Portrait of Anthony Sansone before a mirror
A vintage 1930s photograph of Tony Sansone (9.5" x 7.5") taken by Townsend, who produced many images of the bodybuilder and gay icon. Very good, unmounted. More
Featured Items
Erotidia
Rugby: George Over (1889). Sayle's second book of verse, highly praised by John Addington Symonds and reviewed by Charles Kains Jackson in the Artist and Journal of Home Culture. Sayle went on to become a noted bibliographer in Cambridge, where he lived most of his life. Original white buckram a little yellowed, covers a bit marked, light browning to endpapers, erratum present at rear. Inscribed by the author to Godfrey Llloyd ('Godfrey Lloyd / from / C.S. / Cambridge/ June 20. 1897.') on front endpaper. Bookplate of previous owner on front pastedown. Limited to 220 copies. Uncommon. Young 3439. d'Arch Smith 250. More
Der Verfehmte Eros
Berlin: Verlag Fritz Gurlitt (1921). 4to. 26pp. A tribute to the poet August von Platen, Schoff has created twenty-five images to accompany the text, all of which is printed in holograph form. The illustrations are distinctly homoerotic and involve boys cavorting in the countryside or engaged in tender embraces. Schoff was known for his sensually erotic images, many involving homosexual relations. One of 100 copies printed (hand-numbered #14), an additional twenty were issued with hand-colored plates. Very good in lavender colored wrappers with cover design, lightly worn at edges and enclosed in dismembered cardboard box. Several of the plates are signed by the artist. Quite rare- we find no copies in American institutions. More
Le Violon Mécanique
Paris: Messein (1931). A collection of poetry by the author of several gay books. This was his last production- he was killed by one of his lovers the following year. One of 500 copies issued, a beautiful example in wrappers with the original wraparound band present. More
Signe de Piste
Quebec (1982-1984). A series of seven Signe de Piste periodicals (#62, 73, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) each of which are 24pp in stapled wrappers with numerous illustrations by Pierre Joubert and others, as well as numerous photographs of scouts. More
Le nouveau monde. 2eme Series
[Deauville, France : Marthe Régnier, ca. 1923?]. One of a series of large folios dedicated to the foibles of the Parisian beaux monde in the 1920s. Thirty-two colored illustrations all colored by hand (J. Saude) including images of Paul Poiret, Leonora Hughes, The Maharajah of Kapurthala, King Alfonso of Spain, C. Gulbnkian, the Aga Khan, Elsa Maxwell, Vionnet and many others. Many of the images bear penned identifications of those portrayed. Contemporary 3/4 leather binding with marbled paper boards and endpapers. Some wear to edges and spine, leather is a bit discolored- internally very good. Rare. More
An original design for ceiling of the private theater at Charles de Beistegui's Château Groussay by the renowned architect and designer Alexander Serebriakov. Inspired by the Margravine Theatre in Bayreuth, the theater was designed by Emilio Terry and Serebriakov and had its opening in 1957. The preliminary design ( 22" x 29") is completed in pencil, watercolor and gouache and is monogrammed "AS" and dated October 15, 1954. From the collection of Albert Mazurier (1879-1965), painter of wall decorations who worked for Charles de Beistegui. Very good, some small closed tear at edges, light creases and a few light stains. Included is a collection of ALS relating to Chateau Groussay: - Card of invitation addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Mazurier by Carlos de Beistegui for a representation of the "Impromptu de Groussay" dated March 18th, 1957; -1 ALS letter of condolence by Alexander Serebriakoff dated September 15, 1965 (... I still remember, from my meetings (at Mr de Beistègui), your father and I was a great admirer of his talent! Not to mention the sympathy in the rare conversations we have, had on the art ... .dévoués Souvenirs " - 1 ALS signed by Charles de Beistégui dated September 6, 1965 expressing condolences on Mazurier's death. - Invoice concerning the decoration of the ceiling of Groussay addressed to Monsieur de Beistegui by Albert Mazurier - 1 ALS to Mr. Mazurier by Charles de Beistegui complaining of the high price of his achievements and referencing Emilio Terry as "mon frere." - 1 ALS by Charles de Beistégui confirming the order of two copies of paintings. -1 card of sympathy by Emilio Terry to Mazurier's daughter in original envelope on engraved stationary. -A copy of the January issue of Connaissances des Art, featuring the Groussay theater on the cover. More
Hygiène et Education Sexuelle
Toulouse (1948). A small compendium of information on sexuality, with explanations of frigidity, homosexuality. Very good in wrappers. More
