[Rarebooks] FS: John Ashbery's first books: Some Trees and Turandot, inscribed

[Charles Agvent]

          1. ASHBERY,  John.  SOME TREES. New Haven: Yale  University
        Press 1956.  First  Edition. Poet's first trade book,  with a
        foreword  by  W.  H. Auden. Endpapers tanned front  and  rear
        from newspaper  clippings once laid in. Owner name of  Walter
        Campbell  on  front  endpaper. Slight darkening to  spine  of
        dustwrapper  which is lightly soiled. Near Fine in Very  Good
        or better dustwrapper.                                $600.00

           2. ASHBERY,  John.  SOME TREES. New Haven: Yale  University
         Press 1956.  First  Edition. Poet's first trade book,  with a
         foreword  by  W.  H. Auden. Mostly erased but  still  visible
         pencil  signature  of Donald M. Allen on the front  endpaper,
         editor  of  the important anthology, THE NEW AMERICAN  POETRY
         1945-1960,  that helped to solidify the post-war non-academic
         movement  of poetry in the United States. Also INSCRIBED  and
         SIGNED  by  Ashbery  to another in 1999 on  the  title  page.
         Slight  tanning  to dustwrapper spine and a tiny closed  tear
         at the rear. Fine in just about Fine dustwrapper.    $1000.00

           3. ASHBERY,  John.  TURANDOT  AND OTHER  POEMS.  New  York:
         Tibor de  Nagy  Gallery 1953. First Edition. Ashbery's  first
         book, a  23-page chapbook in sewn decorated paper wraps,  one
         of only  300  copies printed. Illustrated with four  drawings
         by Jane  Freilicher.  In  this  copy two of  the  plates  are
         duplicated  giving  a  total  of six  plates.  INSCRIBED  and
         SIGNED  by  the poet to Herbert with love and also  INSCRIBED
         and SIGNED  by  the  artist to Herbert with "my  love,  too."
         Both inscriptions  are  on  the title page and appear  to  be
         contemporary.  Wrappers are slightly darkened with two  round
         oily stains  on the rear, not too dark. The front wrapper has
         one short  closed  tear neatly repaired internally with  tape
         and a sliver  chip  on  the  lower   right  corner  with  the
         detached  piece still present. Very Good to Near Fine example
         of this scarce book.                                 $3500.00

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