Croquis dans les tenebres
London: Hachette, 1944. First edition. 8vo, 35 pp, printed wraps. Text in French. Illustrated by his collaborator Franciszka Themerson. One of 40 copies issued Hors Commerce and rubberstamped "HC" on the copyright page, out of a stated total edition of 500.
A beautiful long poem by Themerson, dedicated to his partner Franciszka Themerson, and written during the two year period when they were separated by the war. The work is not a translation, but was written in French, and was one of the first works he composed in a language other than Polish.
A rare and early work produced during the war, and scarcer than the limitation of 500 would suggest. OCLC locates ten holdings, but only one in the US.
Yapped wraps with inevitable creasing to fore edge, and noticeable toning to margins of wraps. Clean and supple within, having been printed on higher quality paper than expected during wartime. Item #30069
Price: $300.00