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V.B.8.a.i

Partial Printers’ Typescript of the “Wandering Rocks” (10) Episode for The Little Review and Ulysses (1919)

Material Description and Collation

The manuscript consists of 23 loose sheets of paper, which Spielberg described as “thin” typing paper, with corrections and additions in Joyce’s hand in black ink on all of the pages. All of the pages are single-spaced typewritten black ink bottom (carbon) copies; all the versos are blank. The sheets were all cleaned, de-acidified and encapsulated (but only the top copy typescript sheets were also backed with protective paper in) May 1988.


Measurements

The sheets measure approximately 27.2 x 21.5 cm.


Pagination

The sheets were paginated “1”, “2” and “4”–”24″ in the lower right margin in lead pencil (the page numbers on pp. [4]–[7], [9]–[12] and [17] are also circled in pencil) and also stamped pp. “1”, “2” and “4”–”24″ in the upper right margin in black ink, probably by the printer of Ulysses . Page [15] was also paginated “15)” in lead pencil in the upper right corner.


Contents

The manuscript is a partial typescript of the “Wandering Rocks” episode, comprised of mixed top and bottom copies of what were presumably 3 complete typescripts (a top copy and 2 bottom copies) of which another partial copy survives (Buffalo MS V.B.8.a.ii), although a top copy must have been prepared as well as probably at least another bottom copy. The typescript was prepared from the Rosenbach (faircopy) manuscript version of the episode and this is the 1921 printers’ copy of the typescript. The “Wandering Rocks” episode appeared in the June and July 1919 issues of The Little Review (VI.2 and VI.3), pp. 34–45 (10.0001–0463) and pp. 28–47 (10.0465–1282), respectively. Joyce further revised the typescript pages in black ink for the printing of Ulysses and someone, presumably Hirschwald at Darantiere, made non-authorial alterations to the typescript . The text on the pages is as follows:

MS V.B.8.a.i Ulysses 1922 (1992) / 1984
p. [1]: “1” [210].01–211.25 / 10.0001–0051
p. [2]: “2” 211.26–213.03 / 10.0052–0107
p. [3]: [“3”] Private Collection
p. [4]: “4” 214.19–215.23 / 10.0164–0208
p. [5]: “5” 215.23–217.01 / 10.0208–0257
p. [6]: “6” 217.02–218.13 / 10.0258–0305
p. [7]: “7” 218.13–219.26 / 10.0305–0353
p. [8]: “8” 219.27–221.01 / 10.0354–0397
p. [9]: “9” 221.02–222.22 / 10.0398–0454
p. [10]: “10” 222.23–224.02 / 10.0455–0507
p. [11]: “11” 224.03–225.21 / 10.0508–0565
p. [12]: “12” 225.22–226.28 / 10.0566–0612
p. [13]: “13” 226.29–228.10 / 10.0613–0663
p. [14]: “14” 228.11–229.26 / 10.0664–0716
p. [15]: “15” 229.28–231.14 / 10.0718–0780
p. [16]: “16” 231.16–232.24 / 10.0781–0827
p. [17]: “17” 232.25–234.01 / 10.0828–0881
p. [18]: “18” 234.02–235.27 / 10.0882–0943
p. [19]: “19” 235.29–237.12 / 10.0944–1000
p. [20]: “20” 237.13–238.22 / 10.1001–1049
p. [21]: “21” 238.23–240.03 / 10.1050–1100
p. [22]: “22” 240.04–241.19 / 10.1101–1152
p. [23]: “23” 241.20–243.12 / 10.1153–1220
p. [24]: “24” 243.12–244.26 / 10.1220–1274
p. [25]: [“25”] Missing

Dating

The typescript was prepared in late February 1919 in Zurich and further revised by Joyce in Paris by August 1921 in black ink for the printing of Ulysses .


Other Markings

Page [1] of the typescript is headed with the Roman numeral “X” in pencil and crossed out in blue crayon. It is also stamped “12 Dec Rec’d” in the upper right corner in black ink. There are Darantiere printers’ marking, including printers’ signatures, on all of the pages, except on pp. [9], [11] and [20]. There are rust stains from a staple in the upper left corners on pp. [1] and [23] and a water stain in the lower right corner on p. [24]. During conservation, therefore after the manuscript’s publication in the JJA , a tear on p. [1] was repaired and the sheets were marked “V B 8 a, 1″–”V B 8 a, 22” in the lower right corner in pencil. The sheets were folded in the center horizontally and vertically.


Publication

This manuscript has been reproduced in black and white photo-facsimile on JJA 13.008–030.


Notes

Page [3] of the typescript ( Ulysses 213.03–214.18 / 10.0107–0163) was last recorded in the Glenn Horowitz catalogue James Joyce (New York: 1986, lot 48, pp. 42–44) as having been tipped-into copy no. 48 of the first edition of Ulysses , a presentation copy, inscribed to Tudor Wilkinson in 1943 ; this typescript page is now in a private collection. Beach annotated the page as follows: “Page of original typescript of Ulysses with manuscript additions by the author. Witnessed by the editress Sylvia Beach”. The final page (p. [25]) of this typescript ( Ulysses 244.26–34 / 10.1274–82) was last recorded as item 59 in Bernard Gheerbrant’s “Catalogue de l’exposition ‘James Joyce et Paris'” in Joyce & Paris, 1902 ….. 1920–1940 ….. 1975: Papers from the Fifth International James Joyce Symposium (eds. Jacque Aubert and Maria Jolas. Vol. 1. Paris: Editions du C.N.R.S., 1979, p. 123), but its current location is not known. There are no pre-Rosenbach manuscript versions of the “Wandering Rocks” episode. The first placards of the episode were set in late August and early September 1921.