Paris: Librairie Ancienne Honoré Champion (1931). 414pp. An exhaustive study of English decadent literature between 1873-1900, with references to Wilde, the Rhymer's Club, Pater and many others. Very good in original wrappers. More
Paris: L. Vanier (1901). 203pp. An early collection of "poemes de l'enfance" by Fersen, who fled from France to Capri when his "messes noires" with young men gained the attention of Parisian authorities. Very good in decorative jacket by Louis Morin, who also contributed several drawings in the text. Introduction by Edmond Rostand. More
Paris: Albert Messein (1921). The last book penned by the eccentric opium addict before his early death on the island of Capri several years later. The poems collected here largely inspired by opium and cocaine use, and one poem (Tocca a la Romanza) relates to Oscar Wilde and Alfred Douglas. One of 500 numbered copies (#168), near fine in decorated wrappers. Uncommon. More
Léon Vanier/Albert Messein: Paris (1903). 4to. 174pp. Soft cover. This volume of poetry was written the same year as the author's "Messes Noires" scandal. It was also the year of his friendship with Loulou Locré, a pupil at the Lycée Carnot and of his ultimately disastrous association with Albert François de Warren, a contemporary who appears in Peyrefitte's novel about Fersen. Very good in original green wrappers with a tipped-on photograph of the author. Quite uncommon. More
Mercure de France, Tome CVIII, n° 404, 16 Avril 1914. Fersen contributes eight poems to the weekly literary magazine, most of which relate to opium. Other contributors include Georges Eekhoud, Rachilde, Appolinaire among others. Very good in original wrappers. More
NP:ND [1911-1914]. 88pp. A rare and controversial work of pornography, which includes one chapter entitled "Chez le baron d'Alderswald" which was originally published in 1904 as a pamphlet and condemned by the Cour d'Assises in 1913. The author casts asperions on every one around Fersen: he had intimate relations with Oscar Wilde, Pierre Loti, and Jean Lorrain; he had an incestuous relationship with his mother who took his virginity at an early age; Jacques, in turn, deflowered a number of young boys upon the skeleton of his own mother. The piece ends with Jacques' death in the prison hospital at Fresnes as a result of "a delicate operation on his anus." This version, significantly revised, was issued as part of a series. Very good in 3/4 morocco binding, marbled endpapers, the initials "P.K.M." appear at foot of spine, lightly nicked spine, original wrappers present. Pia (@110) dates this publication to sometime between 1911 and 1914. More
Paris, Éditions de Pan (1911). (4to) 39 pp. One of the rarest books published by the eccentric writer, limited to 130 numbered copies (this example unnumbered). Many of the poems bear printed dedications to his fellow writers, Laurent Tailhade, Georges Eekhoud, Robert Scheffer, as well as his longtime consort Nino Cesarini. The title comes from the famous garden in Sri Lanka, which Fersen had visited several years earlier on an extended trip to the island. Very good in original wrappers. More
Paris: Vanier (1905). 3rd ed. Fersen's semi-autobiographical novel about the decadent Lord Lyllian," a breathtaking mixture of truth and fiction" according to the scholar Will Ogrinc. Fersen includes among his cast of characters not only Oscar Wilde and Alfred Douglas, but Friedrich Krupp, Péladan, Robert de Montesquiou, Jean Lorrain and many others. The author's legal battles with his own "messes noires" happened several years before this novel was published and Fersen had retreated to Capri. A good copy in the very appealing wrappers designed by Claude Simpson, modest browning to covers, spine a bit wrinkled, small tears to front hinge. The mention of a "troisieme edition" on title page may be fictive. An English translation of the novel, issued by Elysium Press, was published in 2005. More
Paris: Delagrave (1870). 374pp. Book Description: Paris, Delagrave, 1870., 1870. in-12. 374pp. Broché, couverture imprimée. Edition Originale de cet écrit de Jean-Baptiste Fonssagrives (1823-1884), professeur d'hygiène à la Faculté de Montpellier, à qui l'on doit "des ouvrages estimés, dont quelques uns ont été traduits en plusieurs langues" (Larousse). Première éducation des garçons, endurcissement phyue, problèmppscolaire, éducation des sens, éducation des muscles, choix d'une profession, etc. Rousseurs éparses, petites traces de mouillures claires. Exemplaire non rogné. More
W. Heffer & Sons Limited, (Cambridge). 8vo. 96pp. A catalogue of 1,148 items from the library of E. M. Forster at the time of his death. Contains a section of presentation copies with particularly interesting runs of titles by Forrest Reid, Charles Mauron, William Plomer, and Siegfried Sassoon. Illustrated with a photographic portrait of Forster and of his library. Very good in wrappers. More
Lyon: Bosc (1935). 100pp. An interesting doctoral dissertation dealing with the question of assorted "perversions" engaged in by members of the French army, with an extended case studies and descriptions of homosexual behavior. Inscribed by the author on endpaper. Quite uncommon. very good in very good, lightly worn wrappers. More
Paris : Librairie Artistique, 1904. By the prolific chronicler of all varieties of sexuality, this edition contains a chapter on La pederastie active et passive...les plaisirs de Sodome, etc. Very good in wrappers, light cover wear, signature on cover. Uncommon. More
Lyon: Archives d'anthropologie Criminelle de Criminologie et de Psychologie normale et Pathologique. Tome XV #90: 15 November 1900. This contribution by the noted sexologist contains a number of case histories on "sexual perversions" including a discussion of "homosexualité et uranisme." He discusses the recent literature on the subject, including André Raffalovich's writings and those of other researchers. Very good in original wrappers, sunning and edgewar. More
