V.C.1.A
Ulysses First Placards (Galley Proofs): Unrevised First Setting of the Text ("Telemachus" to "Lotus Eaters")
Material
The manuscripts are sheets of pulp paper. The placards are printed on one side only and the versos are blank. There are no corrections or revisions.
Collation
The manuscripts consist of 16 large sheets, folded to make 8 leaves as follows: 2 copies each of eight proofs, placards 2–4, 6–9 and 9bis. Except for placard 9bis, the other sheets were set with 8 pages of text per sheet, each with 37 lines of text: placard 9bis consists of 1 leaf, with 1 page of 37 lines of text.
Measurements
Placards 2–4 and 6–9 measure approximately 46.4 x 74.6 cm. and are unevenly folded in octavo. Placard 9bis measures approximately 23.5 x 18.5 cm.
Pagination
The individual pages of text are unnumbered but the placards are designated by signature numbers in the upper left corner of the sheet (i.e., pp. [1]) of each proof as follows: "Pl. 2. – Ulysses ." on MS V.C.1.A.1.a and b, pp. [1], etc.
Contents
The manuscripts are all the first setting of the text in proof and were set from the twice-revised typescripts (most of which do not survive, but see Buffalo MSS V.B.1–3) of the first five episodes, which Joyce gave to the Imprimerie Darantiere, Dijon, France, to print the first edition of Ulysses . These settings of proofs all correspond to level 1 in the Critical Synoptic Edition of Ulysses ( CSE ). The revised copies of these placards were used to set-up the first set of page proofs (see MSS V.C.2.A.1.i–5.i).
| Episode(s) | Manuscripts V.C.1.A. | Placard and setting Text in 1922; 1986 |
|---|---|---|
| There are no copies of placard 1 in the Buffalo Joyce Collection | ||
| 1. "Telemachus" | 1.a & b | 2.i: 011.05–019.05; 1.293–592 |
| 1. "Telemachus" & 2. "Nestor" | 2.a & b | 3.i: 019.06–028.12; 1.593–2.146 |
| 2. "Nestor" | 3.a & b | 4.i: 028.13–036.20; 2.146–449 |
| There are no copies of placard 5 in the Buffalo Joyce Collection | ||
| 3. "Proteus" & 4. "Calypso" | 4.a & b | 6.i: 045.13––055.10; 3.304–4.076 |
| 4. "Calypso" | 5.a & b | 7.i: 055.11–063.26; 4.077–396 |
| 4. "Calypso" & 5. & "Lotus Eaters" | 6.a & b | 8.i: 063.27–072.28; 4.397–5.168 |
| 5. & "Lotus Eaters" | 7.a & b | 9.i: 072.29–082.33; 5.169–541 |
Dating
The manuscripts were set from 11–17 June 1921:
| Manuscript V.C.1.A. | Placard and Setting | Date | JJA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.a | 7.i | 16 June 1921 | Not reproduced |
| 7.a & b | 9.i | 17 June 1921 | 17.084 |
The marked copies of the placards were returned to Darantiere by 27 June 1921, at which time the first page proofs of the text were set-up.
Other Markings
MS V.C.1.A.2.a, p. [5] is marked with a "II" and a long dash across the page in pencil, indicating the start of episode 2, "Nestor"; 2.b, p. [3] is marked "p. 21" in the upper left corner in pencil, probably in Beach’s hand and p. [5] is marked "(2)", with a long dash across the page in pencil, possibly in Joyce’s hand, indicating the start of episode 2.
MS V.C.A.3.a, p. [3] is marked "p. 31" in the upper left corner in pencil, probably in Beach’s hand.
MS V.C.A.4.a, p. [3] is marked "p. 47" in the upper left corner in pencil, probably in Beach’s hand, p. [6] is marked with a dash in the center of the page, below the text in pencil, indicating the end of episode 3, "Proteus" and p. [7] is marked "(Odyssey) / II" in the center of the upper margin and "(I)", indicating the start of the second part of Ulysses and of episode 4, "Calypso," in the left margin beside the first line of text, all in pencil and 4.b, p. [3] is also marked "p. 47" in the upper left corner in pencil, probably in Beach’s hand.
The printers’ label is affixed in the left margin on MS V.C.A.5.a, p. [1], it is dated (see Dating, for a complete listing of the dates), the printed "Deuxième" is crossed through and "1re" is written in above it and addressed to "[M]lle Beach", all in black ink, p. [1] is also signed "Beach" in the upper left corner in Beach’s hand in pencil and p. [3] is marked "p. 57" in the upper left corner in pencil, though partially erased, probably in Beach’s hand and 5.b, p. [3] is marked "p. 57" in the upper left corner in pencil, partially erased, probably in Beach’s hand.
MSS V.C.A.6.a & b, pp. [3] are marked "p. 65" in the upper left corner in pencil, probably in Beach’s hand and 6.a, p. [4] is marked with a line across the page in pencil, with "(2)", presumably to indicate the start of episode 5, "Lotus Eaters," in the lower right margin, in pencil.
The printers’ label is affixed in the left margins of MSS V.C.A.7.a & b, pp. [1], they are dated, the printed "Deuxième" is crossed through and "1re" is written in above it, and addressed to "[M]lle Beach", all in black ink; 7.a, p. [3] is marked "p. 75" in the upper left corner in pencil, partially erased, probably in Beach’s hand and 7.b, p. [3] is marked "p. 76" in the upper left corner in pencil, probably in Beach’s hand.
MS V.C.A.8.a, p. [1] is marked with a dash in the center of the page, below the text in pencil, indicating the end of episode 5, "Lotus Eaters."
Publication
MS V.C.1.A.7.a, p. [1] (placard 9) was reproduced in black-and-white photo-facsimile on JJA 17.084. The remaining MSS have not been reproduced, but the marked copies of these galley proofs were reproduced in JJA 17.013–040 and 17.055–093.
Notes
All the duplicate, marked copies of these Ulysses placards are at the Houghton Library, Harvard University. The Beinecke Library, Yale University, has an unmarked copy of placard 1 and Harvard has another, unmarked copy. Harvard also has two further unmarked copies of placard 5.
Presumably Beach inverted copies of some of the folded placards so that the vertical fold would be on the left side, mimicking the orientation of a book and the first facing page (i.e., p. [3]) of each placard are paginated (see Other Markings, above).
The folds are worn and at times tattered or split. The outer edges of the sheets do not appear to have been machine cut.