Romantic Ballads and Poems of Phantasy
London: Walter Scott (1889). 2nd ed. 88pp. This quite uncommon collection by the Scottish poet (aka Fiona Macleod). Sharp, a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, used his feminine alter ego increasingly after 1893. A very good copy in rather browned and chipped parchment paper wrappers, slight loss at head of spine. Warmly inscribed by Sharp to fellow poet Bliss Carmen on front endpaper. More
The Rose
Los Angeles (1955). lg. 4to. 12pp. One of the privately published collections of the eccentric poet/collector's poetry. No limitation stated, but these were issued in very small editions and distributed to his friends. Warmly inscribed on front endpaper by James to "Mirandi" (Miranda Speranza Masocco Levy), one of the founders of the Santa Fe Opera (and a close friend of Stravinsky). Very good in red wrappers, water stain to top edge, small scar on cover. Rare. More
Men and Boys: An Anthology
New York (1924). The first, and extremely uncommon, anthology of homosexual literature to be published in America. The author, a professional chemist and graduate of Columbia University, compiled the anthology anonymously and remains somewhat of a mystery today. His identity has been revealed by the research of several scholars (notably Timothy d'Arch Smith and Donald Mader) and the story of the anthology has been discussed in the only reprint of the edition (Coltsfoot Press, 1978). The anthology commences with works from ancient Hebrew literature and progresses throught the poetry of the 1920s. Included are a selection of known Uranian poets, such as Digby Mackworth Dolben, Edward Cracroft Lefroy, Edward Emmanuel Bradford, John Gambril Nicholson, John Moray Stuart-Young, Edmund John, "Philebus" (John Leslie Barford) and John Addington Symonds. But there are also some surprising contributions from more traditional poets, such as Ernest Myers, William Alexander Percy, James Fennimore Cooper, Jr., Victor Starbuck, Katherine Mansfield, Willard Wattles as well as the anthologist himself. Described by Timothy d'Arch Smith as a "startingly thorough and well-informed anthology" it remains a classic in the field of gay literature and a cornerstone of collecting in the field. According to a prospectus issued by the anthologist, the book was issued in an edition of 150 copies, but relatively few are known to exist. This is a very good copy with the original uncommon half-title page (referencing the author's pseudonym and identifying the work as a scholarly dissertation). Laid in is a 2pp ALS to Slocum from the Uranian poet Cecil Roberts who invites Slocum to meet and discuss "some of your recent work on the continent." Young 1141*. Scarce. More
The Bibelot
Portland: Thomas Moser (1908) (1911). Two editions of The Bibelot containing three separate essays on the life and work of Simeon Solomon. Wilde's friend Ross contributes "An Appreciation"; Symons a "Note on Simeon Solomon" and Swinburne "Notes on "His Vision of Love" and other Studies. Both copies of the journal are very good in original wrappers, light cover wear. Uncommon. More
Bravo Yves!
PARIS: International Associes for St. Laurent. ND. large 4to. 52pp. Soft cover. A very large format illustrated edition of this collection of articles and photographs about the career of St. Laurent. Essays by Vreeland, Charles-Roux, Fairchild and others. Numerous photographs of St. Laurent, Cocteau, Berard and many others. More
Shirtless standing tattooed male with rose tattoo on chest (14" x 22"), signed "Sparrow 1957"). Exhibited Museum of Sex, 2011. More
Tim: A Story of Eton
Macmillan: London (1891). 318pp. The first of the "Arcadian" English public-school novels written four years before the Wilde prosecution. The story revolves around the love between two Eton boys- "thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women." Forrest Reid, among others, admired the work and admitted that it emboldened him to write his Garden God on a similar theme. Edward Prime-Stevenson called the book "strikingly pathetic, graceful and delicately written." It was also much admired by E. M. Forster, Henry James and Edith Wharton. The book was written pseudonymously and went through several printings. Good in original blue boards, slight spine roll, bumps to edges, a few pages roughly opened, rear hinge splitting, wear to spine. Young 3696*. More
Wine Women and Song
London: Chatto & Windus (184). 1st Edition. Hardcover. Babington 36. One of 50 copies of the Large Paper edition, this numbered 49. Covers worn, edges and corners rubbed and bumped, offsetting to endpapers. More
Studies in Strange Souls
Charles J. Sawyer. 1929. 82pp. Limited edition of 100 copies, this one being no. 56, signed by the author. Portrait frontis. + 2 plates. Original red buckram gilt faded on spine, otherwise very good. More