London-New York [Paris]: The Erotica Biblion Society, N.d. [c.1928]

Small 8vo, pp. 276. Original cream stiff paper wrappers, lettered in black to front panel and spine. Edges uncut. Very light edgewear to wrappers, front wrapper uniformly browned, but a near fine, unread copy with an entirely unbroken spine.

First published around 1910 (dating early pornography is notoriously difficult -- the publishers meant it to be), this c.1928 edition has 'WHIT' for 'WITH' to the half-title and according to Mendes was printed in Paris, probably by Maurice Duflou, who was active in this field from around 1921. Most of Duflou's output was in French, but he later diversified into English to profit from the large Anglophone communities in Paris at that time.

The author is unknown. A form line from Gershon Legman through Patrick Kearney suggests as a possible candidate the Victorian lexicographer, spiritualist and all-round oddball John S. Farmer, who seems to have had a hand in slightly earlier pornographic works featuring a central character called Jack: Jack again stars here -- to eye-poppingly pornographic effect.

A lovely copy, and this edition in any condition is notably scarce.