Well a significant amount of progress has been made but still some way to go, I am continuing to list both Olympia press and other erotica for trade and a decreasing number of wants, but enjoying it very much, despite my shy and rather silent readership. See below for the collection as it stands today, and with a few more items on the way, its getting better every day.
Back on to my favourite topic , which is the really rare titles. Something of a peripheral item, the books published or allegedly published, constitute an attempt by Maurice Girodias to avoid the attention of the French authorities, by shifting some of his editions to a Copenhagen printer. As Pat Kearney notes:-“Right up to the end, the French police were snapping at Girodias’s heels, and one of his last publishing efforts in Paris was to have six novels printed in Copenhagen, a desperate attempt to evade the authorities at home and launch a new series called The Odyssey Library. Despite the fact that censorship had been abolished in Denmark not to mention the fact the books were in English the Danish authorities were somehow persuaded by their French counterparts to halt the operation. Most of these novels were later reprinted in New York by the Olympia Press, but copies of the Danish originals, which are amongst the scarcest of the books that Girodias published, do emerge from time to time.” (Patrick Kearney, The Paris Olympia Press. Liverpool University Press 2007) Index Numbers are the actual location of the description in the bibliography.
Scream my Darling Scream Angela Pearson , Odyssey Library, Copenhagen, 1963
The Odyssey Library In order of series number.
Flesh Raffle 12.1
Lessons in Love 12.2
[Whores, Queers, and Others] 12.3
Scream, My Darling, Scream 12.4
My Mother Taught Me 12.5
[Sextet] 12.6
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTIONS
12.1.1 FLESH RAFFLE Jim Dobbs, 1963
[Within a black, highly ornamental frame comprising on each side statues on plinths and surmounted by mythological, tailed figures, the whole resting on a base decorated florally and at its centre a cameo:] [three typographic fig leafs] FLESH | RAFFLE by | jim dobbs [two typographic fig leafs] | 1 | THE ODYSSEY LIBRARY
Collation: 196 pp. No signatures, but [1-11]8, [12]10. The final signature has an additional double leaf, inserted. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1,2] blank. p. [3], [three typographic fig leafs] FLESH | RAFFLE by | jim dobbs [two typographic fig leafs], reverse blank. p. [5] title, as above. p. [6], Printed in Denmark | June 1963 by Behrndt Offset. Copyright by the Odyssey Library | © 1963. All rights of reproduction in all countries strictly re- | served. Any infringement of copyright will be prosecuted. pp. 7-196, text. Binding: Matt dark red wrappers, trimmed flush with the book. The front wrapper reproduces the titlepage, except for the following differences. The ornamental border is in white. The central panel where the title, author, &c. are given is in black. The typographic fig leaves are dark red. The title, author, series number and publisher are in white. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the title and author lettered in black down spine:] FLESH RAFFLE by Jim Dobbs. [Backwrapper; at foot, lettered in white within a solid black panel:] U.S. dollars 3,60 or equivalent in other currencies. [Printed in small black type at bottom right of backwrapper and at 90° to price panel:] Printed in Denmark | BEHRNDT OFFSET Notes: This is probably the original edition of a novel called Hot Lottery credited to the same author and advertised by the Olympia Press in New York about 1967 as volume 215 of the Traveller’s Companion Series. A comparison of the two books, however, has not yet been undertaken because a copy of the supposed American reprint has not been located. Other books appearing under this pseudonym from other publishers in the United States include In Lust and War (1969) and Island Lust (1969). A third novel, Chateau Venus, was published by the Olympia Press in New York in 1968.
12.2.1 LESSONS IN LOVE Marjorie Cartwright, 1963
[Within a black, highly ornamental frame comprising on each side statues on plinths and surmounted by mythological, tailed figures, the whole resting on a base decorated florally and at its centre a cameo:] LESSONS IN | LOVE by Marjorie | Cartwright [two typographic fig leafs] | 2 | THE ODYSSEY LIBRARY
Collation: 244 pp. No signatures, but [1-14]8, [15]10. The final signature has an additional double leaf, inserted. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1,2] blank. p. [3], LESSONS IN | LOVE by Marjorie | Cartwright [two typographic fig leafs], reverse blank. p. [5] title, as above. p. [6], Printed in Denmark | June 1963 by Behrndt Offset. Copyright by the Odyssey Library | © 1963. All rights of reproduction in all countries strictly re- | served. Any infringement of copyright will be prosecuted. pp. 7-241, text. pp. [242-244] blank. Binding: Matt dark red wrappers, trimmed flush with the book. The front wrapper reproduces the titlepage, except for the following differences. The ornamental border is in white. The central panel where the title, author, &c. are given is in black. The typographic fig leaves are dark red. The title, author, series number and publisher are in white. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the title and author lettered in black down spine:] LESSONS IN LOVE by Marjorie Cartwright. [Backwrapper; at foot, lettered in white within a solid black panel:] U.S. dollars 3,60 or equivalent in other currencies. [Printed in small black type at bottom right of backwrapper and at 90° to price panel:] Printed in Denmark | BEHRNDT OFFSET. Notes: Reprinted under the title Rape of the Statue by the Olympia Press in New York in 1968 as no. 104 of the Ophelia Press imprint.
