[Item #5336] Epigrammes. Paul Verlaine.
Epigrammes
Epigrammes

Epigrammes

Paris, France: Bibliotheque Artistique & Litteraire, 1894. First Edition Thus. Softcover. The second-to-last work published during the lifetime of Paul-Marie Verlaine (1844-1896), the great French poet who, along with his fellow poet & lover Arthur Rimbaud, most highly represents the epitome of the Decadent & symbolist literary movements. An early exemplar of the softcover format in specially sewn binding with author, title, decoration, publisher & date on sheet affixed to front cover; publisher's other titles on sheet affixed to rear cover; frontispiece illustration (of a walker with cane seen from behind) by F.-A.(Frederic-Auguste) Cazals (1865-1941), the acclaimed French artist who was Verlaine's close friend. All text in French. We have seen other examples of this volume by the same publisher without the affixed cover sheets noted above, & so presume this copy is a contemporary variation, therefore a first edition thus. From the collection of Allen Tobias, an assistant to Allen Ginsberg (who as we know was influenced by Verlaine & Rimbaud, as were other founding members of the Beat Generation) beginning in the 1960s, curator, critical writer, all-around Man-of-Letters- as well as our good friend & esteemed colleague at the European Beat Studies Network (ebsn.eu). A most collectible & desirable Verlaine rarity in an interesting contemporary form, with distinguished provenance. In relatively good-to-near-fine condition with moderate rubbing, browning, scratching & occasional light spot-staining to front, rear affixed cover sheets described above; slight loss of paper at blank areas of upper right edge/corner, lower right edge/corner respectively of same; two parallel-intersecting vertical crease-lines across middle of rear sheet; significant rubbing, browning & loss of paper to spine (also apparently affixed, to binding) with some loss to esp. author & title letters; mild wear & some tiny bumps, creases to blank cover sheets; moderate rubbing, browning to edges of text block (which appear mostly untrimmed as issued). Interior generally fine with moderate-to-significant browning esp. to blank margins/edges of page leaves; very slight loss of paper to mostly lower corners of some of same; more significant but still small loss at blank lower edges/corners of a few near-final leaves; very short, closed horizontal tears at side edges of a few leaves. Good- Near Fine. [Item #5336]

Price: $200.00