The Black Sun Press was an

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...

press noted for

publishing Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

the early works of many

modernist Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

writers including

Hart Crane Harold Hart Crane (July 21, 1899 – April 27, 1932) was an American poet. Provoked and inspired by T. S. Eliot, Crane wrote modernist poetry that was difficult, highly stylized, and ambitious in its scope. In his most ambitious work, '' The Brid ...

D. H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English writer, novelist, poet and essayist. His works reflect on modernity, industrialization, sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct. His best-k ...

, Archibald MacLeish,

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century f ...

, and

Eugene Jolas John George Eugène Jolas (October 26, 1894 – May 26, 1952) was a writer, translator and literary critic. Early life John George Eugène Jolas was born October 26, 1894, in Union Hill, New Jersey (what is today Union City, New Jersey). His p ...

. It enjoyed the greatest longevity among the several expatriate presses founded in Paris during the 1920s, publishing nearly three times as many titles as did Edward Titus under his Black Manikin Press. American

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

s living in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, Harry Crosby and his wife

Caresse Crosby Caresse Crosby (born Mary Phelps Jacob; April 20, 1892 – January 24, 1970) was the first recipient of a patent for the modern bra, an American patron of the arts, publisher, and the "literary godmother to the Lost Generation of expatriate writ ...

(American inventor of the modern bra) founded the press to publish their own work in April 1927 as ''Éditions Narcisse''. They added to that in 1928 when they printed a limited edition of 300 numbered copies of "

The Fall of the House of Usher "The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1839 in ''Burton's Gentleman's Magazine'', then included in the collection ''Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque'' in 1840. The short story ...

" by

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...

. They enjoyed the reception their initial work received, and decided to expand the press to serve other authors, renaming the company the Black Sun Press, following on Harry's obsession on the symbolism of the sun. They published exclusively limited quantities of meticulously produced, hand-manufactured books, printed on high-quality paper. During the 1920s and 1930s Paris was at the crossroads of many emerging expatriate American writers, collectively called the

Lost Generation The Lost Generation was the social generational cohort in the Western world that was in early adulthood during World War I. "Lost" in this context refers to the "disoriented, wandering, directionless" spirit of many of the war's survivors in th ...

. They published early works of a number of writers before they were well-known, including

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the Modernism, modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important ...

's ''Tales Told of Shem and Shaun'' (later integrated into ''

Finnegans Wake ''Finnegans Wake'' is a novel by Irish writer James Joyce. It is well known for its experimental style and reputation as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the Western canon. It has been called "a work of fiction which combines a bod ...

''). They published Kay Boyle's first book-length work, ''Short Stories'', in 1929. The Black Sun Press evolved into one of the most important small presses in Paris in the 1920s. After Harry died in a

suicide pact A suicide pact is an agreed plan between two or more individuals to die by suicide. The plan may be to die together, or separately and closely timed. General considerations Suicide pacts are an important concept in the study of suicide, and h ...

with one of his many lovers, Caresse Crosby continued the press' work into the 1940s.

Publish own works

Harry Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

and

began publishing their own poetry in 1925. One of their first two books was a volume of poetry by Caresse, ''Crosses of Gold'', printed by Léon Pichon and published in 1925. Its frontleaf bore their names in the form of a gold cross with the 'r' in Caresse intersecting the first 'r' in Harry's name. The second was Harry’s ''Sonnets for Caresse''. Dissatisfied with the quality of the printing of these books they sought out Roger Lescaret, a master printer, whose shop at No. 2, Rue Cardinale was not far from the Crosbys' apartment in Paris. His previous works had been limited to funeral notices, but that did not deter them. Lescaret printed Harry Crosby's next collection of poetry, ''Red Skeletons'', with illustrations by their friend Alastair, as well as other volumes of poetry including Harry Crosby's ''Painted Shores'' (1927), said to be heavily influenced by

Charles Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet who also produced notable work as an essayist and art critic. His poems exhibit mastery in the handling of rhyme and rhythm, contain an exoticism inherited fr ...

and

. They were so happy with the result that they decided to start a press to publish other works. They followed with two books by Caresse, ''Painted Shores'' and ''The Stranger''.

