Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - May - 2006 Issue
Some Unusual New Arrivals at Between The Covers Rare Books
Esme Johns was a collector in I Am A Groupie.
Item 38 pertains to a contentious period in early U.S. history. The title is Message from the President of the United States, Accompanying Sundry Papers Relative to the Affairs of the United States with the French Republic. That president was John Adams, but the letters were from Elbridge Gerry, the U.S. minister in Paris. This report deals with the notorious XYZ Affair. The French, angered by a U.S. treaty with Britain, attempted to secure a bribe for peace, with three unnamed agents ("X," "Y" and "Z") being the intermediaries. Adams refused, with this event being the source of the expression, "millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute." Ultimately, war was avoided, and the U.S. went on with its internal debate of who it liked less, France or Britain. Meanwhile, letter writer Gerry would go on to serve as vice-president under James Madison, though he is better remembered for favorably realigning electoral districts in his home state of Massachusetts, a process now known as "gerrymandering." $1,250.
Item 25 brought together a collection of great writers for a personal cause mostly forgotten today. The item is Debs and the Poets, Debs being crusading labor leader, socialist, and perennial presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs. In 1919, Debs was convicted under the Espionage Act for obstructing the war effort as a result of his anti-war speeches. He was sentenced to ten years in prison. The result was this 1920 publication, with contributions from Upton Sinclair, George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, Helen Keller, Carl Sandburg, Louis Untermeyer, and others. Debs would run for president from prison in 1920, garnering 3.4% of the vote, and his sentence was commuted to time served by President Harding in 1921. $850.
Item 8 is a poster for the sixties movie I am a Groupie. As the poster explains, it is about, "A teen chick who digs rock musicians...But what she collects isn't autographs." Hm...I wonder what she does collect. Books? This apparently forgettable film did not make it to the theaters until 1971, when it was renamed "Groupie Girl." It was directed by Derek Ford and starred such notables as Esme Johns, Billy Boyle, Richard Shaw, and Eliza Terry, household names all. Esme Johns played the title role, but as best I can tell, it destroyed her career, as I can find no other films in which she appeared. $250.
How do you transition from that to something extremely serious? Here goes. Item 42 is one of 360 copies of the first edition, first issue of As We Remember Joe. This is a 1945 memorial of Joseph Kennedy, Jr., son of a wealthy, influential American businessman. Young Kennedy was a naval pilot shot down during the Second World War. The tribute was written by his younger brother, John F. Kennedy, future President of the United States. $3,500.
Between The Cover Rare Books may be found online at www.betweenthecovers.com, phone number 856-665-2284.
