A FIRST edition of DH Lawrence's controversial novel Lady Chatterley's Lover sold for more than £3,200 at auction yesterday.
Originally written in 1928, Lawrence's erotic tale had to be published in Italy. It was banned in the United Kingdom until 1960.
The copy, which was included in a sale of books, maps and atlases at Bonhams in Bath, was published in Florence and is one of only a thousand copies of the 1928 edition signed by the author.
Bonhams' books specialist Gill Atkins said the vendor lent this copy of Lady Chatterley to the court during the 1960 trial of Penguin Books for publishing an unexpurgated version of the novel.
The publisher was found not guilty after a five-day trial and went on to sell two million copies within a year.
The book fetched £3,290 including buyer's premium today - some £700 more than its estimated sale price.
Ms Atkins added that it would have sold for double this amount if there had been any records from the court to show the book was used in the legal case.
A spokeswoman for Bonhams said the book was sold to an anonymous bidder from Switzerland.
