Various (Mills, Brian (Editor) et al.)

The Dreamer No. 6 (September 1970)

Derby, England: Brian Mills, 1970. Limited First Edition. Stapled Wrappers. Signed by Brian Mills. “The following are some of the offences enumerated in the section (28):-- / Obstructions and nuisances by animals, &c., in streets; allowing unmuzzled dogs at large; furious driving and other offences regarding riding, driving, &c.; obstructing footway with goods, &c.; rolling hoops; hanging clothes; prostitutes importuning passengers; selling, &c., obscene books; exposing person (c); discharging firearms or fireworks; ringing bells; flying kites, making slides, &c.; cleaning casks, shaking carpets, &c.; throwing rubbish, &c. (except snow), from roof; placing flower-pots, &c., unguarded on upper windows; standing on sill to clean windows; leaving any cellar, vault, or sewer, &c., open; throwing out dust, litter, nightsoil, &c.; keeping pig-stye in front of street or swine as to be a nuisance. / [Several of the foregoing offences are punishable under the Highway, Vagrant, and other Acts.].”--from inside front cover. This is the sixth number of the Dada-Surrealism-inspired literary/collage-art journal edited & published by Brian Mills (possibly the acclaimed British television director (1933-2006) whose background was in the arts). With hand-colored front cover image, & vintage circa-Victorian era, and classical Greek collaged images, texts throughout. The juxtapositioning & mixture of disparate images & texts were practiced by Mills' predecessors in the Dadaist & Surrealist movements including Max Ernst et al., & were a precursor to William S. Burroughs' cut-up works. Loose sheets folded vertically, one of 100 copies hand-numbered & signed in faded blue ink by Mills at lower rear cover colophon, this is copy No. 56/100. From the collection of Richard Cupidi (b. 1945), our esteemed mate in the UK who was the manager of the fabled Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton, England founded by Bill Butler (1934-1977, the famed American-expatriate poet, bookseller & publisher). From the late 1960s through the early 1970s, Unicorn proffered & published many outstanding productions by WSB, J.G. Ballard et al., some of which have become the scarcest, all-but-unobtainable Beat-&-Beyond collectibles (see for example our item No.s 8217, 8366). After prevailing against censorious harassment efforts, Unicorn closed & Butler died in short order. Cupidi went on to found the Public House Bookshop in Brighton, which had a long & successful run but which is now also closed, & he still resides there. We have been privileged to obtain what Cupidi has termed "The Last Hurrah," all the remaining gems of Unicorn & Public House, including this. Third Mind Books proceeds to reverently curate & incrementally present the Butler-Cupidi-Unicorn-Public House legacy that is in our custodial hands- until it passes to yours. This issue is the first of a complete run of the short-lived but legendary series of The Dreamer. The first six issues are included in this group of new arrivals (see for example our item no.s 8932, 8930, 8928 & 8926) A delicately beautiful production; a most-scarce & influential collectible in its singularly rarest contemporary form with the most distinguished & relevant provenance. In relatively quite very fine condition with only slight rubbing, faint scratching, light age-toning, occasional spotting & short, faint creasing to front, back covers & spine; a touch of wear & a few tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same; very slight rubbing, age-toning to edges of text block. Interior very fine with only a bit of age-toning to inner covers & page leaves (chiefly at blank margins/edges); miniscule bumps at corners of some leaves. Very Fine. [Item #8922]

Price: $50.00