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UCLA Center for 17th-
& 18th- Century Studies presents:
The William Andrews Clark Lecture on Oscar Wilde:
Oscar Wilde in the Market Place
Oscar Wilde in the Market Place
(a lecture at the William Andrews
Clark Memorial Library)
—given by Dr. Rick
Gekoski, Rare-book dealer and Writer
Thursday, January 31,
2013, 4:00 p.m.
From the very start of his career, Oscar Wilde wanted to be
noticed. He was the leading literary celebrity of his day, honed his epigrams,
and ensured that his books were issued in beautiful limited editions, which
would be attractive to collectors. Following his death an enormous market in
Wilde books, manuscripts, letters and memorabilia developed, and a number of
unscrupulous forgers took advantage of the burgeoning market for Wilde items.
In the 1920s and 1930s a number of major collections were formed, of which
William A. Clark's holdings were the most significant. Oscar is still avidly
sought after, and, as a rare book dealer, Dr. Gekoski has been able to help
several collectors put together noteworthy collections.
Dr. Rick Gekoski is one of the world’s leading bookmen: a
writer, rare-book dealer, broadcaster and teacher. He is the author of three
books which trace his major enthusiasms, Staying Up: A Fan’s View of a Season in the Premiership, Tolkien's Gown and Other Stories of Great
Authors and Rare Books and Outside
of a Dog: A Bibliomemoir, as well as a critical study of Joseph Conrad
and a bibliography of William Golding. An American who left for England in
1966, he was for some years a member of the English Department at the
University of Warwick, and chair of their Faculty of Arts. He has established
two private presses, The Sixth Chamber Press and The Bridgewater Press, which
issue finely printed editions of leading writers, novelists and poets. As a
broadcaster, he has written and delivered two series for BBC Radio 4: Rare Books, Rare People and Lost,
Stolen, or Shredded: The History of Some Missing Works of Art.
This biennial lecture on Oscar Wilde is made possible by a
generous endowment founded by Mr. William Zachs.
Please fill out a
registration form on our website: http://www.c1718cs.ucla.edu/wilde12-r.htm
