'I RATHER CRAVE FOR SUNSHINE' Love's Coming of Age [SIGNED & WITH A LETTER]

Manchester: Labour Press, 1897. Inscribed to an English socialist friend and wife of a founder member of the Labour Party, Lucy Henderson, with a letter to her from the pioneer of LGBTQ rights, women's rights and environmentalism laid in. Second edition bound in publisher's cloth with gilt lettering; fading to spine and a stain close to the tail. Floral endpapers; the first one only partially attached along the gutter. Carpenter has inscribed the half title opposite: 'Lucy Henderson All good wishes from E.C.' Otherwise the book is very good internally. Carpenter's letter is written on two sides of a single, heavily browned oblong leaf of notepaper (18x11cm) and undated but probably from the 1890s or a little after. Carpenter asks for news of 'yr brother and wife. Are they in the Riviera now?' (Lucy Henderson was the daughter of Christopher Slaughter of Norwich - we haven't identified her brother's name) as 'if I knew they were at any nice little place on that Coast they might form a sort of object or objective... I am feeling quite well and strong again - but rather crave for sunshine...' He signs himself 'Ed: Carpenter Holmesfield 20 Feb'. Edward Carpenter (1844-1929) was also one of the founders of the Labour movement, a poet and philosopher - as well as a regular visitor to the Riviera. Back home, Holmesfield was where he built his house Millthorpe, on the edge of the Peak District National Park where he experimented with a new model for a living with nature and with his male partner, George Merrill. Regarded as an eccentric crank at the time, he is now seen as a pioneer of sexual liberty which is one of the subjects of this book. Lucy and Fred Henderson were early socialist; Fred served time for his part in a Norwich food riot in 1887, became a friend of William Morris and was the first socialist elected to Norwich City Council in 1903. His wife Lucy Henderson, the recipient of this letter, served as a Poor Law Guardian and on Norwich council from 1920. Both were both natural allies and friends of Carpenter. Investigations into the psychological/social/sexual aspects of human relationships by the poet/socialist/reformer, Edward Carpenter (1844-1929). Second Edn., 1897; full grey cloth; titling/plain rules blocked in gilt (slightly dulled) to front board, with publisher's logo blind-stamped to bottom corner; titling/plain rules blocked in gilt (lightly worn but quite bright) to spine; fore/bottom edges uncut; green foliate pattern printed to endpapers; [viii]+168pp. + [i]p. publisher's advert. Very sunned spine worn at top and crushed/lightly worn at tail, but robust; cloth to front joint lightly crinkled; boards faintly soiled, but robust/quite crisp; page edges moderately tanned; front hinge weakened, with front free-endpaper partially detaching; light foxing to preliminaries; moderate browning to rear flyleaf, but text fresh, pages clean/crisp/bright; all complete. INSCRIBED by the AUTHOR ('Lucy Henderson, All good wishes from E.C.') in black ink to half-title, and with AUTOGRAPH LETTER from Edward Carpenter (sent from Homesfield, and dated 20th Feb. - no year indicated) to Lucy Henderson, in which he enquires after her 'brother and wife. Are they on the Riviera now?.I am feeling quite well and strong again - but rather crave for sunshine' (one leaf, written to recto/verso in black ink; signed 'Ed: Carpenter'; paper has vertical/horizontal fold; paper slightly tanned to verso; very small tears to edges; ink occasionally a little faded, but letter very readable). Poor. Please contact Christian White Rare Books Ltd for more information or images of this item 1897