Paris: Èditions de la Mandragore [ c.1927 ]. 29pp. 8vo. Paul Souday (1869-1929) was one of the most important French literary critics of his time and the author of biographies of Gide, Proust and Valéry. Although very traditional in his tastes, he engaged in an extended correspondence with Proust and wrote his obituary for the New York Times. Nonetheless, Souday often fulminated with homophobic diatribes, including this excerpt in an essay on Gide's Les Faux Monnayeurs: "[There are] annoying analogies between André Gide's various heroes and Mr. Charlus and his friends. Oh! There is no crudity in the language here. All of this is discrete, veiled, and a very innocent reader would not necessarily understand what it's all about. On the other hand, it's all too clear. Truly, it becomes intolerable, especially with Gide's seriousness and insipid sentimentality." (See Levitz, Modernist Mysteries: Persephone @ 267.) Souday had presented a questionnaire on the subject of homosexuality to a number of other homophobic French writers in in 1926 edition of the literary journal Les Marges, which perhaps was the impetus for the present publication. The edition contains a number of short essays on a range of "issues" related to homosexuality and we surmise that the author was in fact submitting a parody of Souday and his compatriots. Very good in original stapled wrappers. Quite rare, no institutional copies located. More

An original vintage sepia photograph (6.25" x 8.5") of a nude male holding a palm frond, mounted on an album leaf. More

Daniel O'Connor, London. 1922. Hardcover. Cream colored buckram bindign with gilt decorative cover and spine, top edge gilt, decorative endpapers. Frontispiece portrait of Gay, plus fifteen full page illustrations and facsimile of original title page. (i)-xxiv, 91 pages, including Bibliography, Index and Notes. Endpapers lightly browned, covers lightly rubbed and marked. Very good. Reprinted from the 1716 first edition. More

Paris; Bernard Grasset. 1st Edition. Soft cover. More

A fascinating group of 27 pen and pencil drawings by Gaston Goor, circa 1924. Gaston Goor (1902-1977 ) was a highly accomplished, but controversial painter of adolescent boys, a metier that he pursued nearly all of his adult life. These very early drawings demonstrate the range of his talent and are a precursor to some of his several illustrated for writers such as Charles Maurras and others. Various sizes, please inquire for details. More

Paris: Albert Messein (1923). 210pp. A series of poems on a variety of themes, illustrated throughout with attractive line drawings by Marcel Moore, the longtime companion of Claude Cahun. Frontispiece by Moore laid in. Very good in yellow wrappers, a bit sunned. Uncommon. More

Monaco: Éditions du Rocher (1962). sm. 4to. 94pp. A frankly autobiographical essay about the author's homosexuality, illustrated with five drawings by André Masson. Guérin wrote a number of works focusing on anarchism and was a close friend of André Gide. Very good in wrappers, one of 200 special numbered copies. More

Paris: Contact Publishing (1923). 61pp. In addition to being considered one of the foremost American painters of the first half of the 20th century, Hartley also wrote poems, essays, and stories. His book Twenty-five Poems was published by Robert McAlmon in Paris in 1923. First edition, signed by Hartley on the title page, from an edition surmised to be only 300 copies. Original gray wrappers printed in black, in original glassine sleeve. 7 5/8 x 5 3/4 inches (19.5 x 14.5 cm); 60 pp., unopened. A superlative copy of the volume, the glassine with a few chips. More

London: Cassell (1939). 636pp. Hichens is perhaps best known as the author of the Green Carnation and his friendship with Oscar Wilde and Alfred Douglas. This lengthy novel opens with a visit by the protagonist to Magnus Hirschfeld's tomb in Nice, and one of the characters is inspired by Hirschfeld's partner and protégé, Li Shiu Tong. A very good copy in the original jacket, which has light wear small closed tears at edges, signature on endpaper and light browning to endpapers. Uncommon. The American edition was issued the following year. More

Montevideo (19 Mar 1925). 4to. The cover of this issue of the Uruguayan weekly has a cover illustration entitled "El Salvavidas". The magazine published many provocative art-deco inspired illustrations in the 1920s. Very good with light wear to spine. More

Verona (1932). Published anonymously, this is the author's "opus quintum", issued in an edition of 100 copies printed by the master printer Mardersteig of the Stamperia Valdonega. James is primarily known for his patronage of the Surrealists and his eccentric lifestyle, but he issued a number of beautifully produced volumes of poetry, this being one of the rarest. The book's Uranian content is discussed in d'Arch Smith's Love in Earnest (at 161) One quarter vellum over painted boards, front hinge starting. One of only 100 unnumbered copies, this being one of fifty copies on half-vellum. Mardersteig 39. Verona, 1932. Uncommon. More

Paris: Éditions de la Pléiade (1930). This novel was written in 1926, but only published after the death of the author's father, is filled with Freudian allusions. Jouhandeau was gay and wrote a number of books with homosexual subject matter, but married before the book was published. A very good copy, one of 100 hors commerce, initialed by the author. This copy also bears an inscription from the author to the painter Jacques Emile Blanche. More

Paris (1961). Amusing novel about Lord Tanquerville, an excentric dandy. Very good in decorative wrappers by Jullian. Inscribed by Jullian on front paper, the recipeint's name has been neatly erased. More