Expand press

They rented space above Roger Lescaret's print shop at 2, rue Cardinal. The books were handmade, "lavishly bound, typographically impeccable" versions of unusual books that interested them, like ''

'' by

with illustrations by Alastair (Baron Hans Henning Voigt). They printed a Hindu "Love Book," and letters sent to Harry’s cousin, Walter Berry, by

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

. Harry chose the titles and Caresse edited the books. Both selected the typeface, margins, and so forth. Harry created the bindings, boxes, and ribbons in expensive state-of-the art materials made by Babout. The Crosbys published a number of eminent 20th century authors before they became well-known, including

and

, both of whom were friends of Crosbys. Additional authors published by the Black Sun Press include Kay Boyle, whose first book ''Short Stories'' was published by Black Sun. Other authors included

Ezra Pound Ezra Weston Loomis Pound (30 October 1885 – 1 November 1972) was an expatriate American poet and critic, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement, and a Fascism, fascist collaborator in Italy during World War II. His works ...

, Archibald MacLeish,

and

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

Support experimental writing

In 1927, they became editors of poet

' quarterly literary Journal '' transition'', an outlet for experimental writing that featured the most modern, surrealist, and other linguistically innovative writing. They were frequent visitors to Shakespeare and Company, a bookshop founded by

Sylvia Beach Sylvia may refer to: People *Sylvia (given name) * Sylvia (singer), American country music and country pop singer and songwriter *Sylvia Robinson, American singer, record producer, and record label executive * Sylvia Vrethammar, Swedish singer cre ...

. They sold their collection of Kay Boyle's short stories through Shakespeare and Company. In 1928, Harry and Caresse changed the name of the press to the Black Sun Press in keeping with Harry's fascination with the symbolism of the sun. The press rapidly gained notice for publishing beautifully bound, typographically flawless editions of unusual books. They took exquisite care with the books they published, choosing the finest papers and inks.

Expand literary circle

Their literary tastes matured and they sought out their Parisian literary friends and offered to publish their writing. Their friends included

, for whom they published a limited edition of 50 copies of ''

The Escaped Cock ''The Escaped Cock'' is a short novel by D. H. Lawrence that he originally wrote in two parts and published in 1929. Lawrence wrote the first part in 1927 after visiting some Etruscan tombs with his friend Earl Brewster, a trip that encouraged t ...

'', illustrated by

John Farleigh John Farleigh (16 June 1900 – 30 March 1965), also known as Frederick William Charles Farleigh, was an English wood-engraver, noted for his illustrations of George Bernard Shaw's work ''The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for Go ...

, in September 1929 (later re-published as ''The Man Who Died''). Lawrence later wrote the introduction to Harry Crosby's volume of poetry, ''Chariot of the Sun''. Harry occasionally spent time with one of their authors,

, who he had met skiing, and in July 1927 they visited

Pamplona Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region. Lying at near above ...

for the

running of the bulls A running of the bulls ( es, encierro, from the verb ''encerrar'', 'to corral, to enclose'; oc, abrivado, literally 'haste, momentum'; ca, correbous, 'run-bulls') is an event that involves running in front of a small group of bulls, typicall ...

. Harry often drank to excess when with Hemingway. Although Harry spoke fluent French, they socialized primarily among fellow American expatriates. They became close friends with some of the authors they worked with. When Harry visited New York in 1928, he cashed in some stock dividends to help Boyle pay for an abortion. In 1928, Harry's cousin Walter Berry died, leaving a considerable collection of over 8,000 mostly rare books. In his will he left "all the rest of my books...except such books which

Edith Wharton Edith Wharton (; born Edith Newbold Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray ...

