Paris: Black Sun Press (1929). Robert Carlton Brown (1886-1959) was an American author, journalist, publisher, and collector. He wrote an assortment of pulp fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, avant-garde publications, and experimented with various styles of writing. 1940-1950 was published by the Crosby's Black Sun Press when Brown and his wife were involved in the expatriate literary community in Paris. Limited first ed., signed to Nancy Cunard. 150 copies total; this one signed and inscribed to Nancy Cunard (who, at the time, was running The Hours Press, which would soon publish Brown's book Words); Brown's inscription reads "To Nancy Cunard/ after reading her/ answers in the/Little Review/Bob Brown/Paris/ Oct 1929." A superb association copy of a book that became a kind of underground sensation, at least until reprinted by Jargon 30 years later. Condition: VG, in original glassine jacket. Some browning to edges, and some internal spotting/foxing, likely due to paper stock used. But a real rarity. More

London: Arthur C. Fifield (1905). An Inquiry into the causes and treatment of crime and criminals. Warmly inscribed by Carpenter to George Ives on the front endpaper in the year of publication. The book is heavily annotated by Ives throughout and bears a notation on endpaper: "Where is the work of which this is only the fore runner?" This comment pressages Ives' own decision to publish "A History of Penal Methods" in 1914. Very good in red boards, slight bumped, a little foxing to endpapers. 1905. 153, [7] pages; publisher's advertisements to last 7 pages. 8vo, original rose cloth, front board with title and border stamped in black, gilt-stamped spine. Inscribed by Carpenter: "To George Ives / in friendship from / E.C." dated March 1905 and penciled note beneath: "Whose is the work of which this is only the fore-runner?" First and only English Edition. Inscribed by the "Gay Godfather of the British Left" to a fellow activist. Carpenter was an English writer, reformer and lifelong advocate of gay liberation. Disenchanted with what he perceived as the hypocrisy of Victorian society, he abandoned his life in Cambridge as a scholar and cleric and moved to northern England. Referred to by many in recent years as "the gay godfather of the British left," Carpenter's radical politics and open relationship with his partner George Merrill influenced many activists and writers, including E.M. Forster, whose visit to the couple in 1913 inspired his novel "Maurice." More

London (1699). 31pp. 8vo. A record of the famous Castlehaven sodomy trial in 1631. The 2nd Earl of Castlehaven was convicted of abetting the rape of his wife and of committing sodomy with his male servants and the trial was a spectacular sex scandal, resulting in the execution of Castlehaven and his servants. Light age yellowing, occasional spotting, 3 leaves trimmed, evident glue stain from repair at gutter throughout, modern blue cloth, new endpapers, a little rubbed. Bookseller's description tipped on to rear pastedown (from 1948). More

Roma: Edizioni del secolo (1946). Soft cover. Very good in lightly browned wrappers, light browning to endpapers. More

Leipzig: Verlag von Max Spohr (1900) 184pp. Published originally in French in 1899 (l'Amour Libre), this German edition was published by Max Spohr, publisher of Magnus Hirschfeld and numerous other anarchist and progressive causes. Daudet was a printer, journalist, militant antimilitarist who was imprisoned for his political and social beliefs and the author of numerous texts. More

Paris (2000). A collection of previously unpublished photographs and drawings of Cocteau and his friends during the first world war. The text includes letters written during the peiod by Cocteau to his family. Very good in wrappers. More

Barcelona: Imprenta Henrich (1904). An exhaustive three volume survey of differences among Latin and Anglo-Saxon countries, with particular emphasis on the author's perception of "decadence." Of interest is a discussion of Oscar Wilde and other controversial individuals. Good in red cloth boards, spine a bit dulled and boards a bit marked. More

Paris (1964). 221pp. Soft cover. The autobiography of the famous French fabric designer, with mention of Poiret, Balenciage, Cocteau, and many others. One of an unknown number of special copies in a blue chiffon binding with pink borders, with a warm inscription by the author to the actor Marc Dantzer (an intimate in Cocteau's circle) on the title page. In addition, there is a special page bound into the book identifying the recipient. Very good in custom faux velvet fabric box. More

New York: Appleton (1892). 272pp., adverts at end. The first English translation (by Clara Bell) of the author's famous novel, Noodlot, which originally appeared in 1890 in the author's native Dutch. Many have noted striking similarities with the novel and Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray, which appeared in the same year. Wilde is reputed to have enjoyed the novel, which centers around the androgynous Bertie and his attraction for Frank (who eventually kills Bertie when he interferes with his marriage plans.) A good copy in buckram boards, a bit worn and bumped at edges. More

New York Police Gazette: New York: 1 April (1882). 16pp. 4to. A provocative issue of this early New York tabloid shows four flirting women on the cover, two dressed in male attire, with the headline “they could take care of themselves.” Below the image, the caption reads: “A party of gay girls of New York bohemian circles declare their independence by dispensing with male escorts during the masquerade ball season, and enjoy a period of pleasure unadulterated by masculine restraint.” The Boulton & Park scandal in England (men cross-dressing as women) took place in the 1870s. The paper has been folded in half and there is wear around the edges, with chipping, splits and small areas of loss. There are also some margin annotations inside and the top edge of the paper has not been fully cut. More

London: W.H. Allen & Co. (London) 1942. An interview between Nancy Cunard and George Padmore on the "colonial question" in which she articulates her own liberal views on "the race question." Very good in illustrated wrappers, light wear. More

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