12.3.1 WHORES, QUEERS, AND OTHERS (2 vols.) Philip Barrows [Daniel R. Tuite] Note: No copy known. Existence implied from catalogs and the missing series number 3. Published later by the New York Olympia Press, with a title page in the same Baroque style as the Danish series. It is possible this book was never published in the Odyssey Library series, but first (and only) released by the New York Olympia Press.
12.4.1 SCREAM, MY DARLING, SCREAM Angela Pearson [John Millington-Ward], 1963
Scream my Darling Scream Angela Pearson , Odyssey Library, Copenhagen, 1963
[Within a black, highly ornamental frame comprising on each side statues on plinths and surmounted by mythological, tailed figures, the whole resting on a base decorated florally and at its centre a cameo:] [two typographic fig leafs] SCREAM, | MY DARLING, | SCREAM ! by | Angela Pearson | 4 | THE ODYSSEY LIBRARY
Collation: 196 pp. No signatures, but [1-11]8, [12]10. The final signature has an additional double leaf, inserted. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1,2] blank. p. [3], [two typographic fig leafs] SCREAM,| MY DARLING, | SCREAM ! by | angela pearson,
Scream Title Page
reverse blank. p. [5] title, as above. p. [6], Printed in Denmark | June 1963 by Behrndt Offset. Copyright by the Odyssey Library | © 1963. All rights of reproduction in all countries strictly re- | served. Any infringement of copyright will be prosecuted. pp. 7-195, text. p. [196] blank. Binding: Matt dark red wrappers, trimmed flush with the book. The front wrapper reproduces the titlepage, except for the following differences. The ornamental border is in white. The central panel where the title, author, &c. are given is in black. The typographic fig leaves are dark red. The title, author, series number and publisher are in white. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the title and author lettered in black down spine:] SCREAM, MY DARLING, SCREAM ! by angela pearson.
Scream spine view
[Backwrapper; at foot, lettered in white within a solid black panel:] U.S. dollars 3,60 or equivalent in other currencies. [Printed in small black type at bottom right of backwrapper and at 90° to price panel:] Printed in Denmark | BEHRNDT OFFSET.
Scream Back Cover
Published later by the New York Olympia Press
12.5.1 MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME: Tor Kung. [Jean Mclean and Jack Gilbert], 1963
My Mother Taught Me
[Within a black, highly ornamental frame comprising on each side statues on plinths and surmounted by mythological, tailed figures, the whole resting on a base decorated florally and at its centre a cameo:] MY MOTHER | TAUGHT ME | by Tor Kung [two typographic fig leafs] | 5 | THE ODYSSEY LIBRARY
Collation: 200 pp. No signatures, but [1-12]8, [13]4. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1,2] blank. p. [3], MY MOTHER| TAUGHT ME | by tor kung [two typographic fig leafs], reverse blank. p. [5] title, as above. p. [6], Printed in Denmark | June 1963 by Behrndt Offset. Copyright by the Odyssey Library | © 1963. All rights of reproduction in all countries strictly re- | served. Any infringement of copyright will be prosecuted. pp. 7-198, text. pp. [199-200] blank. Binding: Matt dark red wrappers, trimmed flush with the book. The front wrapper reproduces the titlepage, except for the following differences. The ornamental border is in white. The central panel where the title, author, &c. are given is in black. The typographic fig leaves are dark red. The title, author, series number and publisher are in white. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the title and author lettered in black down spine:] MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME by Tor Kung. [Backwrapper; at foot, lettered in white within a solid black panel:] U.S. dollars 3,60 or equivalent in other currencies. [Printed in small black type at bottom right of backwrapper and at 90° to price panel:] Printed in Denmark | BEHRNDT OFFSET. Note: Published later by the New York Olympia Press.
