10 volumes ONLY. 20cm x 13.3cm, approximately 300-320pp each. Volume I has staples
The work itself is enormous, amounting to over one million words, the eleven original volumes amounting to over 4,000 pages. The text is repetitive and highly disorganised, and the literary quality is negligible, but its frank discussion of sexual matters and other hidden aspects of Victorian life make it a rare and valuable social document. According to Steven Marcus, it is virtually the only source for information on London Houses of Prostitution, in which Walter spent many hours. It has been described as "one of the strangest and most obsessive books ever written".
Key Bibliographic Details
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Author: Anonymous (Widely attributed to Henry Spencer Ashbee, a Victorian bibliographer and erotica collector).
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Imprint: Amsterdam: Privately Printed for Subscribers.
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Original Publication Year: 1888 (The series was printed between 1888 and 1894).
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Original Publisher: Likely Auguste Brancart, a Belgian publisher based in Amsterdam who specialised in "forbidden" literature.
Historical Significance
While originally banned as "smut," historians now view My Secret Life as a rare and invaluable social document. Because "Walter" was obsessive about detail, he recorded the voices, slang, prices, and living conditions of the Victorian underclass—specifically prostitutes and servants—that mainstream writers like Charles Dickens or Thomas Hardy could never describe due to the censorship of the era.
• The Original (1888): The true first edition was limited to only 25 copies. These were printed on high-quality paper with specific watermarks (like "Van Gelder"). A complete 11-volume set of the originals is extremely rare and can sell for over $40,000 (£32,500) at auction houses like Christie's.
• Reprints: Because the book was banned for so long, many clandestine reprints appeared throughout the 20th century.
1930s-1960s: Pirated editions often used the "Amsterdam 1888" text on the cover to bypass authorities or add "collector" appeal, even if they were printed much later in New York or London. There's 5.00 on the front cover which may refer to New York?
Publisher: "Privately Printed for Subscribers" Amsterdam
Date of Publication: 1888, This is a reprint circa 1960s
Edition: First Edition
Language: English
Condition: Good for its age with a few stains on the covers and edges. The pages have oxidised but are internally clean with no annotations. The binding is good, Please refer to photos for condition.
