SCENES ALONG THE ROAD, 1971, SIGNED BY THREE ICONS OF BEAT POETRY: ALLEN GINSBERG, WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS, AND LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI

(GINSBERG, Allen) (BURROUGHS, William S.) (FERLINGHETTI, Lawrence) CHARTERS, Ann, compiler. Scenes Along the Road. Photographs of the Desolation Angels 1944-1960. (New York): Gotham Book Mart & Gallery, (1971). Large octavo, original photographic paper wrappers.

First edition, third printing, of this photobook about the Beat poets and their travels, signed and dated "10/30/94" on the title page by Allen Ginsberg also featuring his characteristic "AH" inside a sunflower (referring to "Ah! Sun-flower" by William Blake), signed and dated "October 29, 1994" on the title page by William S. Burroughs, and signed on the title page by Lawrence Ferlinghetti (all three mentioned and pictured in the book).

"Scenes Along the Road, dedicated to the memory of Jack Kerouac, is a book of photographs of the men who were at the center of the Beat movement, close to Kerouac before he or they became 'famous writers, more or less' and before the generation drifted apart… Scenes Along the Road is another, late chapter of the record of that life for the 'Desolation Angels,' a chapter of snapshots and drugstore prints to go along with the volumes of words… Ann Charters assembled the photographs (most of which are from the collection of Allen Ginsberg), the quotations, and the captions in Scenes; the book is published in a limited edition of 2000" (Bill Beckett). Ginsberg's inscription features a circled "AH", a reference to William Blake's illustrated poem "Ah! Sun-flower," which greatly influenced Ginsberg. In 1948, Ginsberg claimed to have had a hallucinatory experience that involved hearing Blake reading "Ah! Sun-flower" and two other poems. During the days-long experience, Ginsberg claimed to have witnessed the interconnectedness of the universe. Ginsberg's hallucination was not drug-induced, although he later experimented with different drugs attempting repeat the experience. Notably, Ginsberg's mother suffered from epilepsy, a condition that is sometimes heritable. Ginsberg wrote his "Sunflower Sutra" in 1955, as an homage to Blake's work. Additionally, Ginsberg was known for doing readings of "Ah, Sun-flower." Sticker residue to rear wrapper.

Mildest toning to edges of text block, light wear to wrappers mainly affecting spine. A lovely inscribed copy in near-fine condition.