12.6.1 SEXTET Note: No copy known. Existence implied from catalogues and the missing series number 6. Published in 1965 in the Traveller’s Companion Series, Number 94 (5.94)
.The continuing saga of my Traveller’s Companion duplicates, as with other listings, bibliographical detail courtesy of Patrick Kearney, The Paris Olympia Press, Liverpool University Press 2007. The numerical index (example 5.23.1, is the location of the description in the bibliography.
Each listing is:- title, image (actual book), bibliographical description, followed by number of copies available, and brief note on condition. Extra images and full description of condition on request.
5.23.1 ROMAN ORGY Marcus Van Heller [John Stevenson], 1956
MARCUS VAN HELLER | ROMAN | ORGY | THE TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8, Rue de Nesle, Paris 6e Collation: 208 pp. 23.1-23.616, 23.78. 17.6 x 11.2 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-2] blank. p. [3] ROMAN | ORGY. p. [4] [rule] | All right reserved in all countries by The Olympia Press, Paris, France. p.[5] title, as above, reverse blank. pp. 7-[207], text. p. [208] catalogue listing vols. 1, 4-29 of The Traveller‘s Companion Series and Lolita, with printing details at foot of page: PRINTED IN FRANCE | [rule] | PRINTED APRIL 1956 BY S.I.P., MONTREUIL, SEINE, FRANCE | Dépôt légal : 2e trimestre 1956. Binding: Olive-green wrappers, printed in black, and trimmed flush with body of book. [Front cover; within a frame of two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black:] MARCUS VAN HELLER | ROMAN | ORGY | no 23 | THE | TRAVELLERS COMPANION | SERIES. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the series no. in horizontal digits at bottom and title lettered vertically up spine:] 23 [-] ROMAN ORGY. [Back cover, at bottom right-hand corner:] Francs : 900. Notes: (1) Suppressed on December 10th, 1956 under the decree of May 1939 (article 14 of the law of July 29th 1881 sur la liberté de la presse), designed to combat politically and morally offensive périodiques et ouvrages de provenance étrangère. (2) Prosecuted on July 11th. 1958 under article 14 of a law passed on 16th July 1949 concerning the manner in which books, periodicals, &c. of an erotic character, could be sold, displayed and advertised.
One Copy about good, extra images and detailed description on request.
5.24.1 HEAVEN, HELL AND THE WHORE Robert Desmond [Robert Desmond Thompson] 1956
ROBERT DESMOND | HEAVEN, | HELL | AND | THE WHORE | THE TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES |published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8, Rue de Nesle, Paris 6e Collation: 256 pp. 24.1-24.816. 17.5 x 11.0 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-2] blank. p. [3] HEAVEN, | HELL | AND | THE WHORE. p. [4] [rule] | All right reserved in all countries by The Olympia Press, Paris, France. p.[5] title, as above. p. [6] Dedicated to my dear Teddie, without whose help this | book would have been written much more quickly. pp. 7-251, text. pp. [252-256] catalogue, with short descriptive notes, of vols. 1, 4-27 of The Traveller‘s Companion Series, and of Lolita and Justine, with printing details at foot of p. [256]: PRINTED JUNE 1956 BY S.I.P., MONTREUIL, SEINE, FRANCE |Dépôt légal : 2e trimestre 1956. Binding: Olive-green wrappers, printed in black, and trimmed flush with body of book. [Front cover; within a frame of two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black:] ROBERT DESMOND | HEAVEN | HELL | AND | THE WHORE | no 24 | THE | TRAVELLER’S COMPANION |SERIES. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the series no. in horizontal digits at bottom and title lettered vertically up spine:] 24 [-] HEAVEN HELL AND THE WHORE. [Back cover, at bottom right-hand corner:] Francs : 900.
Notes: (1) Suppressed on December 10th, 1956 under the decree of May 1939 (article 14 of the law of July 29th 1881 sur la liberté de la presse), designed to combat politically and morally offensive périodiques et ouvrages de provenance étrangère. (2) Prosecuted on July 11th. 1958 under article 14 of a law passed on 16th July 1949 concerning the manner in which books, periodicals, &c. of an erotic character, could be sold, displayed and advertised.
2 copies , one very good, one fair, extra images and detailed description of condition on request.
