George Gershwin Edited and Designed by Merle Armitage with articles by [&] George Gershwin Memorial Concert. This item is unavailable.George Gershwin Edited and Designed by Merle Armitage with articles by [&] George Gershwin Memorial Concert

"From Gershwin to Bricusse" A Remarkable Association Pair Linking Two Generations of Great Songwriters With Inscriptions by Ira Gershwin and an Autograph Letter [GERSHWIN, George]. [GERSHWIN, Ira]. ARMITAGE, Merle. George Gershwin. New York: Longmans, Green & Co., 1938. Quarto (10 3/8 x 7 7/8 inches; 263 x 200 mm.). [xii], 252 pp. Pictorial title printed in red and black, 32 photogravure plates and portrait on blue paper. Publisher’s original yellow and red cloth, musical notation endpapers; very light wear to extremities, an exceptionally bright, near fine copy. Presentation copy, inscribed by Ira Gershwin to Leslie Bricusse: "who in turn, inscribes it to brilliant Leslie Bricusse - With admiration and affection - Ira Gershwin - Beverly Hills, February, 1971." Loosely inserted is a warm autograph letter signed ("Ira") on Gershwin stationery, thanking Bricusse for Scrooge and referencing the present volume, together with a note enclosing a program for the first memorial concert. [WITH:] [GERSHWIN, George]. [GERSHWIN, Ira]. George Gershwin Memorial Concert. Hollywood Bowl, September 8, 1937. Folio (12 1/4 x 9 1/4 inches). 16 pp. Illustrated. Original printed wrappers; near fine. Inscribed by Ira Gershwin to Leslie Bricusse: "For Leslie B., From Ira G. / Feb., 1971 / Beverly Hills." A Musical Lineage in Print: A deeply evocative association set uniting three defining figures in American and British musical theater. The 1938 Armitage volume - long regarded as the most important early tribute to George Gershwin - is here transformed into a personal artifact through Ira Gershwin’s inscription and accompanying letter to Leslie Bricusse. The accompanying 1937 Hollywood Bowl Memorial Concert program, issued only weeks after Gershwin’s death, captures the immediate cultural response to his passing. Preserved for more than three decades, it was later gifted by Ira to Bricusse - an act that resonates as a symbolic passing of the torch. That Ira Gershwin should present both the definitive early book on his brother and a contemporary memorial document to Leslie Bricusse - himself one of the great lyricists of the next generation - creates a compelling narrative of artistic continuity. The accompanying letter adds a further layer of intimacy, revealing a warm, collegial exchange between two masters of song. An Exceptional Association Copy - A rare convergence of: The key early Gershwin monograph (1938) A contemporary memorial artifact (1937) A signed presentation linking directly to Leslie Bricusse A supporting autograph letter providing context and warmth. Together, these elements form a museum-level association grouping, preserving a tangible thread between the golden age of American songwriting and its distinguished successor. …