may desire to take...I give and bequeath to my cousin, Harry Grew Crosby." Harry eagerly campaigned to persuade Berry's long-time friend Edith Wharton to give him a great many of the books, and in the end she kept less than 100. Harry prized the collection at first but he became enamored of the idea of reducing the things around him. Caresse later wrote, "We had talked to a wise man in Egypt in 1928 who said, 'My wealth I measure by the things I do without,' and Harry believed the books weighed him down." Every morning he would leave with a satchel full of rare books, despite Caresse's attempts to persuade him otherwise, and give them to waiters, barmen, and cab drivers; sometimes he would sneak them into antiquarian bookshops that lined the Seine with ridiculously low prices penciled into them. The Black Sun Press also published the poetry of Archibald MacLeish, who had like Harry overturned the normal expectations of society, rejecting a career as a lawyer with one of Boston's best law firms and lecturing at Harvard. Harry offered to publish MacLeish's long poem ''Einstein'' in a deluxe edition, and paid MacLeish US$200 for his work. They printed 150 copies which were quickly sold. In February 1929,

arrived in Paris. He had received $2,000 from Arts patron Otto H. Kahn in 1928 to begin work on what became a book-length poem, ''The Bridge'', but was frustrated at his lack of progress. He wore out his welcome at the home of his lover, Emil Opffer, and Crane left for Paris in early 1929. After he got to Paris, Harry offered him the use of the Crosby's country retreat, Le Moulin du Soleil, in

Ermenonville Ermenonville () is a commune in the Oise department, northern France. Ermenonville is notable for its park named for Jean-Jacques Rousseau by René Louis de Girardin. Rousseau's tomb was designed by the painter Hubert Robert, and sits on the Isl ...

, so he could concentrate on working on his poem. Crane spent several weeks there and roughed out a draft of the "Cape Hatteras" section, a key part of the epic poem. In late June that year, Crane returned from the south of France to Paris. Harry noted in his journal, "Hart C. back from Marseilles where he slept with his thirty sailors and he began again to drink Cutty Sark..." Crane, a heavy drinker since his early days in New York, got drunk at the Cafe Select and fought with waiters over his tab. When the Paris police were called, he fought with them and was beaten. They arrested and jailed him, fining him 800 francs. After six days in prison at La Santé, Harry Crosby paid Crane's fine and advanced him money for the passage back to the United States where he finally finished ''The Bridge''. In 1929, through bookstore owner

, they contacted

and arranged to print three of his stories that had already appeared in translation. They named the new book ''Tales Told of Shem and Shaun'' (which was later integrated into ''

''), for which they paid Joyce US$2000 for 600 copies, unusually good pay for Joyce at that time. Their printer Roger Lescaret erred when setting the type, leaving the final page with only two lines. Rather than reset the entire book, he suggested to the Crosby's that they ask Joyce to write an additional eight lines to fill in the remainder of the page. Caresse refused, insisting that a literary master would never alter his work to fix a printer's error. Lescaret appealed directly to Joyce, who promptly wrote the eight lines requested. The first 100 copies of Joyce's book were printed on Japanese velum and signed by the author. It was hand-set in Caslon type and included an abstract portrait of Joyce by

Constantin Brâncuși Constantin Brâncuși (; February 19, 1876 – March 16, 1957) was a Romanian sculptor, painter and photographer who made his career in France. Considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th-century and a pioneer of modernism, ...

, a pioneer of modernist abstract sculpture. Brâncuși's drawings of Joyce became among the most popular images of him. During the rest of 1929, they published fourteen works by

, René Crevel, T. S. Eliot, and

among others. Caresse wrote a book of poetry, ''Crosses of Gold,'' which they published. The Crosbys also published early works by newly emerging writers including Ramon Sartoris, Julien Levy, and

Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet, writer, critic, and satirist based in New York; she was known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. From a conflicted and unhap ...

