Leicester: July (1960). 24pp. The first book catalog issued by d'Offay, which includes works by Wilde, Raffalovich, Whitman, Spare, Norman Douglas and many others. Very good in stapled wrappers. More
Paris, A. Savine (1890). 295pp. The novel based upon the author's experiences in a French prison camp in Tunisia, which has been described as "'the most effective indictment of the French colonial army written in the nineteenth century.' Darien chronicles the lives of men caught up in the system and deals compassionately with the subject of homosexuality in the army. Never a member of the literary elite in France, he was much admired by the Symbolists and wrote a number of political tracts and was considered an anarchist. The novel was adapted to the stage and later film and has remained a classic since its publication.This is the first edition of the book, quite rare in commerce. Very good in limp maroon leather boards, original wrappers present, inked stamp of the Collège de ’Pataphysique on endpaper, along with the inked ownership stamp of Emmanuel Peillet, one of the founders of the Collège. More
Paris: Editions du Capitole (1927). 4to. 418pp. A record of Shakespeare's voyage of 1584 with 46 full-page illustrations and 8 vignettes by Gaston Goor. Laid into the book is a 2 pp. holograph letter from Goor (dated 1927) to Louis Brulé mentioning several books that he was illustrating (including "Le Voyage de Shakespeare". He also mentions his address as 14 Cité Falguière, an atelier for artists (where Modigliani, Brancusi, Foujita also had spaces). The letter is illustrated with a pencil drawing of a lady with a parasol, Notre Dame in the background. One of 1680 numbered copies, this is one of 1400 on Alfa Francia. Very good in original decorative wrappers, light wear to covers and spine. More
Buneo Aires: Bajolaluna (2011). 218pp. Biography of the secretary/confidant/love of the French aesthete Robert de Montesquiou. Iturri (occasionally spelled Yturri) was an important part of Montesquiou's life during Belle Epoque Paris and died in 1905. Fine in wrappers, numerous illustrations. More
Sotheby's: New York. 20 October 1980. The personal collection of De Meyer's photographs, stored in a trunk for many years. Images of Chanel, Josephine Baker, Rita de Acosta and many others. Illustrations. Very good in wrappers with prices realized. More
Paris: Pierre Horay (1950). Novel about a young boy, with photographs from the popular movie. Very good in full leather boards. More
Benvenuto (1727) 112pp. Hardcover. Very good in three quarter leather binding with marbled endpapers. More
Paris: L'Edition (1918). 284pp. Memoirs of the famous French tragedien, who befriended Cocteau at a young age and helped to launch his career as a poet. Illustrated throughout with 24 drawings of Jean Lorrain, Robert de Montesquiou, Henri Bernstein, Sacha Guitry, Sarah Bernhardt, Edmond Rostand and others by Cappiello, de Losques, Lucien Laforge, etc. One of only thirty numbered copies on Japon (after 12 on Chine), this copy is also adorned with a warm inscription from the author on a title page from another addition which is tipped onto endpaper. A very nice copy in original decorated wrappers. More
Scranton: Poetry Newsletter (1966). Works by Jack Scott, Tom Pease and others. Very good with assorted inserts, stapled decorative wrappers, light yellowing and wear to covers. More
Paris: Union Internationale d'Éditions (1909). 155pp. This "roman militaire" is similar to Lucien Descave's portrayal of army life in "Sous-Off" in its descriptions of the seamier aspects of military life. Deverin, an accomplished artist as well as writer, describes in some detail visits to brothels and assorted sexual improprieties. Very good in original decorative wrappers, light wear to covers and spine. The author has illustrated the front endpapers with an original signed drawing depicting a seated soldier. Uncommon. More
London, J.W. Parker and Son (1858) 8vo., 128 pp. A rare volume on the conduct of young men given to the eccentric teenage poet and Etonian, Digby Mackworth Dolben at age 14. Dolben caused considerable scandal at Eton with his exhibitionist behaviour and homosexual eccentricities He wrote homosexual verses to his contemporaries and scandalized his tutors with his behaviour. Dolben drowned at 19 and was mourned by the great Victorian poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins: “there can very seldom have happened the loss of so much beauty (in body and mind and life) ... Inscribed in 1862 to Dolben by Edward Daniel Stone, classical scholar and a schoolmaster at Eton during Dolben's tenure there. Armorial ex-libris of George Digby Scott, rector of Bray Quite rare- the first book of Dolben's library of which we are aware. Full crushed brown morocco and gilt, some wear, evidence of old tape strip removal, all edges gilt. More
London: The Academy Publishing Company (1909). 30pp. The first collection of these sonnets, which include one dedicated to his soon to be estranged wife Olive Custance. Good in buff paper boards, bookplate on pastedown, some staining and wear to covers. Warmly inscribed to Christopher Jarchow (in 1931). Custom chemise and slipcase. More
Graz: Neugebauer (2010). 312pp. Volume 3 of the Selected Correspondence of Norman Douglas, which includes nearly 40 years of letters between these longtime friends, covering a wide range of shared interests and acquaintances. Illustrations. Fine in red linen boards. More
