JKR

The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, T.E. Lawrence’s account of his adventures in Arabia, has a  complex history of various published versions. But a rare edition recently up for sale comes with a great lesson in how to exploit the sales potential of limited availability: an edition of just 22 copies was printed to secure U.S. copyright in the 1920’s. Half went to the author and the Library of Congress. The remainder were given an exorbitant price tag ($20,000) to ensure they were not sold. But these copies were still put to good use, being exhibited in leading bookstores across America. This in turn drove hefty sales for the (only slightly different) $3 version, which must have appeared to be a fantastic bargain in comparison – though probably none of this sharp thinking would have particularly concerned the idiosyncratic Lawrence.

Limited Editions of brands these days share the same agenda of creating publicity (and in the case of certain sneaker lines for example, with similarly impossible to attain exclusivity). But the smart use of these never-intended-for sale books struck me as a rather pure example of using a design artefact intentionally placed beyond the consumer’s grasp as a vehicle for grabbing attention and promoting desire.

The illustration of Lawrence heading this piece was drawn by Augustus John in a few snatched moments. It makes every line count – proof that a little can be made to go a long way in all sorts of endeavours…