII being transposed have been corrected.