Beautiful books in limited editions

The books they published were "beautifully bound, hand set books." One of their most beautiful books was the ''Hindu Love Manual'' which they first found while on holiday in

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

. They reprinted it in October 1928 in a release of only 20 copies. Bound in navy blue leather, the cover was stamped with gold to reflect the style of ancient Persian manuscripts. The inside pages were printed on handmade paper colored a distinctive shade of gray and decorated with a gold border. Each illustration in every copy was hand-colored. Their books were generally published in small numbers, usually less than 500 copies, sometimes as few as 10 or 20. They were "marked by clean lines, sharp typeface, and fine inks and papers." Some editions were published first as a "limited" edition, usually numbered and autographed, showcased with detailed design and costly materials, followed by a less expensive "trade" edition. Most were issued in slipcases. They published ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' with illustrations by Alastair. The cover was red-purple cloth with gilt lettering; it contained 14 engravings on color plates, with tissue guards, and numerous in-text illustrations. In 1929, they published Harry Crosby's volume of verse, ''Mad Queen'', which showed the influence of

Surrealism Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to ...

and which included withering attacks on Bostonian tradition. Apart from his obsession with the sun, his writing increasingly contained references to dissolution and suicide. He viewed death as violent, quick, and liberating.

Affair and suicide

On July 9, 1928, Harry met 20-year-old Josephine Noyes Rotch, ten years his junior, and began a troublesome affair with her. She had been known around Boston as "fast, a 'bad egg'...with a good deal of sex appeal." Josephine would inspire Crosby's next collection of poems which he dedicated to her, titled ''Transit of Venus.'' Josephine married Albert Smith Bigelow on June 21, 1929, but Harry and Josephine rekindled their affair within a few weeks. Unlike his wife Caresse, Josephine was quarrelsome and prone to fits of jealousy. She bombarded Harry with half incoherent cables and letters, anxious to set the date for their next tryst.

Visit to United States

In December 1929, the Crosbys returned to the United States for a visit and the Harvard-Yale football game. Harry and Josephine went to Detroit and checked into the expensive ($12 a day) Book-Cadillac Hotel as Mr. and Mrs. Harry Crane. For four days they took meals in their room, smoked opium, and made love. On December 7 the lovers returned to New York. That evening Crosby's friend

threw a party to celebrate his completion after seven years of his poem, '' The Bridge'', which was to be published by the Black Sun Press, and to bid Harry and Caresse ''bon voyage'', since they were due to sail back to France the next week. The party went on until nearly dawn, and Harry and Caresse made plans to see Crane again on December 10 to see the play ''Berkeley Square'' before they left for Europe. On December 9, Josephine, who instead of returning to Boston had stayed with one of her bridesmaids in New York, sent a 36-line poem to Harry Crosby, who was staying with Caresse at the Savoy-Plaza Hotel. The last line of the poem read: On the same day, Harry Crosby wrote his final entry in his journal:

Lovers found dead

On the evening of December 10, 1929, Harry was a no-show for dinner before the theater. Caresse called their friend Stanley Mortimer, whose studio Harry was known to use for his trysts. Stanley found Harry and Josephine's bodies. Harry had a .25 caliber bullet hole in his right temple and lay with his arm around Josephine, who had a matching hole in her left temple, in what appeared to be a

Scandal follows

The next day the headlines revealed all: ''Tragedy and Disgrace.'' As Josephine had died at least two hours before Harry, and there was no suicide note, newspapers ran articles for many days speculating about the murder or suicide pact. The ''New York Times'' front page blared, "COUPLE SHOT DEAD IN ARTISTS' HOTEL; Suicide Compact Is Indicated Between Henry Grew Crosby and Harvard Man's Wife. BUT MOTIVE IS UNKNOWN He Was Socially Prominent in Boston—Bodies Found in Friend's Suite." The New York newspapers decided it was a murder-suicide. Harry's poetry possibly gave the best clue to his motives. Death was "the hand that opens the door to our cage the home we instinctively fly to." His manner of death mortified proper Boston society.

