Poetry and Plays and Music Scores

A Season in Hell (Une Saison en Enfer) – Arthur Rimbaud – A special Edition from New Directions with collected designer Alvin Lustig Dust Jacket.

Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) a unique poet and writer, often described as the ‘Father” of modern poetry. This was his masterpiece. A long prose poem recording his spiritual revolt and struggle. Originally published in 1873.

If you are not familiar with Rimbaud, then you should get to know him. How could someone experience so much so early in life? Set out in nine parts of varying length differing markedly in tone and ease of understanding. Persevere though as here we have a sure piece of genius. At the time of writing Rimbaud had been through a tempestuous homosexual relationship with poet Paul Verlaine. Ending the relationship Verlaine shot Rimbaud and was imprisoned. Rimbaud went to London and took to opium and gin … returning to France to finish and publish A Season in Hell. He never wrote again after the age of twenty years. He then wandered overseas on many adventures ending up as a gun runner in Ethiopia before getting very ill and returning to France. He sadly died of cancer at the age of 37.

A special edition by the distinguished publisher New Directions of New York, dated 1945. With the private bookplate of Marion E, Wetherby Jnr on the front paste down. Crown octavo, xx plus 89 pages. A very good copy in a nice example of the prized dust jacket.

Includes a “Rimbaud Chronology” prepared for the Publisher by Hubert Creekmore, the French original and, alongside that a new English translation by Louise Varese who provides a very useful “translators note”.

Arthur Rimbaud’s Hell – dressed in Lustig

SO SORRY SOLD

$180.00

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Australian Poetry – The Road to Burrandong [A Collection] – George Althofer – First Work – Self Published 1936

George William Francis Althofer (1903-1993) was an Australian botanist, author and poet. He founded the 410 acre Burrendong Botanic Garden and Arboretum specialising in Australian native plants.

This was his first proper publication. Quite a number of the poems had found their way into various rural magazines previously. Self published in 1936. Small octavo, original thick paper wraps, 62 pages, staple bound, with 37 poems of various lengths. Poetry of a good standard, easy on the mind often reflecting on the Australian bush ….

Signed by the poet on the title. Pretty good condition albeit the spine is tired, internally bright and make allowances for a very rare item.

A Voyager favourite rare Australian poetry.

$30.00

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Summer of Smoke – Tennessee Williams – 1957

Published by Secker & Warburg as a softcover in 1957 originally completed by Tennessee Williams in 1948. Perfect bound 8-0 pages with wrap-around green paper cover to the blue soft cover binding. Excellent condition bar ownership stamp and personal library reference on half title.

A play in two parts with thirteen scenes. The play was successful after a re-write [published here] in 1952… it again took another form and was re-titled “the Eccentricities of a Nightingale” in 1964.

The entire play is set in Glorious Hill, Mississippi and is set in the early part of the 20th Century. The story centres on the potential romance between Alma Winemiller a highly strung minister’s daughter and John Buchanan a rather wild and undisciplined young doctor.

The “Author’s Production Notes” covering two pages are succinct but very helpful … focussing on the scenes, mood etc they provide a super introduction for those who enjoy the reading of a play of some standard.

Tennessee Williams and the Summer and Smoke

$30.00

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Sir Samuel Walker Griffith’s – Literal translation of The Inferno of Dante Alighieri. [Printed Draft Signed and Gifted to Governor of Queensland] 1903

A unique item, a printed DRAFT of S.W.G’s mammoth translation of Dante’s Inferno. More so as it is signed by S.W.G. as a gift to the then Queensland Governor Sir Herbert Chermside.

Printed by Powell & Company, Adelaide Street Brisbane … legal and Government Printers, in 1903. Octavo softcover, probably later basic re-enforcement to spine. 136 pages comprising in its entirety of The Inferno and a Title which is a repeat of the cover. Aged somewhat externally with darkening to the card boards. Internally bright and clean with a few tears to the inner crease of one gathering, nothing troublesome. S.W.G’s minor correction by hand in three spots. The final work, itself very scarce was published in Sydney in 1908.

Sir Samuel Walker Griffith GCMG QC (1845-1920) politician, Premier of Queensland, Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, and a principal author of the Constitution of Australia. In 1865 he gained the T.S. Mort Travelling Fellowship and spent most of his time in Italy becoming very much attached to the Italian people and their literature. This the first translation of Dante by an Australian is a remarkable body, scarce, indeed unique in this form.

The Draft of a little known and important work by a leading light in the history of Australia

$370.00

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Film Fun Annual 1957 – Starring Laurel and Hardy

If you don’t know who Laurel and Hardy were then this book is probably not for you … if you do then it will be … pure nostalgia.

Printed in London.. Gordon & Gotch were the Australian Agents. Perfect bound, generally in good condition for its age and undoubted use.

Large format, 128 pages with much more content than others of this style and format. Several cartoon stories each of the comedy adventures of Laurel and Hardy; Abbot and Costello; Red Skelton; Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis and the picture boy Frankie Howerd (before he went Up Pompeii). Some in colour … the whole interspersed with full narrative adventure stories.

Film Fun in 1957 – Times have changed for sure

$35.00

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Ventriloquism For Beginners – A Complete Set of Lessons in the Art of Voice Magic – Douglas Houlden

Published by Kaye & Ward, London revised in 1967. Large octavo, 63 pages with numerous sketches and photographs. A nice copy.

A super guide … a bit like playing the didge … practice makes perfect and here we have the techniques carefully explained. Advanced ventriloquism includes … the muffled voice, the distant voice, drinking (whilst talking) etc. After learning how to do the basic letters and covering up the B’s with G’s we have the most challenging “Labial Sounds”.

All without moving your lips …

$40.00

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A Season in Hell (Une Saison en Enfer) – Arthur Rimbaud – A special Edition from New Directions with collected designer Alvin Lustig Dust Jacket.

Australian Poetry – The Road to Burrandong [A Collection] – George Althofer – First Work – Self Published 1936

Summer of Smoke – Tennessee Williams – 1957

Sir Samuel Walker Griffith’s – Literal translation of The Inferno of Dante Alighieri. [Printed Draft Signed and Gifted to Governor of Queensland] 1903

Film Fun Annual 1957 – Starring Laurel and Hardy

Ventriloquism For Beginners – A Complete Set of Lessons in the Art of Voice Magic – Douglas Houlden

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