Sims Reed Rare Books×

BLACK SUN PORTFOLIO. An Intercontinental Quarterly. Nos. 1 - 6. (All Published)

.

Washington D. C., Paris, Rome, Athens. The Black Sun Press. 1945–1947
Sold
Complete set of the internationalist Black Sun Portfolio published in different cities (Washington D. C., Paris, Rome and Athens) with contributions from a variety of important figures from various important modern movements (see below).

'Portfolio has been created and designed to present to an imaginative public, lively and varied examples of work by modern artists. Prose, poetry, prints and plans are gathered here into an ample folder of loose leaf design ... Following World War I the Black Sun Press was born in Paris of just such timely need as now exists - the need of effecting an exchange of thought between America and Europe. In Paris in 1927 Harry Crosby, one of the original editors of 'Transition', published his own poems under the Black Sun imprint, and from then on appeared books of verse and prose by many others ... Today, Phoenix-like, the world emerges once more from the ashes of a war, and again there is being born a new expression of man's aspirations. Never before has so much depended on the courageous vision of the artist, and more than ever before we realize that enormity is not greatness and that the bellowing of the war lords is a repetitive echo of sterility whereas the song of the poet bespeaks endless renewal ... To carry forward into the more complex world of peace that spirit, to build a bridge of enduring fabric between the ivory tower and the arena, to provide a forum in time not yet released from darkness for those who come clad in the Full Armour of Light, is the purpose of PORTFOLIO.' (Caresse Crosby).

Volume 1. Portfolio. Washington. 26 leaves. Edited by Caresse Crosby. Assistant editor: Harry Thornton Moore; Editorial advisors: Henry Miller (Prose), Selen Rodman (Poetry), Sam Rosenberg (Photography). Texts by Caresse Crosby, Henry Miller, René Crevel and others. Illustrations by Jean Helion, Henry Moore, Harry Crosby, and others.

Volume 2. Portfolio II. Paris. Christmas 1945. 22 leaves. With texts by Paul Eluard, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, René Char, Francis Ponge, and others. Illustrations by Dora Maar, Cartier-Bresson, Picasso, Giacometti, and others.

Volume 3. Portfolio III. Washington. 1946. 29 leaves. With texts by Kay Boyle, Harry Crosby, Jean-Paul Sartre, Henry Miller, Charles Bukowski, Stephen Spender, Garcia Lorca, David Daiches, and others. Illustrations by Hans Richter, Wilfredo Lam, Tal-Coat, Dorothea Tanning, and others.

Volume 4. Portfolio IV. Rome. Summer 1946. 28 leaves. With texts by Caresse Crosby, G. de Chirico, Alberto Moravia, Bruno Zevi, and others. With illustrations by de Chirico, Morandi, Carra, Campigli, Guttuso, and others.

Volume 5. Portfolio V. Paris. Spring 1947. 19 leaves of text and 11 illustrations. With texts by Tolstoy, Selden Rodman, Anais Nin, Harry Thornton Moore, and others. Illustrations by Modigliani, Ernst, Man Ray and others.

Volume 6. Portfolio VI. Summer 1947. 36 leaves of text and illustration. With texts by Theotokas, Calas, Cambas, Nicolareizis, and others. Illustrations by Moralis, Kanellis, Kapralos, Diamantopoulos, and others.
6 issues. Folio. Profusely illustrated. Each issue loose in original publisher's portfolio with printed title.
#36692

Other Items

Bigarrure
From the edition limited to 1162 copies.
£300
Icart, Louis. Hermant, AbelBigarrure1928
The World Through Lenses
Shimomura Shotaro's beautiful presentation series of 1930s Modernist travel photographs.
£17,500
Shimomura ShotaroThe World Through Lenses1935
Pantagruel. Les Horribles et Espouvantables Faictz...
André Derain's superb woodcuts - the only colour illustrations he made for a book - for François Rabelais' 'Pantagruel'.
£9,500
Derain, André. Nasier, Alcofrybas (Pseud. of François Rabelais)Pantagruel. Les Horribles et...1943
Les Fleurs Animées, par J.-J. Grandville
Grandville's 'Les Fleurs Animées', an excellent copy in the first publisher's cartonnage.
£5,500
Grandville, (Jean-Ignace-Everard Gérard)Les Fleurs Animées, par...1847
Un Autre Monde: Transformations, visions, incarnations,...
An excellent copy of Grandville's finest book and magnum opus, an extraordinary imaginative tour de force in the original publisher's polychromatic binding.
£9,500
Grandville, (Jean-Ignace-Everard Gérard). Delord, TaxileUn Autre Monde: Transformations,...1844
Les Papillons. Métamorphoses Terrestres des Peuples...
'Les Papillons' in the publisher's polychromatic binding.
£4,750
Varin, Amédée. Nus, Eugène & Antony MerayLes Papillons. Métamorphoses Terrestres...c.1852
Petrificada Petrificante. (Pétrifié Pétrifiante)
Tàpies illustrating Paz.
£5,500
Tapies. Paz, OctavioPetrificada Petrificante. (Pétrifié Pétrifiante)20th October, 1978
A Catalogue of Superobjects - Supercomfort...
The superb, subversive photographic portfolio satirising capitalism and communism.
£20,000
Komar & MelamidA Catalogue of Superobjects...1977
Aesop's Fables with his Life: in...
A superlative large paper copy in a contemporary English binding by the Barlow's Aesop Binder of Barlow's undoubted masterpiece of English book illustration.
£35,000
Barlow, Francis. (Aesop). Behn, AphraAesop's Fables with his...1687
La Petite Classe
An excellent, complete example of the de luxe issue of Louis Legrand's beautiful 'La Petite Classe'.
£12,500
Legrand, LouisLa Petite Classe1908