Paris: Obelisk Press (1936)., A quite uncommon novel about Gilles de Rais by the rather obscure poet and translator who was at the center of the Paris expatriates in the 1920s. He was an associate editor at the New Review and translator of a Black Sun edition and an intimate of Jean Cocteau and friends with Hans Henning (Alastair). A very good copy, covers rather sunned , with light edgewear. One of 100 signed and numbered copies, this is copy #1. More
Two autograph letters from the acclaimed painter to his longtime friend and confidant, Charles Kains-Jackson, both dated 1926. Tuke was best known for his paintings of maritime subjects, particularly of nude young men at the beach. The first is dated 11 February 1926, toward the end of Tuke's nine-week stay in Jamaica and was written on the letterhead of the Waterloo Hotel on Black River. Tuke writes: " I have done quite a lot of sketches & studies & found some good subjects, if one was ever to come back here for any length of time." The second letter was dated at Hampstead, England on 4 May 1926, shortly after his return, discussing his plans to visit the artist colony at Kardomah, Wales with friends: "Masson, Colin, and Towsey are all staying this week-end with Sidney Lomer!" Tuke's patron Sydney Lomer once famously asked Tuke to define the genitals more clearly in one of his paintings. "Colin' was possibly Colin Goodwyn, a model for his 1900 painting 'The Coming of Day'; 'Masson' was in all probability the artist's close friend Charles Masson Fox (1866-1935); and the final guest would be the photographer Stanley Towsey. Tuke also writes "If you come here I can show you a number of my sketches and you can inspect the new room I have added to the house." Signed as H .S. Tuke, each 2 pages, the first 8 1/2x5 1/2 inches, 21 1/2x14 cm, and the other a bit smaller; moderate wear and soiling to the first letter and minimal wear to the second. More
Boston: Merrymount Press (1941). One of 75 specially bound and signed copies for the Society of Printers. Near fine in marbled boards, original glassine wrappers yellowed and edgeworn. More
Paris (1909) #422. 4to. This edition of L'Assiette au Beurre, the long running satirical French magazine, presents a number of images of stereotypical effeminate gay men in various social settings. Very good in lightly worn covers. Numerous illustrations. Uncommon. More
Five of the original photo-engraved printing blocks for the illustrations for the novel. The engraved metal plates are mounted on to the original woodblocks used in the production of the book, all of which bear the title of the book on the side. The plates are in very good condition, several are lightly worn and have residue of the inks used in the letterpress process. All of the blocks are capable of being used for printing in contemporary letterpress printing. Included are the cover illustration for the book and the plates from pages 143, 155, 169 and 207. More
Paris: Alphonse Lemerre (1905). 163pp. A collection of poetry bearing a printed dedication to Natalie Barney. A very good copy in original wrappers illustrated by Lévy Dhurmer. Claude Bac @113. More
Paris: Sansot (1910) 103pp. A collection of twenty-four poems by the lesbian poet, published the year after her death. Vivien is perhaps best known for her tortured relationships with Natalie Barney and the Baroness Hélène van Zuylen and her drug addictions. One of fifty numbered copies (#22) printed on Japon. Very good in decorative wrappers. (Goujon, 43; Bac, p. 161). More
An original vintage portrait (c. 1890-1900) of a male youth, mostly likely "Ahmed" who appears in other images by the photographer. (9" x 6.25") mounted on a sheet from a photography album. More
München: Verlag Akropolis, [1907]. 158pp. The author's mystical philosophies of Clarism, the “new religion” that was founded by von Kupffer and Eduard Mayer in 1900, is elaborated in this early work. The development of this concept was a reaction to the monistic movements in the German-speaking countries. More
Leipzig: Max Spohr [1908]. 100pp. One of several books published by the Estonian esthete, artist, and writer and poet, who eventually adopted the name "Elisarion." He studied at St. Petersburg, where he met Eduard von Mayer (1873 - 1960), his life-long partner. Between 1894 and 1897 they traveled throughout Europe and befriended Von Gloeden in Taormina. They eventually sought refuge in Switzerland during the war years and created an extraordinary "Santuarium" in Minusio where Elisarion wrote and painted a number of homoerotic murals. His "Klaristiche" movement there sought to blend together homoeroticism, Greek mythology and medieval codes of chivalry. His work was also published and reviewed in the gay magazine "Akademos" published by Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen. One of Elisarion's more uncommon works, on the Renaissance sculptor Sodoma (Giovan Antonio). A near fine copy in original wrappers, illustrated. Spohr bibliography at 422. More
