Charters, Ann; Ginsberg, Allen

Scenes Along the Road: Photographs of the Desolation Angels 1944-1960

New York, NY: Portents/ Gotham Book Mart, 1970. First Limited Softcover Edition. Softcover. "SCENES ALONG THE ROAD is a collection of snapshots of a group of men before they became, as Jack Kerouac put it, "famous writers more or less." In the 1940s and early 1950s, when most of the snapshots were taken, they were known only to each other, and these photos are candid shots they took to capture the private moments of their life and experience together." (from introduction, pg. 7) This historic volume is the earliest compilation of images that have since become iconic & reproduced in many Beat-related publications & exhibits. William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Herbert Huncke & Co. are candidly depicted at the dawn & later height of the Beat Generation. Compiled by Ann Charters, Kerouac's first biographer & bibliographer, among the very foremost Beat critical scholars. With three poems & commentary by Ginsberg, a Founding Father of the Beats, who originally took many of these photographs. Co-published by Portents, the imprint of Samuel Charters, the late husband of & collaborator with Ann Charters; & the Gotham Book Mart, in conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary (1920-1970) of that venerable, now long-defunct NYC bookselling institution. Trade-format softcover in sewn binding, one of a total edition of 2000 of which 1750 were softcovers as here, per colophon. Morgan, B71(a)3, pg. 140. A classic, essential Beat Generation collectible in its third-rarest original form & in exceptionally very fine condition with only a touch of rubbing & faint scratching to front, back covers & spine; a few tiny bumps at edges & corners of same; slight bending of spine toward rear. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps at upper corners of a few page leaves, otherwise substantially mint. Very Fine. [Item #5335]

Price: $75.00