Miller, Henry

MONEY AND HOW IT GETS THAT WAY [TOGETHER WITH] UNCORRECTED PROOF COPY - INSCRIBED TO HUNTINGTON CAIRNS

Paris: Booster Publications, 1938. First Edition. A pair of distinguished copies inscribed to Huntington Cairns, a young Baltimore lawyer who in September 1934 was appointed official U.S. Censor by the Secretary of the Treasury. It was Cairns who declared Miller's 1934 novel Tropic of Cancer (and subsequently, Black Spring, Tropic of Capricorn, and The Rosy Crucifixion) obscene based on the laws of the day, despite his admiration for Miller as an author and artist. His decision led to a 25-year correspondence and friendship between censor and author. In Money, Miller offers his "meditations and lucubrations" on the subject - the direct result of receiving a postcard from Ezra Pound, who asked him "if he had ever thought of money, what makes it and how it gets that way. The truth is that until Mr. Pound put the question to me I had never really thought about the subject. Since then, however, I have thought about it night and day" (from the foreword). The proof copy, printed on paperstock a notch above newsprint, is a marvelous survival, not mentioned by the bibliographers or found in the auction record. Shifreen & Jackson A18a. Item #3924

One of 495 copies. Octavo (18.5cm); thick black wrappers, with titles printed in gold on spine and front cover; [8],9-64pp. Inscribed by Miller one month after publication on the first half-title page: "To Huntington Cairns / Money, money, money / with greetings / Henry Miller / Paris 10/38." Faint crease to lower right corner of front wrapper, else a Fine, unopened copy.

Offered together with an uncorrected proof copy [New York: Marion Saunders, n.d. but 1937]. Octavo (17.75cm); side-stapled sheets (rectos), bound into printed wrappers; [ii],[6],7-62pp. Inscribed by Miller on the front wrapper, nine months prior to publication: "Proof Copy, uncorrected / For Huntington Cairns / a little memento from the works, Paris / Yours, Henry Miller / 12/31/37." Publisher's imprint crossed-out by Miller on lower front wrapper; reviewer's rubber-stamp (in French) to half-title page; wrappers detached but present, toned and edgeworn, with two stains to front cover; text edges a bit toned; complete; Good to Very Good.

Price: $3,750.00