Landmark Books in All Fields
ItemID: #117156
Cost: $850.00

Kiki's Memoirs

Ernest Hemingway

A PRISTINE COPY, WITH ORIGINAL BAND AND GLASSINE: FIRST EDITION OF KIKI’S MEMOIRS, WITH INTRODUCTION BY HEMINGWAY

(HEMINGWAY, Ernest). Kiki's Memoirs. Translated from the French by Samuel Putnam. Introduction by Ernest Hemingway. Paris: Edward W. Titus (Black Manikin Press), 1930. Square octavo, original cream wrappers, mounted half-tone photograph, original glassine and publisher's red paper band, uncut and unwrapped. $850.

First edition in English, with Hemingway’s introduction and portraits of Kiki by Man Ray, Foujita, and others. A pristine copy, with the publisher’s paper belly band and glassine wrapper, often not present.

Kiki of Montparnasse (Alice Prin), well-known artist's model and sometime courtesan, published her memoirs in French in 1929, with full-page reproductions of 20 of her own paintings and artistic portraits of her by Man Ray, Foujita, Kisling, Per Krogh, and Hermine David. In her "racy" autobiography, Kiki recalls Hemingway's boyish charms: "I saw Ernest again, looking more like a first-communion lad and friendlier than ever; I wondered if he was still a virgin" (Mellow, 399). This first English translation appeared in an edition of 1000 copies, of which 150 were designated for distribution in the United States by Random House. The book, however, was "barred from entry by the U.S. Customs on the ground of obscenity" (Cohn, 38). Hemingway's introduction itself was first issued separately in pamphlet form on January 22, 1930 in an edition of only 25 copies, in order to secure copyrights. Without scarce fragile cardboard slipcase. Hanneman B7. Cohn, 38.

Original glassine wrapper slightly worn along lower edge, belly band split. A scarce item in unusually fine condition.

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