Caresse continues publishing

After Harry Crosby's suicide, Caresse dedicated herself to the Black Sun Press. She published the first edition of

's book-length poem '' The Bridge'', replete with tipped-in photographs of the

Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/ suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East Rive ...

taken by

Walker Evans Walker Evans (November 3, 1903 – April 10, 1975) was an American photographer and photojournalist best known for his work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) documenting the effects of the Great Depression. Much of Evans' work from ...

, his public debut. She followed that by releasing a "collected Crosby"—four books that reprinted earlier collections. One of these collections had been originally introduced by D. H. Lawrence. To accompany it, Caresse solicited essays for the other three from T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, and Stuart Gilbert. Caresse published two volumes of Harry Crosby's poetry, ''Chariot of the Sun'' and ''Transit of Venus''. He had dedicated the latter volume to his lover, Josephine Rotch Bigelow. In 1943, during the Second World War, she designed and published the first English-language edition of the surrealist collaboration between

Max Ernst Max Ernst (2 April 1891 – 1 April 1976) was a German (naturalised American in 1948 and French in 1958) painter, sculptor, printmaker, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was a primary pioneer of the Dada movement and Surrealis ...

and

Paul Éluard Paul Éluard (), born Eugène Émile Paul Grindel (; 14 December 1895 – 18 November 1952), was a French poet and one of the founders of the Surrealist movement. In 1916, he chose the name Paul Éluard, a matronymic borrowed from his maternal ...

book, ''Misfortunes of the Immortals'', first published in 1920. Translated by Hugh Chisholm, it featured newly added content, "Three Drawings Twenty Years Later", by Ernst. Due to limited availability of quality paper during wartime, it was printed by handset letterpress at the Gemor Press, on "exceptionally cheap wartime newsprint." The Black Sun Press broadened its scope after Harry's death. Although it published few works after 1952, it printed James Joyce's ''Collected Poems'' in 1963. It did not officially close until Caresse's death on January 24, 1970 at age 78. She had also established, with Jacques Porel, a side venture, Crosby Continental Editions, which published paperback books by European writers including

Alain Fournier Alain Fournier (1943–2000) was a computer graphics researcher. Biography Alain Fournier was born on November 5, 1943, in Lyon, France. He was married twice, first to Beverly Bickle (married 1968, divorced 1984) and later to Adrienne Drobnie ...

Charles-Louis Philippe Charles-Louis Philippe (4 August 1874 – 21 December 1909) French novelist, was born in Cérilly, Allier, Auvergne, on 4 August 1874, and died in Paris on 21 December 1909. Life Son of a village clogmaker, Charles-Louis Philippe rose from ...

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, comte de Saint-Exupéry, simply known as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (, , ; 29 June 1900 – 31 July 1944), was a French writer, poet, aristocrat, journalist and pioneering aviator. He became a laureate of s ...

, Paul Éluard,

George Grosz George Grosz (; born Georg Ehrenfried Groß; July 26, 1893 – July 6, 1959) was a German artist known especially for his caricatural drawings and paintings of Berlin life in the 1920s. He was a prominent member of the Berlin Dada and New Obj ...

, Max Ernst,

C. G. Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philo ...

and Americans like Ernest Hemingway,

William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, based on Lafayette County, Mississippi, where Faulkner spent most o ...

, and Kay Boyle, among others. Her paperback books, an innovative product in the 1930s, were not well received, and she closed the press in 1933.

Reputation

The Black Sun Press is not given much attention in literary history because of the relatively short time period during which they published, and because they were seen as "frivolous interlopers" in the serious world of literature, what

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

books expert and actor

Neil Pearson Neil John Pearson (born 27 April 1959) is a British actor, known for his work on television. He was nominated for the 1994 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for '' Between the Lines'' (1992–1994). His other television roles include ''Drop the D ...

and others have called ''dilettantes''.

