[Black Sun Press] Crane, Hart. The Bridge

Paris: The Black Sun Press, 1930. First edition, #23/50 numbered copies on Japanese Vellum, and signed by Crane (from a total of 283). 4to. Title-page and text printed in black and in red. Illustrated with three photographic reproductions by Walker Evans. Publisher's stiff printed wrappers; in original glassine, worn, with some losses (some pieces now laid in); Cragwood estate book-plate of American philanthropist Jane Engelhard on rear free endpaper; in red cloth slip case and chemise; original slip case wanting. Minkoff A-32; Connolly, The Modern Movement 64; Schwarz and Schweik A2

Rare first edition of Hart Crane's modern masterpiece, one of only 50 copies signed by the author, and a defining achievement of the Black Sun Press. Called "cubism in poetry" when it was initially reviewed in The New York Times, Crane struggled to complete the epic poem over a near seven-year period. A counterpoint to T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land, it was met with mixed reception upon publication, exacerbating Crane's mental health woes and excessive drinking, leading to his death by suicide in 1932. It is now a defining piece of 20th century poetry, and a "masterpiece of neo-Romanticism" (Connolly).

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Christie's, New York, American and English Modern Literature from the Library of Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard, October 27, 1995, Lot 23

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1600 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia. Please contact the Auction Specialist for details.

Darren Winston

SVP, Head of Department, Books and Manuscripts, Philadelphia

Darren Winston, Senior Vice President at Freeman’s, has served as Head of Department for Books & Manuscripts, Philadelphia, since 2018. He has been a trustee of the Rosenbach Museum and Library since 2022, is a member of The Manuscript Society, The Bibliographical Society of America, and Philadelphia’s Philobiblon Club.

Raised in northern New Jersey, Darren moved to New York City in 1988 and began his career there as a bookseller in 1995. He spent the next 18 years selling to private clients and at East Coast book fairs. In 2003 he moved with his young family to Sharon, Connecticut where, in 2009, he opened his own bookshop. Darren Winston, Bookseller offered rare and vintage books, prints, fine art, and more, and hosted over 50 book signings and art shows. He was a trustee and, later, Board President, of the Sharon Historical Society, and for six years a trustee of Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Darren has hosted the radio program "Darren Winston's Book Report" for NPR-affiliate WHDD since 2009, appeared in the 2014 book-themed documentary The Paper Trail, and in 2024 he joined Antiques Roadshow as a books and manuscripts appraiser. From 1999 to 2005, Darren was the buyer and consultant to the Fine and Rare Books Department at Asprey, the British luxury goods company, at its New York headquarters. While there he spearheaded various in-store events including readings by Salman Rushdie and Dominick Dunne.

In 1993, Darren was hired as a Creative Consultant to Columbia Records, where he assisted in the repackaging of their 12-record Aerosmith back catalogue. He later sold his extensive collection of Aerosmith memorabilia, which he began amassing at the age of 14, directly to the band.

Darren now lives on the Main Line, outside Philadelphia, with his wife, two children, and dog. The family travels frequently to his wife's native England and Scotland. When not bookselling, he plays guitar in Pumped, an Aerosmith tribute band. Darren also appears on the top-rated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow.

Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, Including Americana

[Black Sun Press] Crane, Hart. The Bridge

Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, Including Americana

[Black Sun Press] Crane, Hart. The Bridge

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