USD
GBP
EUR
CAD
AUD
ZAR
Bookfever.com
Membership(s): IOBA, ESA, CALIBA
Joffe, Constantin LES ENTERRES VIVANTS DU STALAG XVII A The Buried Alive of Stalag XVII A
$175.00
New York: Editions de la Maison Francaise, (1943). SIGNED first edition –
A powerful memoir by this Russian-French-American photographer, a firsthand account of his experience as a prisoner of war during World War II, one which emphasizes the inhumanity of the conditions under which they were held – the title refers to the German prisoner-of-war camp located in Kaisersteinbruch, Austria, where he was held. Written while he was in exile in New York, after fleeing Vichy France, it was also published in English under the title “We Were Free” the same year.
Joffe had been a fashion journalist in Paris before the war, and he went on to become a noted photographer for Vogue and Glamour and a photojournalist, with some of his photographs from India included in Steichen’s ‘Family of Man.’ Warmly INSCRIBED on the first page and SIGNED C. Joffe. Foreword by novelist Louis Bromfield. Text in French/en francais. 220 pp.
Condition: Very good minus in printed wrappers – some toning and wear to the covers, contents clean and near fine.
Related products
-
THE NOBEL LAUREATE IN FINE PRESS FORM
Mann, Thomas (1875–1955) A Sketch of My Life [Signed by Thomas Mann] [Harrison of Paris] [Limited to 75 Copies on Imperial Japanese Vellum] SIGNED THOMAS MANN — A MASTER OF MODERN LITERATURE IN A LUXURY PRIVATE PRESS EDITION
$2,400.00A beautifully preserved signed copy of A Sketch of My Life, one of only 75 copies printed on Imperial Japanese vellum by Harrison of Paris. Issued shortly after Thomas Mann received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929, this edition presents the author’s autobiographical reflection in the refined format that became central to Monroe Wheeler’s vision of modern fine press publishing. Signed by Thomas Mann and originating from the Harrison of Paris / Monroe Wheeler archive, this copy combines literary importance, exceptional materials, and fine press design. THE AUTHOR AT HIS MOMENT OF RECOGNITION.A Sketch of My Life offers Mann’s own account of his early years, family background, education, and the development of his literary career before international recognition transformed him into one of Europe’s most celebrated writers. Published at the height of Mann’s reputation, the work captures a moment of reflection before the political upheavals that would reshape his life and the literary world of the 1930s. A MODERN FINE PRESS STATEMENT.Harrison of Paris, founded and directed by Monroe Wheeler, sought to unite distinguished literature with exceptional design, typography, and materials. This edition demonstrates Wheeler’s early commitment to restrained elegance rather than traditional decorative excess. The Imperial Japanese vellum issue represents the finest state of the publication, emphasizing material quality, typography, and craftsmanship. This edition brings together Thomas Mann’s literary importance with Monroe Wheeler’s distinctive approach to modern fine press production, creating a copy of interest to collectors of twentieth-century literature and book arts. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Octavo, approximately 8.25 inches tall. Quarter-bound in vellum over stiff paper boards. Original protective slipcase. Printed in France for Harrison of Paris. Printed on Imperial Japanese vellum. [10], 11–75 pages. Includes the rare errata slip noting the increase of the limitation from 50 to 75 copies. CONDITION: Fine. The vellum remains creamy and bright. The text block is pristine. The original slipcase is solid with only minimal shelf handling. An exceptionally well-preserved example of this limited Harrison of Paris production. LITERARY SIGNIFICANCE: THE NOBEL YEARS—A WRITER AT THE SUMMIT Thomas Mann remains one of the defining literary figures of the twentieth century. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929, he entered the 1930s as one of Europe’s most respected novelists and intellectuals. This autobiographical work reflects Mann’s own understanding of his literary development at a pivotal moment, shortly before exile and political conflict transformed his personal and professional life. THE MAKING OF MODERN FINE PRESSThe Harrison of Paris edition represents an important early expression of Monroe Wheeler’s approach to fine publishing: combining major literary voices with carefully considered typography, materials, and production. SUBJECTS: Thomas Mann; Nobel Prize Literature; Harrison of Paris; Monroe Wheeler; Fine Printing; Private Press Books; German Literature; Literary Autobiography; Modernism; Vellum Bindings; Limited Editions, Fine Press; Signed Books; Literary Autobiography; Limited Editions; German Literature; Modern Literature.
Offered for Sale by: Blind Horse Books [ABAA] -
A Nicely Preserved Copy
Howard, Sir Robert The History of the Reigns of Edward and Richard II. with Reflections and Characters of Their Cheif Ministers and Favourites. Written in the Year 1685.