Later value

Neil Pearson, an

books expert who specializes in the expatriate literary movement of Paris between the wars, commented, "If you’re interested in the best of what came out of Paris at that time, a Black Sun book is the literary equivalent of a

Braque Georges Braque ( , ; 13 May 1882 – 31 August 1963) was a major 20th-century French painter, collagist, draughtsman, printmaker and sculptor. His most notable contributions were in his alliance with Fauvism from 1905, and the role he play ...

or a

Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

painting – except it’s a few thousand pounds, not 20 million." The quality and rarity of the books published by the Black Sun Press places them in high demand by collectors. A first edition of ''The Bridge'' by Hart Crane in near fine condition was priced at USD$ (about €) in 2010 by Royal Books. Only 100 copies were made when Editions Narcisse, later the Black Sun Press, printed in 1928 ''The Birthday of the Infanta'' by Oscar Wilde, with illustrations by Alastair. A fine copy was offered in New York during 2010 by Hugh Anson-Cartwright Fine Books for USD$ (or about €). A near-fine copy of the first English-language edition of

's and

Paul Eluard Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

's book, ''Misfortunes of the Immortals'', which Caresse published in 1943, was offered for sale in 2010 by Derringer Books for £ (about € or $). In February 2014, a bookseller offered a copy of ''

'' by D. H. Lawrence, signed by the author and dedicated "To John Vassos", for USD$2,500.

Works

The Black Sun Press published the following works. ; 1927, 1928 *

: ''

'' 1927. Published by ''Editions Narcisse''. *

: ''L'Anniversaire de L'Infante'' ('' Birthday of the Infanta'') 1928. Nine illustrations by Alastair Published by ''Editions Narcisse''. *

: ''Sun'' 1928. Drawing by Lawrence. ; 1929 * Kay Boyle: ''Short Stories'' 1929. Paris. First edition published by ''Editions Narcisse''. Limited edition of 165 copies. 15 copies printed on Japanese paper and signed; 150 numbered copies on Holland Van Gelder Zonen paper. * Robert Carlton Brown: ''1450-1930'' 1929. *

Laurence Sterne Laurence Sterne (24 November 1713 – 18 March 1768), was an Anglo-Irish novelist and Anglican cleric who wrote the novels ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman'' and '' A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy'', publishe ...

: ''A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy'' 1929. Illustrations by Polia Chentoff. Published by ''Editions Narcisse''. * Archibald MacLeish: ''Einstein'' 1929. *

: ''Secession in Astropolis'' 1929. Paris; New York. Limited edition of 135 copies. *

Choderlos De Laclos Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de Laclos (; 18 October 1741 – 5 September 1803) was a French novelist, official, Freemason and army general, best known for writing the epistolary novel ''Les Liaisons dangereuses'' (''Dangerous Liaisons'') ...

: '' Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' 1929. Illustrations by Alastair (Baron Hans Henning Voigt). * Harry Crosby: ''Mad Queen'' 1929. Tirades; frontispiece by

. * Lord Lymington: ''Spring Song of Iscariot'' 1929. *

: ''Tales Told of Shem and Shaun'' 1929. Three Fragments from ''Work in Progress'' (later ''Finnegans Wake''). *

: ''

'' 1929 Limited edition of 50 printed on Japanese vellum, signed by Lawrence and the copy number written in longhand by him; with decorations in color by the author. * Harry Crosby: ''Transit of Venus'' 1929. Paris. With a preface by T.S. Eliot. Limited edition of 570 copies printed by Harry Crosby from Dorique type. 20 lettered copies printed on Japanese

vellum Vellum is prepared animal skin or membrane, typically used as writing material. Parchment is another term for this material, from which vellum is sometimes distinguished, when it is made from calfskin, as opposed to that made from other anim ...

; 50 numbered copies on Holland paper; 500 copies on uncut Navarre. ; 1930 *

Marcel Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, critic, and essayist who wrote the monumental novel '' In Search of Lost Time'' (''À la recherche du temps perdu''; with the previous ...

: ''47 Lettres inedites a Walter Berry'' 1930. Proust's letters to Walter Van Rensselaer Berry (1859–1927). French and English. *

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequ ...

: ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...

