ALEXANDER KING An Interpretation A Credo and Ten Drawings Boni & Liverlight 1926

Description: A scarce surviving copy of the first solo publication by Austrian-American illustrator, author, and humorist Alexander King (1900-1965): A suite of ten black ink prints after drawings accompanied by an eight-page text booklet, all serving as a catalog for a November 18-20, 1926 public exhibition of his work at the New York offices of publishers Boni and Liverlight. King's drawings are provocative and satirical, often featuring nudity in grotesque and exaggerated figure work which earned him early recognition and praise as "the American Hogarth" in a New York Times Union announcement for the exhibition* and with his motivation described in his own words in his brief text forward, "The Noon Hour of Candor," as follows: "What prompts me is not depraved ecstasy in horror and unpleasantness (though why not?) It is rather a logical kinship with the most picturesque phases and phantoms of my day. This seems to have been the preoccupation of Rowlandson, Hogarth, Daumier and George Grosz; so I, at least, find myself in good company if the spectator does not." The gushing introduction by Donald S. Friede notes King's discovery by the publishers that same year following his winning submission of an illustration to accompany Heywood Broun's GANDLE FOLLOWS HIS NOSE (1926). His brief bibliography included in the collection summary of his papers at the Library of Congress incorrectly notes the date of this publication as 1928, the same year he published a second, stand-alone work titled THE GOSPEL OF THE GOAT. It also notes work as an illustrator with the New York Sunday World magazine section, but this would seem to be his first solo publication (and his first solo exhibition). He was an in-demand illustrator through the late-1920's and 1930's contributing to deluxe editions of works by Eugene O’Neill, and Francois Villon as well as illustrating numerous titles for the Modern Library and Limited Editions Club series. He eventually migrated into humor, authoring several best-selling books into the 1960's and making frequent television appearances as a popular guest on talk shows like Jack Paar, Les Crane, and The Today Show. A remarkable work, one representative of the publisher's contemporary engagement of the controversial and potentially obscene, and scarce (limited to just 1000 copies of a fragile and ephemeral production). WorldCat shows just three copies in libraries (UPenn, Baltimore Museum of Art, and the Cleveland Public Library). *(New York Times Union ; November 14, 1926 ; pp.68) KING, Alexander : Donald S. Friede (introduction). ALEXANDER KING: An Interpretation A Credo and Ten Drawings. New York: Boni & Liverlight, [1926]. First Edition. 12 1/2" x 9 1/2." [8]pp. booklet. Three staples through left margin. With ten loose illustrated plates, each approximately 12" x 9." Original illustrated front wrapper panel detached but present ; a rear panel appears perished. Wrapper heavily chipped at overlapping edges, some corresponding adhesive residue to it and far edge of booklet ; plates with frequent light creasing at extremities (well outside of image areas), approximately 1/4" shallow tear to edge of plate ten. Overall presents well, but about good only. FREE USPS shipment to The U.S.A., safely packed and promptly dispatched same business day as payment. Thanks for looking and please don't hesitate with quesstions.

Price: 250 USD

Location: Saint Louis, Missouri

End Time: 2024-09-13T08:00:07.000Z

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