Tales Told of Shem and Shaun. Three Fragments from Work in Progress.

BRANCUSI, Constantin. Joyce, James.

Published by The Black Sun Press., Paris., 1929

About this Item

4to. (212 x 168 mm). [44 leaves; pp. (viii), xv, (i), 55, (i)]. Half-title, title printed in red and black, contents leaf, leaf with monochrome etched abstract portrait frontispiece by Constanin Brancusi signed in the plate, preface by C. K. Ogden, (pp. xv), The Mookse and the Gripes (pp. 1 - 16), The Muddest Thick that was Ever Heard Dump (with mathematical diagram on pg. 32), (pp. 17 - 43), The Ondt and the Gracehoper (pp. 45 - 55), justification leaf with achevé d'imprimer (June, 1929). Printed 21 lines per page in hand-set Caslon, headlines and initials printed in red throughout. Original publisher's cream wrappers with printing in red and black to upper cover and spine, monochrome 'black sun' vignette to rear wrapper, original glassine wrapper. Harry Marks' nominatif copy on Japon - conforming to the édition de tête - signed by Joyce. From the edition limited to 650 copies, with this nominatif copy conforming to the edition de tête of 50 hors commerce on Japanese Vellum signed by Joyce in black ink to the half-title; this copy was printed for Harry F. Marks: 'This copy is for / Harry F. Marks' (see the justification). 'The entire edition is for sale at the / Bookshop of Harry F. Marks / 31 West 47 Street New York'. (From the justification). Printed in Paris by Harry and Caresse Crosby's Black Sun Press and with an introduction by C. K. Ogden, 'Tales Told of Shem and Shaun' was offered for sale in New York at the 'Bookshop of Harry F. Marks, 31 West 47 Street New York'. This was the second separately published fragment of Joyce's fabled 'Work in Progress' (after 'Anna Livia Plurabelle' in 1928), although sections had been printed in periodicals as early as 1924, a work which would eventually coalesce - on May 4th, 1939 after 17 years of work - into Finnegans Wake. Picasso had been the first choice to provide a frontispiece but refused on the grounds that he did not produce portraits 'sur commande' and Joyce suggested Constantin Brancusi as an alternative. Brancusi's final 'portrait', the abstract 'Symbol of James Joyce' prompted Joyce's father to remark on seeing it: 'the boy seems to have changed a good deal'. 'A portrait as abstract as the author's text . '. (The Artist and the Book). [The Artist and the Book 32; Slocum & Cahoon A36; see Joyce by Richard Ellmann, pg. 614].

Seller Inventory # 43637

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Tales Told of Shem and Shaun. Three Fragments from Work in Progress.
• Publisher: The Black Sun Press., Paris.
• Publication Date: 1929
• Binding: Soft cover
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)