Story Title: These Old Shades
Date of Publication: 1927 (Popular 3s. 6d. Edition, August 1927)
Edition: Popular 3s. 6d. Edition (Heinemann’s 3s. 6d. Library)
Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Language: English
Cover Price: 3/6 net (3 shillings and 6 pence)
Cover Artists: C. Hulme Beaman (illustrated dust jacket and cover design)
Writers: Georgette Heyer
Characters: Justin Alastair (Duke of Avon), Léonie de Saint-Vire, Hugh Davenant, Lord Rupert Alastair, the Comte de Saint-Vire, Lady Fanny, Mr. Marling, and other 18th-century French and English aristocracy figures
Key Facts: These Old Shades is one of Georgette Heyer’s earliest and most beloved historical romances. Set in the 1750s, it follows the elegant and cynical Duke of Avon as he rescues the fiery street urchin Léonie and becomes entangled in a web of intrigue, revenge, and romance across France and England. This 1927 Popular Edition features the iconic dust jacket artwork by C. Hulme Beaman showing 18th-century figures in front of grand windows. A highly collectible early printing of a Georgette Heyer classic.
Page Count: 166 pages (plus preliminary leaves)
Condition: Good condition for a 98-year-old book. The red cloth binding is bright with light wear. The original dust jacket is present but has chipping and tears at the spine ends and edges (as shown in photos). Interior pages are clean and tight. A solid reading/copy for collectors of early Georgette Heyer editions.