$450.00[6], xli, [1], 183, [1] pages; original calf, re-backed with later calf; marbled pastedowns & endpapers. Title page with publishers ornament in red. The publication date on the title page has been neatly altered in pen to 1699. Leaves A2 & A4, correctly signed; page 144 wrongly numbered 441. Moderate wear to covers at corners; cracks to leather leading top front corner and rear edge. Bottom and leading edges of text block soiled, top edge stained black. Title page shows some tanning; text pages relatively clean throughout with toning at edges. Nicely preserved.Â
Offered for Sale by: G. F. Wilkinson Books -
SCARCE HARLEM RENAISSANCE IN DUST JACKET
Taylor, Gordon (1893-1971) , Carl Van Vechten, foreword. BORN TO BE
$1,500.00New York: Covici Friede, 1929. First printing. An eloquent book in which this African-American singer, one of the foremost spiritual / blues singers of his day,  recounts his childhood in the ‘sporting world’ in Sulfur Springs, Montana (where his family was the only black family), his experiences as  a Pullman porter, working as a driver for John Ringling, being in New York during the years now called the ‘Harlem Renaissance’  and traveling to Europe to sing. Written at the peak of his singing career, during which  he partnered with Rosalind Johnson (sister of James Weldon Johnson), this ends with his comments on “what a lucky bird I am to have been laid on the top of the Rocky Mountains.” Long after the events in this book, he returned to Sulfer Springs for the remainder of his life.  Illustrated with a color frontispiece and 9 black and white plates by Covarrubias; includes an introduction by Muriel Draper, who talks about editing the original handwritten manuscript, and a foreword by Carl Van Vechten. An important book of the Harlem Renaissance era which is scarce in the first edition and rare in dust jacket. Glossary. 235 pp.  Very good in brown cloth with orange lettering – slight spine slant, some wear to the top of the spine – in a good only example of the Covarrubias illustrated dust jacket, with shallow chipping to the edges, sunning to the spine, but complete. Â
Offered for Sale by: Bookfever.com -
Association copy of a rare Aussie pioneer memoir
MacAlister, Chas Old Pioneering Days in the Sunny South
$2,500.00Gene W. Baade Books on the West
Goulburn (Australia): Chas. MacAlister Book Publication Committee, 1907. First Edition. Hardcover. Fair. 1st and only printing until facsimile reprint in 1977. Gilt-stamped red cloth. 396pp plus 9pp advertising in rear, plus ad on the rear paste down. Index. Ink signature of author’s friend, Charles Cowper, on front paste down and four other pages. Cowper is listed in the index, which cites three pages to which he, alongside the entry, adds in ink three more page citations. More on Cowper below. This is a book filled with vivid, highly detailed accounts of colonial New South Wales. Online information says it is “a vital first-hand record of early colonial life, transport, and lawlessness in southeastern New South Wales…” “The book is exceptionally famous among folklorists and historians for preserving the oldest surviving written version of the legendary ballad, ‘Jim Jones at Botany Bay.” MacAlister arrived in New South Wales in 1833 as a three-year old where his father initially managed the estate of a relative. MacAlister was a “carrier” (freighter) by his teen years, hauling wool and other goods to market between his rural home near Goulburn and Sydney. He soon became a cattle and horse trader and drover, and eventually a hotel owner and gold miner. This firsthand, original source history is packed with information, “including The Penal Period, Bushrangers, Gold Rushes, and Colonial Development.” MacAlister reports much on the prisoners that occupied and labored in this penal colony. He provides details on the growth of Goulburn and Argyle, the importance of the growing city of Sydney, He report extensively on fairs and horse races, floods and droughts, mail service, railroads, “diggers” (gold seekers), outlaws, ticket-of-leave men, judges, sheriffs, pioneers, the old drovers of bullock-pulled freight wagons, politicians and politics, clerics, sports heroes, and many others. MacAlister personally knew hundreds of people and in this book he names literally thousands of individuals along with associated places, dates, and events. MacAlister died before he could review the proofs of his book. His Son, George, edited the volume and brought it to final print. As to Charles Cowper (1834-1911), the original owner of this copy, his father was Premier of NSW five times between 1856 – 1879. Charles, the son whose signatures appear in this copy, was also active politically and was a member of parliament as well as at one time Sheriff of NSW. This copy in fair to good condition with a flaw described here, namely the cloth of the spine split down the middle and thus a candidate for professional restoration. The red cloth is reasonably bright except for some fading to the spine. There is light blotching on the front cover that does not remove or blot out the red color of the cloth, but reduces its brightness. See photo. Quite mild foxing in places. The gilt-stamping of the titles is very good. There is a tiny bit of fraying at the head and toe of the spine. There is short cut to the cloth on the lower spine near the rear board. In two locations signatures separating with webbing exposed. A fascinating book and hard to put down. We have located fourteen copies, all but one shelved in Australian national and university libraries and museums. While this book is not superlatively rare in terms of library access, as offered on the market in the last 100 plus years it is rare. Even the 1977 facsimile reprint is hard to find.
Offered for Sale by: Gene W. Baade Books on the West
