August 2021 Catalogue

“How The Old Remembrances Of Wash’n & The War Days Come Up” 66. WHITMAN, Walt. Autograph letter signed. Camden, 1887. Single sheet of unlined stationery measuring 8-1/2 by 11 inches; matted and framed with a portrait of Whitman, entire piece measures 23 by 15-1/2 inches. $17,500. Exceptional 1887 autograph letter concerning the health of Whitman’s friend, William O’Connor; his own health and recent publications; updates on his friends; and his summer retreat plans, written and signed by Walt Whitman. William O’Connor, whose health Whitman chronicles in the letter, remains best known as the author of the Whitman pamphlet “The Good Gray Poet,” published in 1866. William Douglas O’Connor invited Whitman to live with him and his wife following the Battle of Fredericksburg. Whitman’s brother, George, had been wounded in the battle and the O’Connors’ home provided Whitman with an ideal base from which Whitman could make frequent trips to visit both his brother and the scores of wounded soldiers in both Union and Confederate hospitals. The cohabitation turned into a lasting friendship. Whitman stayed at the O’Connors’ home for over five months. This letter also includes references to Whitman’s recent publications, which were “Shakspere-Bacon Cipher” and a group of poems titled “November Boughs” [no relation to the 1888 volume of the same title]. Whitman also mentions Herbert Gilchrist, his British portrait-painter, who brought the original painting back to London, leaving a copy with Whitman. The portrait was criticized as overly tame, but Whitman’s friends found it to be accurate. Gilchrist is also known as the editor of Anne Gilchrist: Her Life andWritings . Pencil framing notations on verso. Early creases, mounting tabs to verso. An exceptional about-fine signed autographWhitman letter. Rare Russian Wrestling Poster 67. (WRESTLING) TSIRK KOLLEKTIV. Poster [“KrasnaiaMaska”]. Russia, 1920. Large poster. $2800. Large original poster announcing a programof competitivewrestlingmatches conducted under the auspices of the “Tsirk Kollektiv” (Circus Collective), typeset in a wide selection of Cyrillic wooden fonts, with bold woodcut of a pair of wrestlers. The “stellar program” described on this original sporting poster from the early years of the Soviet Union features three wrestling matches: the “Red Mask against Gersh Brodskii, the only Jewish wrestling champion in the world,” “Sali-Sulieman, the strongest Muslim wrestler, a favorite of the Russian public, undefeated champion of the world, against the champion of the Volga region, Smirnov,” and finally the main event, “Kolya Kraviani vs. Borelli of Tiflis [Tiblisi].” Two faint fold lines, small paper repair to intersection. A fantastic piece. F r a m e d ! 2 0 2 1 B a u m a n R a r e B o o k s 57 56