Eberswalde-Berlin : Jung [c. 1910]. 148pp. A quite uncommon collection of von Kuppfer's poetry (an one "morality fantasy"), most of which is quite homoerotic in tone (including "Antinous," and "Im heim der Liebe"). "Elisarion" as he styled himself, was an accomplished writer, poet and artist, who settled in Locarno, Switzerland, with his lover Eduard von Mayer on 1915 and began a religious movement called "Klarismus" which exalted the beauty of ephebes and sought clarity in daily life. He was also an early homosexual rights activist and penned Lieblingminne und Freundesliebe in der Weltliteratur in 1900, the first published anthology of gay verse, inspiring Edward Carpenter to issue his Iolaus several years late (see #). Published by Max Spohr's influential press, known for issuing many important gay texts. A very good copy, light spotting to front endpaper, front pastedown has some bubbling. The photographic frontispiece bears a printed signature by the author. More
A vintage albumen print of four rather forlorn male nudes posing in an outdoor setting(4" x 6"). The photographer's blue (Rome) stamp on verso. Very good with light crease. The image is likely to date around 1900, when the photographer was working in Rome- he left Italy in 1910. More
Edinburgh: Tragara Press (1982). Soft cover. Another of the author's monographs on Corvo. One of 110 numbered copies. Fine in blue wrappers. More
London: Enitharmon Press (1976). A posthumous collection of Welch's intensely personal poetry and a selection of his drawings, with an Introduction by Jean-Louis Chevalier. Mine was a lost and moony life Alone among the fields at night: Or in the loft with the sick smelling apples Blistering along the shelves in the moonlight. Mine was a life all to myself With torn newspaper about my feet, But now I lie beneath this enemy sky At the end of the longest street. Of a total edition of 660 copies, this is one of 60 special numbered copies on blue paper and specially bound. A fine copy. Uncommon. More
Samuel Charters: NP (1968). Soft cover. A long poem dedicated to Charles Olson, printed on a singled foled sheet, folded several times. Very good. More
Buffalo: Gallery Upstairs Press (1967). An early collection of poetry, some of which have a gay theme. One of 1,000 copies. Very good in blue wrappers.Young 4106. More
Upsala: Esaias Edquist (1880). 38pp. Carl Pontus Wikner (19 May 1837 - 16 May 1888) was a famed Swedish lecturer in philosophy and is considered one of the founders of the homosexual liberation movement in Sweden. Against the argument that homosexuality is unnatural, he answered that only that which according to the laws of nature cannot occur is unnatural. And nothing is bad which does not injure or harm any person. He pleaded to all future readers to give homosexuals the right to get married. Very good in original wrappers, small closed tears to covers. Rare. More
London: Grant Richards (1906). 328pp. There are nine contributions (poems) by Wilde, including "Theocritus" and "The True Knowledge." Very good in gold stamped boards, wear to head and tail of spine, edgewear. More
Three TLS and one typed card from Williams to collector Anthony Reid, all dated 1980. Williams was the longtime principal of the Jargon Society, the important small-press publisher founded in 1951 by Williams. The amusing letters are filled with book gossip and reference Ralph Chubb, Ian Young and a number of shared interests. Very good, laid into a custom paper envelope by Reid, along with his Ralph Chubb bookplate. More
Saskatoon: Stumble Jumper (1977). 31pp. Gay poetry, signed by the author on endpaper. He has also written out a poem not included in the collection. Very good in fine paper covered wraps. Young 4190*. More
Woubrugge: Avalon Press (2002). 44pp. The first publication of Alfred Douglas' appeal on behalf of Wilde, submitted to the Mercure de France in 1895, but never published. One of 250 copies printed letterpress. Fine in linen boards, inscribed by Wintermans on front endpaper. More
Quimper (1996). 4to. Illustrated catalog of this artist's work at the Musée des Beaux Arts in Quimper. Fine in wrappers. More
Paris: Tallandier [1938]. 221pp. Novel based on the life and favorites of King Henry III, long reputed to have been homosexual. A contemporary chronicler of the period notes that they made themselves "exceedingly odious, as much by their foolish and haughty demeanour, as by their effeminate and immodest dress, but above all by the immense gifts the king made to them."Very good in illustrated wrappers, light edgewear and browning. Uncommon. More
