CHORNY SASHA (1880-1932). GRIGORIEV BORIS (1886-1939) Children’s Island [Detsky Ostrov]: [publisher’s fair copy]. Original drawings by Boris Grigoriev, handwritten text by Sasha Chorny. [Berlin], 1920-21
Lot 43
37 00042 000
172 pages (size varies, 27.9x21.6 cm) of Sasha Chorny’s handwritten poems in blue and black ink, 117 pages with minor corrections, in addition 22 full-page and 14 smaller (half-page and smaller) original ink drawings by Boris Grigoriev. Compound cloth binding with a lithographed illustration of the front cover of the first printed edition on the upper cover. Rubbing and stains to the binding. minor tears to several sheets.
Enslosed the published book : Chorny S. Children’s Island: [Poems for children]; Ill. by Boris Grigoriev. - [Berlin]: Slovo, 1921. - 158, [1] p.: ill.
Children’s Island was released at the end of 1920. The poet’s widow wrote in her memoirs: «I met by chance one of my students at the Higher Women’s Courses in St. Petersburg, who was married to the lawyer B. I. Elkin, who now held a prominent position in the large Ulstein publishing house in Berlin («Ulstein and Co» - a newspaper and book publisher in Berlin, which published «Slovo» and several other emigrant publications. He immediately arranged for the publication of a collection of Sasha’s children’s poems «Children’s Island», which was illustrated by our close acquaintance from St. Petersburg, the artist Boris Grigoriev. Despite its rather high price, this book sold out rather quickly in two editions. (Glikberg M. I. From memoirs // Russian literary magazine. М., 1993. Vol. 2. С. 242).
The authenticity was confirmed by T.A.Galeeva, Candidate of Art History, author of a monograph on the works of Boris Grigoriev: (Boris Grigoriev. Moscow: Galart, 1995).
Provenance:
Sotheby’s sale Fine Books & Manuscripts, lot 201. New York, 14 Jun 2016.
(+) This lot is under temporary importation and is subject to import tax (EU).