Paris: Garnier (1920s). Advice on sexual matters to young men, including a discussion of homosexuality, etc. A fair copy in rather tired wrappers. More
New York: Drug Advisory Committee (November 1, 1934). A quite rare broadside issued by the notorious Drug Advisory Committee, which became entangled with the issue of Mexican immigration in the 1930's: "Marihuana, perhaps now the most insidious of our narcotics, is a direct by-product of unrestricted Mexican immigration. Easily grown, it has been asserted that it has recently been planted between rows in a California penitentiary garden. Mexican peddlers have been caught distributing sample marihuana cigarets to school children. Bills for our quota against Mexico have been blocked mysteriously in every Congress since the 1924 Quota Act. Our nation has more than enough laborers..." (New York Times, Sept 15, 1935, section IV, p 9.) The first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Harry J. Anslinger, led a vigorous anti-pot campaign in the 1930s, which led to the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, effectively criminalizing the use of marijuana. This is an original poster, not a reprint and is in very good condition with light wear. (14" x 11"). Such ephemera is quite rare- we find no record of any sales of this particular poster. More
Paris: Oliven (1956). 96pp. Collection of writings on various subjects- aesthetics, spirituality, etc, illustrated throughout with homoerotic drawings by Hervé Dubly. One of only 125 signed and numbered copies (#40), warmly inscribed on title page by the author. Very good in illustrated wrappers, rear wrapper lightly worn. More
Mexico City: Biblioteca Cientifica (1956). 252pp. One of many such popular books dedicated to sexual issues in the 1950s, with guidance on various prohibited activities, including a discussion of homosexuality. One chapter deals with the sex lives of writers and includes essays on Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Tchaikovsky, Balzac and others. Very good in lightly worn illustrated wrappers. Quite rare. More
Golden Cockerel Press. [1933]. Hardcover. One of 325 numbered copies printed by Gibbings in Golden Cockerel type on Batchelor's hand-made paper with seven wood-engravings by Gibbings. A very good copy in morocco-backed decorated cloth, top edge gilt, light bump to one corner. More
Paris: Plon-Nourrit (1912). 64pp. A medical treatise on various aspects of "abnormal" psychology with emphasis on sexuality delivered at a medical conference in Tunis in 1912. Extensive discussion of "inversion" and related matters. Very good in wrappers, endpaper has one small corner clipped. More
NP: ND. One of several collections of erotic novelettes, this edition includes "l'Amateur de femmes bien chaussées" ; "Branlage merdeux"; "Deux aspects de Don Juan: 1) Don Juan se fait Mécanicien and 2) Don Juan joue à l'inverti. Quite uncommon. Very good in original green wrappers, light wear to covers. More
Hawthorn (Australia). May 1973. The second series of Earth Ship, with contributions by Eigner, Francis Ponge and others. Quite uncommon, good in stapled wraps, light wear to covers and small closed tears. Inscribed by the editor to the poet Paul Mariah inside front wrapper. More
Three vintage still photographs from the film ¡Que viva México!, a project begun in 1930 by the Russian avant-garde director Sergei Eisenstein (1898–1948). Intended as an episodic portrayal of Mexican culture and politics from pre-Conquest civilization to the Mexican revolution, the film was was beset by difficulties and was eventually abandoned. A version of the film was eventually released in 1979 in a highly edited form. Two of these images were published in Kenneth Macpherson's Close Up film review and bear editorial markings and notations in Macpherson's hand. See Eisenstein, The Principles of Film Form, Close Up, Vol. VII #3, p 176; 179. Very good with general wear, one image mounted on a card (the verso image was apparently rejected and bears an X). From the library of Kenneth Macpherson. More
Châteauroux ; Paris ; San Juan de Arama : Serge Plantureux, 1998. 30pp. Facsimile edition of this catalogues, issued originally in Paris 1904. Fine in stapled wrappers. Uncommon. More
NP: Paris-London (1925). The complete set of these three works, all of which went through numerous editions over the years. Three volumes in pink wraps with black and red titles. Some fading to spines, edge-wear, light shelf-wear. Pia (@ 1290-91) indicates that each volume contained 12 pouchoir images, although the copies at the Bibliotheque Nationale (Enfer 1228, 1229, 1230) are incomplete. Our examples contain 25 images laid into the rear of the volumes (12 in La Veuve Amoureuse and 12 in Miss Frankland, 5 in Madame Benson) although it is unclear which illustrations were destined for each volume. The images represent a variety of sexual encounters, including several gay subjects. Uncommon. More
Paris: Ambert [1902]. 281pp. 2nd ed. The first of several highly popular schoolboy novels with explicit gay themes written by this French writer, who befriended Count d'Adelsward Fersen and contributed to his journal Akademos. Very good in original wrappers (with cover photograph by Wilhelm von Gloeden) light cover wear. More