Signed by George Bernard Shaw on half title, inscribed 'To:' but then left blank. An incredibly uncommon edition of Shaw's masterwork in its first authorized stand-alone edition. DJ shows shallow rubbing along edges, light soiling to rear and slight sunning to spine. Original rare DJ with $2.00 price intact on front flap. The book is tight and clean and would grade fine if not for light toning to rear endpaper edge. Most prized however is the rare, attractive orange DJ with Shaw's die-cut head looking down on Leslie Howard & Wendy Hiller. This edition also includes 16 pages of movie stills from the 1938 production along with a selection of Shavian comments about the film and its original introduction. The play would later be adapted for the American Silver Screen under the title My Fair Lady, winning eight Academy Awards. This special edition contains the full text of the original work and unpublished trailer which Shaw made for the 1938 film starring Leslie Howard, which would go on to win the equivalent of a British Oscar for Best Picture. This is considered the rare first authorized stand-alone edition of the Nobel laureates most popular work. Editions printed prior to this included other plays, were bundled magazine volumes or unauthorized publications. This is the rare first printing of the first and only authorized edition of this title in its own separate volume at the time of publication in 1939. Please email with questions or to request photos. Whether this is a Putnam imprint or a 'collection' put together by a contemporary enthusiast of Shaw's work, I cannot say.

The publishing house Putnam's seems to have issued Pygmalion be rebinding the Everybody Magazine sheets until they were told to stop it. This copy is a bit of a mystery - they are the first American issues of these plays & at least in the case of Pygmalion, this is also the first separate publication. All three have half-title pages inserted in this copy, on the same paper and in the same font as the title page. It is pages 193-212 of Everybody's Magazine, but the volume and issue number are not present (it's January 1915). It is Everybody's Magazine November 1914. It is pages 289-312 of Everybody's Magazine. The first play is Androcles and the Lion. 1914-1915.' There is no publisher or copyright page. A title page says, 'Three Plays by Bernard Shaw. Some wear to hinges and scuffs to corners, but overall the binding is attractive. Raised cords on the spine, with titles in gold.

Pygmalion author george bernard