William Simpson Potter
Encyclopedia
William Simpson Potter was a minor 19th century English author. From available information, Potter was a friend of Henry Spencer Ashbee
, a merchant, bibliographer, bibliophile, authority on the life and works of Cervantes
, and collector of erotic materials. Ashbee describes Potter as a "shrewd business man, the ardent collector, and the enthusiastic traveller."
According to the bibliography-catalogue, British Museum General Catalogue of Printed Books, Potter is author of two books of letters describing the Prince of Wales
' visit to India
in 1875-1876. The British Museum
, now the British Library
has these works in their holdings.
A Letter from the East: from William S. Potter, to his niece, Mrs. Addison Potter bears a publication date of 1877 - according to the online catalog record of the British Library. Also in the holdings of the British Library is Letters from India during H. R. H. the Prince of Wales visit in 1875-6, from William S. Potter to his sister, which dates from 1876. Again, according to this British Museum source, Potter is the author of the Victorian erotic novel, The Romance of Lust, (1873–1876) although the published novel lists its author as "Anonymous
."
Because of the anonymous authorship, this novel is alternately attributed to Potter and to another English writer of erotic novels, Edward Sellon
(1818?-1866). For example, the Library of Congress
catalog record for the 1968 Grove Press
edition of The Romance of Lust includes the brief note: "Attributed to Capt. Edward Sellon
. Cf. Bibliotheca arcana. 1885." The Bibliotheca arcana is a bibliography of erotic literature from the late 19th century.
Henry Spencer Ashbee
partially attributes The Romance of Lust to Potter. Ashbee comments that "The Romance of Lust" is not the produce of a single pen, but consists of several tales,'orient pearls at random strung,' woven into a connected narrative by a gentleman, perfectly well known to the present generation of literary eccentrics and collectors, as having amassed one of the most remarkable collections of erotic pictures and bric-a-brac ever brought together."
Comparing the text of Letters from India during H. R. H. the Prince of Wales visit in 1875-6, from William S. Potter to his sister with the text of The Romance of Lust reveals numerous stylistic affinities, whereas a comparison of Sellon's The New Epicurean
and The Adventures of a School-Boy shows fewer similarities in authorial style. (The Library of Congress
has all of these volumes within its collections.)
According to Ashbee, Potter "...died January 16, 1879, in his 74th year, at Catania
, whither he had repaired for the sake of his health."
Henry Spencer Ashbee
Henry Spencer Ashbee was a book collector, writer, and bibliographer, notorious for his massive, clandestine three volume bibliography of erotic literature written under the pseudonym of Pisanus Fraxi.-Life:...
, a merchant, bibliographer, bibliophile, authority on the life and works of Cervantes
Cervantes
-People:*Alfonso J. Cervantes , mayor of St. Louis, Missouri*Francisco Cervantes de Salazar, 16th-century man of letters*Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban composer*Jorge Cervantes, a world-renowned expert on indoor, outdoor, and greenhouse cannabis cultivation...
, and collector of erotic materials. Ashbee describes Potter as a "shrewd business man, the ardent collector, and the enthusiastic traveller."
According to the bibliography-catalogue, British Museum General Catalogue of Printed Books, Potter is author of two books of letters describing the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
' visit to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1875-1876. The British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, now the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
has these works in their holdings.
A Letter from the East: from William S. Potter, to his niece, Mrs. Addison Potter bears a publication date of 1877 - according to the online catalog record of the British Library. Also in the holdings of the British Library is Letters from India during H. R. H. the Prince of Wales visit in 1875-6, from William S. Potter to his sister, which dates from 1876. Again, according to this British Museum source, Potter is the author of the Victorian erotic novel, The Romance of Lust, (1873–1876) although the published novel lists its author as "Anonymous
Anonymous work
Anonymous works are works, such as art or literature, that have an anonymous, undisclosed, or unknown creator or author. In the United States it is legally defined as "a work on the copies or phonorecords of which no natural person is identified as author."...
."
Because of the anonymous authorship, this novel is alternately attributed to Potter and to another English writer of erotic novels, Edward Sellon
Edward Sellon
Edward Sellon was an English writer, translator and illustrator of erotic literature.-Family:Edward Sellon was born 6 Jan 1818 in Brighton, England , the only child of Edward Sellon and Laura Willats .Edward, Sr...
(1818?-1866). For example, the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
catalog record for the 1968 Grove Press
Grove Press
Grove Press is an American publishing imprint that was founded in 1951. Imprints include: Black Cat, Evergreen, Venus Library, Zebra. Barney Rosset purchased the company in 1951 and turned it into an alternative book press in the United States. The Atlantic Monthly Press, under the aegis of its...
edition of The Romance of Lust includes the brief note: "Attributed to Capt. Edward Sellon
Edward Sellon
Edward Sellon was an English writer, translator and illustrator of erotic literature.-Family:Edward Sellon was born 6 Jan 1818 in Brighton, England , the only child of Edward Sellon and Laura Willats .Edward, Sr...
. Cf. Bibliotheca arcana. 1885." The Bibliotheca arcana is a bibliography of erotic literature from the late 19th century.
Henry Spencer Ashbee
Henry Spencer Ashbee
Henry Spencer Ashbee was a book collector, writer, and bibliographer, notorious for his massive, clandestine three volume bibliography of erotic literature written under the pseudonym of Pisanus Fraxi.-Life:...
partially attributes The Romance of Lust to Potter. Ashbee comments that "The Romance of Lust" is not the produce of a single pen, but consists of several tales,'orient pearls at random strung,' woven into a connected narrative by a gentleman, perfectly well known to the present generation of literary eccentrics and collectors, as having amassed one of the most remarkable collections of erotic pictures and bric-a-brac ever brought together."
Comparing the text of Letters from India during H. R. H. the Prince of Wales visit in 1875-6, from William S. Potter to his sister with the text of The Romance of Lust reveals numerous stylistic affinities, whereas a comparison of Sellon's The New Epicurean
The New Epicurean
The New Epicurean: The Delights of Sex, Facetiously and Philosophically Considered, in Graphic Letters Addressed to Young Ladies of Quality is a Victorian erotic novel published by William Dugdale in 1865 and attributed to Edward Sellon...
and The Adventures of a School-Boy shows fewer similarities in authorial style. (The Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
has all of these volumes within its collections.)
According to Ashbee, Potter "...died January 16, 1879, in his 74th year, at Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
, whither he had repaired for the sake of his health."