Christmas Tree by Cummings E E, Signed (2 results)

First edition, presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the first blank, "From E. E. C. for Aunt Jennie with a Merry Christmas, '28". The book was later acquired by Cummings's friend and French translator, David Jonathan Grossman, and has his shelf label on the glassine. Grossman (1922-1990) first met Cummings whilst attending Peter Monro Jack's course at Columbia night school in 1941-42. After serving in the Second World War, Grossman attended Harvard in 1946 and began writing a thesis on Cummings, which he never finished. According to Grossman this was the start of their correspondence proper. In 1947 he moved to Paris but maintained the friendship; throughout the following years he wrote to or visited Cummings in the US. By 1960 he had published his first translation, and in 1980 he was awarded the Prix Halperine-Kaminsky for his Cummings translations. This is the first separate printing of "Little Tree", which was initially published in XLI (1925). A folio leaf printing the poem, extracted from the 1960 Golden Eagle Press edition of Christmas Tree, is loosely inserted. Firmage A8. Octavo. Silver foil leaf as frontispiece, decorative title page. Text printed in green and orange within frames. Original red quarter cloth, green board sides sprinkled in silver, silver label lettered in red on front board, pale green coated endpapers, fore and lower edges uncut. With original glassine jacket. Board edges toned and with small wear, silver label rubbed, front inner hinge partially cracked but sound, a few tears to front free endpaper; glassine with loss to edges and central tears to spine: a very good copy in good glassine jacket.

No Binding. No Jacket. Oil on composition board. 32" x 25". Dated December 25, 1947. Inscribed by Cummings on the rear of the painting: "For Marion/ love!/ Xmas/ 1947." This image was later used as a Christmas card that Cummings and Marion Morehouse had made. Corners abraded. Unframed.