Number of copies

The number of copies printed for the subscribers' edition has been a source of some controversy. In Notes Lawrence wrote 'The Seven Pillars was so printed and assembled that nobody but myself knew how many copies were produced. Newspaper statements of 107 copies can be easily disproved, for there were more than 107 subscribers: and in addition I gave away, not perhaps as many copies as I owed, but as many as my bankers could afford, to those who had shared with me in the Arab effort, or in the actual production of the volume'; and, although a note to Buxton which appeared in Letters (1) indicated that he was printing 200 copies, the definitive statement of the true facts did not come to light until the 1960s, when the History manuscript was made public.

This handwritten document, together with others given by Professor A W Lawrence to the Christie's auction in aid of the London Library in June 1960, which contained a detailed list of subscribers, told the full story, for History includes a list of recipients of free copies and a summary of all printings of the text made during Lawrence's lifetime. The manuscript reveals that 170 copies were certified by his signature as complete, and 32 were likewise certified incomplete, ie lacking some of the plates in varying numbers. In addition there were nine 'spoiled proof sheets more or less defective.' The copy of the latter kept by Lawrence - number 3 - was the final corrected text, the others 'being variant and defective.'

One hundred and twenty-eight complete copies were supplied to 127 subscribers between 1st December 1926 and January 1927, 19 complete copies were presented to 'architects of the edition', and 17 complete copies were given by Lawrence 'as a duty or to people who pleased his whim', while 26 incomplete copies went to 'people mentioned in the book, or people who had been officially or personally useful to the Arab Revolt.' These figures, which take account only of the initial distribution period, were quoted by David Garnett as an editorial note in Letters (2), but this statement overlooked those extra copies which remained available for disposal by gift or subscription.

1	L 253, 29.VIII.24
2	p 295

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