Want to buy a really expensive passport?
SOTHEBY’S, London, 14th July 2011, LOT 91 – JOYCE, JAMES passport james joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century. Joyce is best known for Ulysses (1922), a landmark novel which perfected his stream of consciousness technique and combined nearly every literary device available in a modern re-telling of The Odyssey. Other major works are the short-story collection Dubliners (1914), and the novels A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) and Finnegans Wake (1939). His complete oeuvre includes three books of poetry, a play, occasional journalism, and his published letters. passport james joyce
JOYCE’S WARTIME FAMILY PASSPORT, AS ISSUED BY THE BRITISH CONSUL-GENERAL AT ZURICH, SWITZERLAND TO ALLOW “MR JAMES JOYCE, AND WIFE MRS NORA JOYCE TO PASS FREELY WITHOUT LET OR HINDRANCE…”, PASSPORT NO.557, ISSUED AND STAMPED 10 AUGUST 1915 passport james joyce
340 x 535mm., one double-sided sheet on white and pink paper folded to form 10 panels, printed and manuscript, originally valid for two years only, subsequently renewed for three (out of a maximum) four periods, on 20 September 1917 (Zurich), 20 October 1919 (Trieste) and 23 February 1922 (Paris) [finally expiring on 10 August 1923], additional British visa granted in Zurich on the same date as the first renewal (20 September 1917) allowing the bearer “residence within the Consular District of Zurich on the same date as the first renewal (20 September 1917) allowing the bearer “residence within the Consular District of Zurich”, ﾠfurther Italian and Swiss visas dated 19 October and 15 October 1919 allowing Joyce and his family to return from Zurich to Trieste, and then four further visas granted in Trieste on 1 July 1920 at various consulates, before the Joyce family’s move to Paris:ﾠ(i) British visa “…Good for the France and the United Kingdom…”ﾠ(ii) French Visa allowing Joyce and his family to travel to Paris for “recherches littéraires” for three monthsﾠ(iii) Swiss transit visa andﾠ(iv) Italian visa for theﾠfor the same journey; black and white photographs of Joyce (with moustache and spectacles, in hat and bow tie) and Nora with children Georgio and Lucia (dressed in Sunday best), each photograph 90 x 60mm.,these signed by Joyce and Nora, with the purple stamp of the British Consulate General in Zurich (dated 10 August 1915), descriptions of bearers (Joyce’s profession is stated as English teacher, with his “special peculiarities” that he wears eyeglasses); further British Consulate paper and ink stamps in purple, black, red and green for the original issuance and renewals of the passport, signed by four separate British Consul-Generals (once by the Pro-Consul), the passport and visas stamped in various locations (including “Chiasso”, “Brigue” and “Boulogne”, the last on 16 September 1922 when Joyce returned to Paris from London), most panels subsequently stamped “canceled” [probably when Joyce obtained a new British passport on 3 May 1924], some light discoloration and soiling, remains of the original holder or cover on two panels passport james joyce
ESTIMATE: 50,000 – 70,000 GBP
SOLD for 61,250 GBP
