The Legman Book of Sex

Published by George Rhoads, 1954

  • Hardcover
  • Used
See all details
Item image 1 of 9.

Seller: The Book Merchant Jenkins, ANZAAB / ILAB, Brooks Bay, TAS, AustraliaThe Book Merchant Jenkins, ANZAAB / ILAB

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since November 21, 2016

Association member: ANZAABIOBAILAB

Hardcover

Condition: Used - Near fine

£ 2,696.69

£ 21.16 shipping 
Ships from Australia to U.S.A.

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket
Free 30-day returns

Item description from seller

21cm x 13.5cm. 58 leaves. Spiralbound thin boards, illustrated paper label to upper cover. A unique artist's book by the American painter and sculptor George Rhoads (1926-2021) as a gift for his friend, the erotologist and folklorist Gershon Legman (1917-1999). The two met in Paris shortly after Rhoads' arrival there in 1952, bonding over origami. The discipline of mechanical precision inherent in origami arguably foreshadows his later complex audiokinetic ball machine sculptures. Rhoads is known to have sent Legman letters embellished with foldings and comic drawings throughout the 1950s and 1960s (a small number of models survive in the Legman archive at the Origami Art Museum, Colonia del Sacramento), but the present volume is a substantially more ambitious and apparently earlier production, made in the opening years of their friendship, and directed squarely toward Legman's lifelong scholarly fascination with erotic folklore and bawdy humour. The 58 leaves are each illustrated on the recto with original cartoon drawings. The first sixteen leaves carry two short erotic tales: one of ten leaves concerns the tale of a sex maniac; the second, of six leaves, recounts the adventures of "five little Fuckers and how they blew"; the remaining forty-two leaves illustrated with standalone erotic cartoons. The front cover with a colour illustrated title, the inside lower board signed by Rhoads with a decorative border, the date supplied in Legman's hand. Of considerable research interest as a primary-source artefact of the Rhoads-Legman friendship, complementing the surviving body of gifted material preserved in the Legman archive at the Origami Art Museum. The erotic content places it at the intersection of Rhoads' early Paris work and Legman's lifelong scholarship on erotic folklore and bawdy humour, later culminating in his major study 'Rationale of the Dirty Joke' (First Series 1968; Second Series 1975). Provenance: ex the estate of Gershon Legman by descent via Neil Pearson. Very minor soiling to covers. Category: Sexuality; Artwork::Originals; Sexuality::Art & Erotica; 20th Century: 1950s; Artwork. Inventory No: 0037330.…

Seller Inventory # 0037330

Bibliographic details

Title
The Legman Book of Sex
Author
George Rhoads
Publisher
George Rhoads
Publication year
1954
Condition
Near Fine
Binding
Hardcover
Seller catalogs
Sexuality

The Book Merchant Jenkins, ANZAAB / ILAB

Brooks Bay, TAS, Australia

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since November 21, 2016

Association member:

Shipping rates from Australia to U.S.A.

Item12 to 40 business days3 to 10 business days
First item£ 21.16£ 34.00
Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.

Payment methods

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Bank Wire Transfer
  • Cash
  • Paypal

Store description

The Book Merchant Jenkins is an antiquarian bookseller and auction house buying and selling rare and interesting books in all genres with a focus on Sexuality, LGBTIQ+, Ethnopharmacology, Counterculture, and Art. After twenty years in Brisbane, The Book Merchant Jenkins has relocated to alongside the Huon River in far south Tasmania. The new book house will open to visitors in 2027. You can find Jenkins exhibiting at the following book fairs in 2026: London (14-17 May), Melbourne (30 July-1 August), Berlin (14-20 September), Sydney (22-24 October). Books can also be ordered online at any time.…

Specialty

General Antiquarian, Sexuality, LGBTIQ+, Ethnopharmacology, Counterculture, and Art.

Association member

  • The Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers
  • Independent Online Booksellers Association
  • International League of Antiquarian Booksellers
Members of these associations are committed to maintaining the highest standards. They vouch for the authenticity of all items offered for sale. They provide expert and detailed descriptions, disclose all significant defects and/or restorations, provide clear and accurate pricing, and operate with fairness and honesty during the purchase experience.

Seller's business information

The Book Merchant Jenkins, ANZAAB / ILAB

QLD, Australia