'' 1930. Included six full-page color lithographs by Marie Laurencin. Numbered limited edition of 350 copies on Rives printed for United States, with a total edition of 790. *

: ''Imaginary Letters'' 1930. Paris. Limited edition of 375 copies. Fifty numbered and signed copies were printed on Japanese Vellum; 300 copies numbered 51-350 were printed on Navarre paper; and 25 copies hors de commerce. * Archibald MacLeish; ''New Found Land'' 1930. Fourteen Poems. * Harry Crosby: ''Shadows of the Sun'' 1930. Series Three. *

'' The Bridge'' 1930. Featured three photographs by

, his debut. Paris. Limited edition of 283 copies, 200 numbered copies on Holland paper, 50 numbered copies on Japanese vellum signed by the author, 25 review copies hors commerce and, 8 special copies marked A to H. ; 1931, 1932 * René Crevel, ''Mr. Knife, Miss Fork'' 1931, featuring 19 full-page black and white engravings by Max Ernst. Limited edition of 50 numbered copies on Hollande paper signed by the authors, 200 copies on finest bristol paper, and 5 special copies. *

''Poems for Harry Crosby'' 1931. *

''Bubu of Montparnasse'' 1932. *

''In Our Time'' 1932. *

Sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...

'' 1932. Modern Masterpieces in English * Raymond Radiguet '' The Devil in the Flesh'' 1932. Paris: Crosby Continental Editions. Translated by Kay Boyle, with an introduction by

Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxle ...

. Published by the Black Sun Press. Printed by F. Paillart, Paris. * T. S. Eliot ''What Famous Authors Say About Crosby Editions'' 1932. * Kay Boyle ''Year Before Last'' 1932. *

Robert McAlmon Robert Menzies McAlmon (also used Robert M. McAlmon, as his signature name, March 9, 1895 – February 2, 1956) was an American writer, poet, and publisher. In the 1920s, he founded in Paris the publishing house, Contact Editions, where he publ ...

''The Infinite Huntress and Other Stories'' 1932. Paris: Crosby Continental Editions. ''Modern Masterpieces in English'', number 10. Published by the Black Sun Press and printed by F. Paillart, Paris-Abbeville. ; 1936–1950 *

: ''Interregnum''. 1936. Introduction by

John Dos Passos John Roderigo Dos Passos (; January 14, 1896 – September 28, 1970) was an American novelist, most notable for his ''U.S.A.'' trilogy. Born in Chicago, Dos Passos graduated from Harvard College in 1916. He traveled widely as a young man, visit ...

. * James Joyce ''Collected Poems'' 1936. Reprinted in 1957 by Viking. * Julien Levy: ''Surrealism'' 1936. With artwork by

Joseph Cornell Joseph Cornell (December 24, 1903 – December 29, 1972) was an American visual artist and film-maker, one of the pioneers and most celebrated exponents of assemblage. Influenced by the Surrealists, he was also an avant-garde experimental filmm ...

. *

''Misfortunes of Immortals'' 1943. Illustrated by

. Handset in Sparten twelve point type and printed at the Gemar Press. * Ramon Sartoris ''Three Plays'' 1944. * Pietro Lazzari: ''Horses''

945 Year 945 ( CMXLV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * January 27 – The co-emperors Stephen and Constantine are overthrown barel ...

4 leaves of plates (art) *

Charles Bukowski Henry Charles Bukowski ( ; born Heinrich Karl Bukowski, ; August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994) was a German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural, and economic ambience of his adopted ...

''Twenty Tanks from Kasseldown'' 1946 (broadside) *

Charles Olson Charles Olson (27 December 1910 – 10 January 1970) was a second generation modern American poet who was a link between earlier figures such as Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams and the New American poets, which includes the New York ...

: ''Y & X''. Poems by Charles Olson, drawings by

Corrado Cagli Corrado Cagli (1910–1976) was an Italian painter of Jewish heritage, who lived in the United States during World War II. Life Cagli was born in Ancona but he moved with his family to Rome in 1915 at the age of five. In 1927, he made his a ...

. Washington, D.C., 2nd edition, 1950.

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