Chicago: Burley, Cross, & Co., [1959]. Softbound (only issued softbound). First edition. Illustrated with drawings. A collection of short stories (in some cases adapted from fairy tales or literary classics) written entirely in beatnik slang. An amazing tour de force of hip lingo, one of the two most important books..... More
Studio City, CA: Warner Brothers, 1959. A set of 12 folding Christmas-themed notecards printing illustrations of beatniks with their dialog printed above and a humorous sentiment inside. Included is a cover card showing a photograph of Kookie poised with comb-in-hand doing his famous "combing my hair" pose. Edd Brynes was..... More
Studio City, CA: Warner Brothers, 1959. A set of 12 folding notecards printing illustrations of beatniks with their dialog printed above and a humorous sentiment inside. Included is a cover card showing a photograph of Kookie poised with comb-in-hand doing his famous "combing my hair" pose. Edd Brynes was the..... More
No place: Warner Brothers, ca. 1960. 45rpm record in picture sleeve with a photo of Edd "Kookie" Byrnes. Edd Brynes was the heartthrob hipster in the cast of the popular '60s TV show "77 Sunset Strip." Mint record in very good plus sleeve with some rubbing to one corner and..... More
NY: Caffe Reggio, ca. 1960. A single octavo sheet of cardstock folded to make four pages. The cover reproduces a photo of their famous expresso machine. Vintage menu from the Caffe Reggio located on McDougal Street in the heart of Greenwich Village where they have been using their elaborate expresso..... More
NY: Off Broadway, 1961. Pamphlet. First edition. The "Special Coffee House Edition" of this guide to NYC nightlife. Lists all the hip coffee houses and clubs in Greenwich Village, with some pages devoted to Off Broadway theater. Illustrated with photographs including one of the Cafe Wha? and another that shows..... More
n.p.: Romeo Records, 1957. 45rpm record in photo-illustrated sleeve showing Dean playing a conga drum. Home recording of James Dean in a late-night jam session with L.A. musician, Bob Romeo who plays flute. The actor can be heard talking and laughing with his friends in the background between songs. James..... More
n.p.: Bedstand, [1961]. First edition of this Paperback Original. "Kooks, Beatniks, and Babes Meet in an Orgy of Summer Lust." Fine. Only three copies on OCLC. More
[San Diego: Phenix Publishers, 1968]. First edition of this Paperback Original. Features a terrific cover illustration by Robert Bonfils showing a naked hippie woman whose face and body are being painted with psychedelic colors by her necklace-wearing, naked boyfriend. In the background other hippie couples are adorning themselves with body..... More
[Dallas: Documentary Arts, 1989]. Pamphlet. Second edition of this title originally published in 1953. A collection of "Jive Talk" terms including how they can be utilized in sentences. Durst was one of the first Black DJ's in Texas and he hosted a popular program on KVET specializing in blues, jazz..... More
NY: The Bitter End/The Tin Angel, ca. 1965. The two night spots were doing some cross promotion---one side of the card is for The Bitter End and at the bottom it reads: "Before the show, enjoy dinner at (see other side)." The other side of the card is for The..... More
NY: The Bitter End, ca. 1964. A single quarto sheet folded to make four pages. The covers print a poem by Paul Eluard and Benjamin Peret. The Bitter End was one of the primary music clubs and entertainment venues in Greenwich Village during the '60s. During it's heyday it featured..... More
NY: The Bitter End, ca. 1964. A single large quarto sheet folded to make four pages. The covers print a poem by Paul Eluard and Benjamin Peret along with an illustration of a female cabaret performer. This is the scarcer version of the two Bitter End menus that we are..... More
NY: Gerde's Folk City, ca. 1960. A small folding card that the club placed on the tables stating: "Welcome to Gerde's Folk City New York's Center of Folk Music Open Every Night" and "Minimum $2.50 Per Person." After he arrived in Greenwich Village, Bob Dylan's very first professional gigs took..... More
NY: The Village Voice, 1961. Tabloid. After kicking around the Village for a few months after he arrived in NYC in 1960, Dylan finally landed a paying gig doing a two-week stint (that began on April 11th) as the opening act for John Lee Hooker at Gerde's Folk City, the..... More
NY: Gaslight Cafe, ca. 1962. A single quarto sheet of thick pink stock folded twice. The cover features a place to put a stamp and mailing address so presumably the cafe could mail this to potential customers or tourists could mail this to friends at home. The Gaslight Cafe was..... More
North Hollywood: Brandon House, [1966]. First edition of this Paperback Original. "Jazz, sex, fame, glory...all these were Curt's. But he was a dedicated beatnik who could tell a willing world of willing woman where to go." Faint reading crease, remainder line to bottom edge, else very good plus. Scarce... More
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, [1966]. Hardbound in dust jacket. First edition. Illustrated with photographs. Fine in price-clipped dust jacket. More
NY: Cafe Wha?, ca. 1964. Business card from one of the most legendary music and entertainment venues in Greenwich Village. Founded in 1959 by Manny Roth (uncle of singer David Lee Roth), the Cafe Wha? was the venue for some of Dylan's very earliest performances after he arrived in NYC..... More
NY: Cafe Wha?, ca. 1964. Single octavo sheet folded to make four pages. "Soulful Souvenir Menu" (price .10 cents) from one of the most legendary music and entertainment venues in Greenwich Village. Founded in 1959 by Manny Roth (uncle of singer David Lee Roth), the Cafe Wha? was the venue..... More
No place: Dorian, 1959. LP record recorded live in a Greenwich Village coffee house in 1959. Features the debut of prominent folk singer, Judy Henske, as well as performances by Fred Thompson, Paul Sykes, and Marilynn Powell. Frank Hall begins the evening with his "impromptu word jazz" titled "Beat Nick."..... More
Hollywood: Nordyke Publishing, 1959. 4to. Single sheet folded to make four pages. Sheet music and lyrics for this beatnik-related song. Cover illustration of a bearded beatnik and a man strumming a guitar. Front cover has an "X" to the corner in magic marker and a tiny price sticker, else about..... More
Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, [1960]. Hardbound in dust jacket. First edition. "A ridiculous novel about two beatnik girls in college." Fine in near fine dust jacket with a faint touch of soiling to back panel. More
Denver: Band Box Records, no date [ca. 1960]. 45rpm record in picture sleeve. Absolutely terrific, ridiculous, and really well executed use of full-on beatnik lingo to tell a couple of humorous tall tales---over jazz background by the Saints. Probably the best beatnik lingo spiel ever recorded. Near mint record in..... More
SF: George Brooke Photography, [ca. 1959]. Henri Lenoir was the founder of Vesuvio Cafe, one of the most famous North Beach bars during the beat period. In this photo he's standing in front of the window of the cafe, and on display in the window is a mannequin of a...... More
