[Black Sun Press] Baudelaire, Charles. Les Paradis Artificiels Opium et Haschisch

Paris: Poulet-Malassis et de Broise, 1860. First edition. From the library of Harry and Caresse Crosby, and with their supralibros on front and rear boards, gilt morocco book-plate on front paste-down, Black Sun blindstamp on front blank, and ink stamp anagram of their name ("Ra's Rays Cheer") on same. With an unpublished 15-line autograph poem in blue ink, signed by Harry Crosby, on verso of title-page ("Golden Future Come let us flee this world..."), and with an additional note by him indicating that he wrote the above "after reading Le Poeme de Haschisch", as well as his and Caresse's autograph acrostic cipher at top of same. According to a previous cataloguer, Crosby's blood has stained the top corner of p. 65, and his autograph hieroglyphic marks appear on rear free endpaper. 8vo. (iv), iv, 304, (1) pp. Full marbled calf, decorated in gilt, blue morocco spine labels, light rubbing along edges; top edge speckled black, other edges untrimmed; gilt dentelles; marbled endpapers; book-plate of Panos Gratsos on front paste-down; original wrappers bound in.

A superb association copy of Charles Baudelaire's Les Paradis Artificiels, from the library of Harry and Caresse Crosby, and with an unpublished autograph poem by Harry Crosby on the verso of the title-page:

"Golden Future
Come let us flee this world that overpowers
And seek a land where nothing is amiss,
We should be abject fools were we to miss
The winding road which lies amongst the flowers.
Come, I shall find a solitude all ours
Where in the perfumed darkness we may kiss
I am paralysed in undisturbed bliss
And smoke the pungent hashish hour by hour
Our souls plunged in divine intensity,
Where forest smells become euphorical
And faery feline forms fold and unfold
Magnificent disordered rhapsody
Sounds clothed in colour, colours musical
Suns written suns and extracts of gold."

The work of Charles Baudelaire cast a long and influential shadow over the life and artistic work of Harry Crosby. First introduced to the Decadent poets by his uncle Walter Barry, Crosby quickly consumed Baudelaire's work, contributing to the development of his own poetic output, as well as his thoughts on death, decay, and disintegration that would enrapture him during his short life.

Harry and Caresse Crosby

Sotheby's, London, Books and Maps Comprising the Library of the Late Panos Gratsos..., September 27-28, 1990

Paul Rassam, purchased at above

[Black Sun Press] Baudelaire, Charles. Les Paradis Artificiels Opium et Haschisch