Flossie: A Venus of Fifteen (1897)

Flossie: A Venus of Fifteen was originally published in 1897. A description of the book can be found in Carrington's 1902 catalog Forbidden Books:

Social Studies of the Century. Flossie: A Venus of fifteen, by one who knew this charming goddess and worshipped at her shrine. Printed at Carnopolis for the delectation of the amorous and the instruction of the amateur in the year of excitement of the sexes: MDCCCXCVII.

Large 8vo.

This is the first edition of a very amusing and remarkable volume, which was printed at Amsterdam for the author in the latter half of the year 1897. Unlike many works of its kind, it is composed with no mean ability and it is easy to see that a cultured hand has tapped the typewriter. The book has no other pretension than to be thoroughly obscene, as it recounts the adventures of a immature young person of distinct cockney type, who begins to fully satisfy her male admirers at a very early age, and manages to retain her physical virginity until the last few pages.

I think that no modern volume of this kind has ever had so much success. The first and limited edition was soon sold out, but it was immediately reprinted, “for the Erotica Biblion Society of London and New York,” n.d. (Paris, 1898), small 12mo. of 122 pp., and there are two or three more re-issues. It seems to be almost always in demand and I do not think I am exaggerating when I say that two or three thousand copies have been sold, since it first saw the light. The original, which is beautifully printed on very fine paper, under the loving superintendance of the author, a noted English novelwriter, had become excessively rare. The ordinary reprints are now offered in Paris and London are all very badly got up.

The prospectus too, which was from the pen of the creator of this wonderful creature, who really existed in the flesh—very much in the flesh is more diflicult to find than the fine first issue, and so I venture to reproduce it here, as it is a pity that such a peculiar fragment of literature should be lost to our grandsons, and—dare I say it 'I—grandaughters too.

See also this description of the 1st edition from the 1936 'R. S. Reade', Registrum Librorum Eroticum:

FLOSSIE, "social studies of the century : flossie, a venus of fifteen
by one who knew this charming goddess and worshipped at hershrine." Printed at Carnopolis for the delectation of the Amorous and the
Instruction of the Amateur in the Year of the Excitement of the Sexes
MDCCCXCVII.

Title-page in red and black, 6 chapters, each heading in
red, pp. viii + 103, 104, 200 copies Dutch Von Gelder paper, brown cloth
covers Stamped in gold. On last page, verso of p. 103 "Each copy in addition
to the press number will bear a private Stamp the nature of which will be
communicated to subscribers only, and any copy not bearing such mark
may be considered Stolen or counterfeited."

Here is the Kearney private case description of various editions not seen:

FLOSSIE, A VENUS OF FIFTEEN, by One who knew this Charming Goddess and Worshiped at her Shrine. (The titlepage headed: Social Studies of the Century.) London & New York: Printed for the Erotica Biblion Society. (Paris: Charles Carrington? c. 1900.) 8vo. pp. vi-f- 122. One of 500 copies. Dawes Bequest. The preface is signed “J. A.” which are the initials of the narrator of the book, whose name is given in the text as Jack Archer. The book is sometimes erroneously attributed to Swinburne.

720. (Another edition.) Flossie, a Venus of Fifteen ... (Followed by The Manner in which young Girls can lose their Maidenheads). (The title- page headed: Social Studies of the Century.) London & New York: Printed for the Erotika Biblion Society. (Paris? c. 1905.) 8vo. pp. 140. Original blue-grey wrappers, printed in red and black, preserved. The title of the additional story in this edition, as given above, appears only on the front wrapper. The story itself occupies pp. (i29)-i40, and has its own titlepage. (30 June 1968.) P.C. 26.c.3.

721. (Another edition.) Flossie, A Venus of Fifteen. Copenhagen: Obelisk A-S, (1967). 8vo. pp. no. Original wrappers preserved. At the con¬clusion of the text are 2 unnumbered pages of advertisements for The Lascivious Abbot and A Night in a Moorish Harem. (-June 1968.) P.C. 27.a.59.

An edition of Flossie, dated 1904 and with imprint London & Melbourne: New Free Press Association was in the BL with the pressmark P.C. I7.a.i6, but has been reported as missing. [ See from internet: Flossie / A Venus of Fifteen / By / One who knew / This charming Goddess / and / Worshipped at her Shrine / London / & Melbourge / The New Free Press Association / mcmiv. Collation : Large duodecimo, pp. 91.

A 1920s reprint:

The 1930s reprint:

The 1960s Pendulum printing:

And the 1990s reprint: