[Obelisk Press] PRESTON, William

Paris: N.p. [Obelisk Press], N.d. [?1931]

Large 8vo., pp. 40. 2 pp. note on the career of William Preston bound in to preliminaries (present in all copies examined). Rebound in leather, original pale blue paper wrappers bound... [more]

[Obelisk Press] HANLEY, James

Paris: Obelisk Press, 1936

8vo, pp. 269. Original illustrated stiff paper wrappers with foldover flaps. Leading and lower edges uncut.

Fourth edition, first Obelisk edition, with the dancing girl design to front panel. Presumed earliest impression, without the wording 'Banned in England May 1935' to front panel usually found on this title.

Boy,Hanley's account of a boy running away to sea, was first published by Boriswood in London in 1931, in both a limited unexpurgated issue, and a trade issue in which the more contentious passages were replaced by asterisks or gaps in the text. A second impression and a US edition followed, both bowdlerised. When a cheap, unexpurgated edition appeared in 1934 a Manchester lending library was prosecuted for stocking it, and Boriswood's directors were charged with aiding and abetting. All parties pleaded guilty on legal advice, and the book was banned. After the trial Jack Kahane of the Paris-based, English-language imprint the Obelisk Press, bought the sheets of the 1934 edition and inserted a new title page. The result was this edition, which is dedicated to Nancy Cunard, at one time Kahane's lover.

This issue, with the lurid dancing girl cover design, is extremely scarce: Hanley's first bibliographer failed to find this edition, and doubted its existence. This is the presumed first state (see above), which is scarcer still.

DURRELL, Lawrence

Paris: Obelisk, 1938

Octavo, pp. 260. Original stiff paper wrappers.

First edition.
No. 1 in the Villa Seurat series, established by Henry Miller and Laurence and Nancy Durrell as an imprint of the Obelisk... [more]

[Obelisk Press] ANDERSON, Robin

Paris: Obelisk Press, 1935

Small 8vo, pp. 118. Original red stiff paper wrappers, lettered in black on front panel and spine.

First edition. A tirade against the... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

[trans. RIGNAUT, Homer] SAINE, Uc

Paris: Edward Titus, 1929

8vo, pp. 16. Original plain stiff paper wrappers, housed in a dustwrapper printed in red and black to front panel. Top edge cut, others uncut. Small ... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

Paris: Editions des Quatres Chemins 1928

Small 8vo, pp. 81. Original stiff paper wrappers and glassine jacket.

First edition. Copy no. 650 of a not especially limited edition of 3000 copies, but a superior example.

MILLER, Henry

Paris: Olympia Press 1953

2 vols. 8vos, pp. 342 and 348. Original stiff paper wrappers.

First English-language edition, preceded only by the French translation published by Corrêa a year before in an edition of just ... [more]

DOUGLAS, Norman

London: St. Catherine Press, 1916

8vo, pp. 162. Original tan boards, lettered in gilt to front panel and spine. Top edge gilt and cut, others uncut.

First edition. ... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

[Olympia Press] de SADE, D.A.F.

Paris: Olympia Press, 1953

Small 8vo, pp. 330. Original yellow stiff paper wrappers, printed in black.

First English-language edition -- and, after Henry Miller's... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

[OLYMPIA PRESS] BECKETT, Samuel

Paris: Olympia Press, 1958

Small 8vo, pp. 274. Original green boards, title labels to spine and front panel. Red endpapers. Illustrated dustwrapper.

First trade... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

RIPSTON, Rowena

Paris: Vendome Press, 1949

8vo, pp. 283. Original illustrated paper wrappers, lettered in red and white to front panel, and black to spine.

First edition.

[pseud. RUBINGTON, Norman] del PIOMBO, Akbar

Paris: Olympia Press, 1957

12mo, pp.175. Original green stiff paper wrappers, lettered in black. On rear panel, original price (Francs: 900) blacked out and new price... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

Paris: Olympia Press, 1953

Small 8vo, pp. 157. Original blue stiff paper wrappers, printed in black.

A translation by Alexander Trocchi (using the pseudonym 'Oscar ... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

[ed. JOLAS, Eugene]

The Hague: Servire Press: February 1933

8vo, pp. 179. Original outsize printed paper wrappers,inevitably worn at edges.

First edition.
With contributions from Kurt Schwitters, Hans Arp, Eugene Jolas and Stuart ... [more]