1931 Hogarth Press Uniform Edition of Virginia Woolf's foundational feminist essay 'A Room of One's Own' — 172 pages, jade green cloth hardback, Fair to Acceptable vintage condition with sun-faded spine, authentic foxing, and secure binding. Complete pages, legible text, no dust jacket.
  • Directly published by Virginia and Leonard Woolf at The Hogarth Press, London
  • Sun-faded spine, bumping and fraying to head/tail and corners; cloth boards retain good colour
  • Moderate to heavy age-related tanning and foxing, particularly endpapers and edges; text remains bold and readable
  • Secure binding with slight natural looseness typical of a well-read early 1930s volume

A Room of One's Own · Virginia Woolf

1931 Hogarth Press Uniform Edition Hardback

A foundational modernist essay bound in its publisher's original jade green cloth—a 1931 Uniform Edition from Virginia and Leonard Woolf's legendary Hogarth Press.

About This Copy

This is a 1931 Uniform Edition of A Room of One's Own, published directly by Virginia and Leonard Woolf at The Hogarth Press in Tavistock Square, London. Originally delivered as two lectures to the women's colleges of Cambridge University in 1928, this extended essay remains one of the twentieth century's most influential works of feminist literary criticism and modernist thought.

Within these 172 pages, Woolf articulates her famous dictum—"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction"—and develops the poignant thought experiment of Judith Shakespeare, William's imagined equally gifted sister whose talent could never find expression in Renaissance England. The essay is a masterwork of philosophical insight, lyrical prose, and intellectual history.

Volumes bearing the Hogarth Press imprint carry extraordinary literary pedigree, directly connecting the physical book to the Bloomsbury Group's independent, avant-garde spirit. The 1931 Uniform Edition—formatted in the publisher's standardized cloth-bound series—sits historically close to the original 1929 first edition and is prized by collectors of modernist and feminist literature.

Details

Author Virginia Woolf
Title A Room of One's Own
Publisher The Hogarth Press, London
Year Printed 1931 (Uniform Edition)
Binding Hardback, Jade Green Cloth
Page Count 172 Pages
Format Original Edition, No Dust Jacket
Subject Feminist Literary Criticism, Modernist Essays

The Photos

Every item in our collection is photographed individually in natural light to show the exact volume for sale—never a stock photo. The gallery displays the book from all angles: three-quarter view of the jade green cloth boards showing colour and weave texture; a detailed close-up of the spine reading "A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN" and "VIRGINIA WOOLF" in faded gilt lettering; the front and back covers showing the cloth condition and subtle fading; and an edge-on view revealing the binding structure and wear to the head and tail. You may examine the authentic patina, foxing, and handling wear that define this 90+ year-old volume.

Condition Report

Grade: Fair to Acceptable Vintage Condition

This is an authentic, well-read early Hogarth Press copy reflecting over nine decades of careful use. The front and back boards retain their original jade green cloth colour in good depth, though the spine has suffered considerable sun-fading, turning a brownish-tan hue. Bumping, rubbing, and fraying are visible to the head and tail of the spine, and the outer corners show age-appropriate wear; the gold gilt lettering remains legible but has dulled. The binding is secure and holds the text block firmly, though it opens with the slight, natural looseness characteristic of a frequently read book from the early 1930s. The pages are complete; moderate to heavy age-related tanning and foxing (brown spotting) are present, particularly across the endpapers, title page, and outer edges of the text block. The text itself remains bold, clean, and entirely readable, carrying the authentic scent and patina expected of an antiquarian volume. No dust jacket is present. Please review the comprehensive photo gallery to inspect this copy from every angle.

Common Questions

What edition is this exactly? This is the 1931 Uniform Edition published directly by The Hogarth Press. The Uniform Edition was a standardized cloth-bound series issued by the Woolfs to make their published works available in a cohesive format for collectors and libraries. It is an early, authoritative impression and sits close in provenance to the 1929 first edition.
Is this first edition? No. The 1929 printing (published in October of that year) is the first edition. This copy is from the 1931 Uniform Edition—a subsequent, authoritative printing from the same publisher under the same editorial oversight. The Hogarth Press printings remain highly collectable and maintain full literary authority.
Why does the spine look so faded? The spine has suffered natural sun-fading over nine decades. Exposure to daylight on bookshelves gradually breaks down the dyes in cloth binding, a universal process affecting nearly all books from this era. It is a mark of authentic age and handling, not damage or poor storage.
What is foxing and is it serious? Foxing is the age-related brown spotting visible on the endpapers, title page, and page edges. It results from oxidation of the paper and iron impurities in the ink—an inevitable and widespread phenomenon in twentieth-century books, particularly those printed before acid-free paper standards. It is cosmetic and does not affect readability or structural integrity.
Can I read this book, or is it display only? You can absolutely read it. The binding is secure, the text is entirely legible, and the book opens naturally. Many collectors prefer to read their antiquarian editions. That said, given its age and condition, gentle handling and careful storage are recommended to preserve the volume for future readers.