Paris: La Revue Blanche (15 mars 1896). Gauthier-Villars was a French fin-de-siecle writer and music critic who is today mostly known as the mentor and first husband of Colette. This short essay was written several years after his marriage to Colette and is a response to an article written by Oscar Panizza about the appeal of Wagner's Parsifal to homosexuals. The essay references Ulrichs and Oscar Wilde and is one of several essays on related subjects that appeared in the same year in La Revue Blanche (by Lord Alfred Douglas, Charles Kains Jackson and others). Very good in original wrappers, front cover lightly worn. More
Trier (1942-1944) (3" x 4 1/4"). A unique WWII prison album of 15 black and white photographs and 1 negative documenting a romance between two French prisoners of war interned at the Stalag XII-D in Trier, Germany. Spanning a period between November 1942 and May 1944, most of the photographs and inscriptions on versos reveal a romance between Francis Garnier-Arnoul (the owner of the album) and a certain Christian. Among the inscriptions are the following: "Te connaitre, te voir, t'aimer. Bien douces choses Kiki. Gardons et profitons de ces jours heureux en souhaitant que cela puisse continuer. Ch" (To know you, to see you, to love you. Sweet things Kiki. Let's enjoy and always remember these hapy days withthe hope that this may last. Ch). "Trois jours que je ne t'ai vu. C'est long. Crois moi. Le soir je te verrai, et ma joie reviendra. Si tu pouvais lire en moi-meme maintent. Christian." (Three days I have not seen you. It's long. believe me. This evening I will see you, and my joy will return. If you could read me right now. Christian). "Unis par la pensee et par le coeur. Toujours l'un avec l'autre. Christian." (United by the mind and the heart. Always with each other. Christian) This wallet-size album contains five photographs showing the two lovers together (including one duplicate). Other photographs depict some of Francis' friends at the camp (Bruno, Louison, Elie, as well as a Dutch prisoner of war named Henk Timmer). Included are photographs indicating that the two lovers were part of the team publishing the Stalag newspaper. Five of the 15 photographs are inscribed by fellow prisoners of war who befriended Francis during their captivity. Most of the original photographs measure 2 1/2" x 3 1/2", with one measuring 2 3/4" x 2 1/2" . Very good, album is partly rubbed along edges, with paper string missing, most plastic sleeves to house the photographs are split or missing. Photographs in very good condition. More
Tarik (2001). 71pp. Soft cover. A heavily illustrated record of the last years of Jean Genet in Morocco, with interviews of those he knew in his final years and numerous photographs. Very good in stiff wrappers. More
München : Delphin-Verlag, [1925]. 150pp. Giese (1890-1935) was a German psychologist who dealt in particular with psychotechnology . Giese describes the differences between the ideals of beauty in America versus Europe and conjures a variety of explanations, including eugenics and various business models. deal with everything from victory in war to differences in business models. Very good in good (worn at edges with small tears, etc). Uncoommon. More
Montague Glover (1898 – 1983) was a British freelance architect and private photographer. He is most notable for his depiction of homosexual life in London during the early to mid-20th century through private photographs taken primarily for his own enjoyment. His photographs tend to document 'rough trade', the working class and members of the military. See Gardiner, A Class Apart - The Private Pictures of Montague Glover (1992). His work is rarely seen in trade as the great majority of his work is held in a major private collection. This portrait of a model in a studio wearing a military uniform is a vintage silver gelatin print on Velox paper, image size, 4 1/4" x 6 1/4", mounted to card. [c. 1930]. More
Portrait of a tattooed model in a studio wearing briefs gazing downward. Vintage silver gelatin print on Velox paper, image size, 4 1/4"" x 6 1/2", mounted to card. [c. 1930]. The matte has some staining and foxing but the image is in very good condition. Please inquire for other works by the photographer. Montague Glover (1898 – 1983) was a British freelance architect and private photographer. He is most notable for his depiction of homosexual life in London during the early to mid-20th century through private photographs taken primarily for his own enjoyment. His photographs tend to document 'rough trade', the working class and members of the military. See Gardiner, A Class Apart - The Private Pictures of Montague Glover (1992). His work is rarely seen in trade as the great majority of his work is held in a major private collection. More
A quintessential original pastel drawing by Gaston Goor (5.5" x 10") depicting an largely unclad impish young man eating a banana. As with many of his works, the drawing was made on a black drawing paper and uses a full palette of colors. Very good condition, ex-Peyrefitte collection. More
Paris: Horizons de France (1929). 298pp. A collection of writings by Mario Meunier, Jean Giono, Alain-Fournier and others, illustrated throughout with head pieces by Gaston Goor. Very good in wrappers. More
Paris: Cres (1914). Soft cover. One of 114 numbered copies on vert chartreuse. Very good in original green wrappers, rear hinge a bit weak. Gourmont's classic devoted to his friend Nathalie Barney. More
Vancouver, B.C.: William Hoffer (1984). Originally published in 1903, this new edition contains two appendices and an introduction by Barry Asker. One of 106 numbered copies printed. An attractively produced book with textured silk-covered boards, titling on orange labels on spine and front, orange end papers, leading text-block edge untrimmed. Fine. More
Paris: Librairie Marcel Rivière (1955). 23pp. A record of the Guérin's observations of the Spanish Civil War and his call for an end to fascism in all of its manifestations. The author was an articulate spokesman for anarchism and an early and ardent proponent of free love and homosexuality. He was a leading figure in the French Left from the 1930s until his death in 1988. Very good in lightly browned staple wrappers, some tearing at spine. 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