5.25.1 THONGS Carmencita de las Lunas [Alexander Trocchi] 1956
CARMENCITA DE LAS LUNAS | THONGS | THE TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8, Rue de Nesle, Paris VIe Collation: 192 pp. [1]-616. Signatures printed with the series no. and title at the foot of the left-hand side of the leaf and a number at the foot of the right-hand side, save the first, which is signed with the series no. and title only. 17.5 x 11.0 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-2] blank. p. [3] THONGS. p. [4] [rule] |All right reserved in all countries by The Olympia | Press, Paris, France. p. [5] title, as above, reverse blank. pp. 7-184, text. pp. [185,186] blank. pp. 187-189 catalogue, with short descriptive notes, of vols. 1-25 of The Traveller‘s Companion Series. p. [190] PRINTED IN FRANCE | [rule] | Imprimerie Spéciale des Éditions The Olympia Press | Dépôt légal : 1er trimestre 1956. pp. [191,2] blank. Binding: Olive-green wrappers, printed in black, and trimmed flush with body of book. [Front cover; within a frame of two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black:] CARMENCITA DE LAS LUNAS | THONGS | no 25 | THE | TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the series no. in horizontal digits at bottom and title lettered vertically up spine:] 25 [-] THONGS. [Back cover, at bottom right-hand corner:] Francs : 900. Notes: (1) Mr Steve Mullins reports a copy of Thongs in his collection which has no printer information or dates, but… appears to be the genuine article. Perhaps a later reprint by Girodias. (2) Suppressed on December 10th, 1956 under the decree of May 1939 (article 14 of the law of July 29th 1881 sur la liberté de la presse), designed to combat politically and morally offensive périodiques et ouvrages de provenance étrangère. (3) Prosecuted on July 11th. 1958 under article 14 of a law passed on 16th July 1949 concerning the manner in which books, periodicals, &c. of an erotic character, could be sold, displayed and advertised.
One copy Very Good.Extra images and detailed description of condition on request.
5.26.1 WHO PUSHED PAULA? Akbar del Piombo [Norman Rubington], 1956
AKBAR DEL PIOMBO | WHO | PUSHED | PAULA | ? |THE TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8, Rue de Nesle, Paris 6e Collation: 192 pp. 26.1-26.616. 17.5 x 11.2 cm.., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-2] blank. p. [3] WHO | PUSHED | PAULA | ?ř. p. [4] [rule] | All right reserved in all countries by The Olympia Press, Paris, France. p. [5] title, as above, reverse blank. pp. 7-[187], text,Binding: Olive-green wrappers, printed in black, and trimmed flush with body of book. [Front cover; within a frame of two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black:] AKBAR DEL PIOMBO | WHO | PUSHED | PAULA | ? |no 26 | THE | TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the series no. in horizontal digits at bottom and title lettered vertically up spine:] 26 [-] WHO PUSHED PAULA?[Back cover, at bottom right-hand corner:] Francs : 900. Notes: (1) In an advertising flyer dated January 1956, in the collection of Angus Carroll, the author of Who Pushed Paula? is given as ‘Albert Gravesend.’ (2) The compiler has a second copy of this edition which presents considerable bibliographical challenges. The collation is eccentric, comprising twelve gatherings of eight leaves apiece, unsigned save the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th which are designated 26.2 through 26.6 respectively. These signatures fall on the same pages as the copy under notice, but with no obvious relevance to the stitching of the gatherings. In addition there are two blank cancel leaves, out of sequence of the pagination, the first preceding p. [1] and the other following p. [192], in the manner of endpapers. The book is also noticeably larger, measuring 18.0 x 11.4 cm. In all other respects, the book is the same. (3) Suppressed on December 10th, 1956 under the decree of May 1939 (article 14 of the law of July 29th 1881 sur la liberté de la presse), designed to combat politically and morally offensive périodiques et ouvrages de provenance étrangère. (4) Prosecuted on July 11th. 1958 under article 14 of a law passed on 16th July 1949 concerning the manner in which books, periodicals, &c. of an erotic character, could be sold, displayed and advertised. with printing details at foot of p. [187]: [rule] | PRINTED FEBRUARY 1956 BY S.I.P., MONTREUIL, SEINE, FRANCE | Dépôt légal : 1er trimestre 1956 pp. [188-191] catalogue, with short descriptive notes, of vols. 1-27 of The Traveller‘s Companion Series, and of Lolita and Justine . p. [192] blank.
One copy Poor very worn, but complete.
5.27.1 SKIRTS Akbar del Piombo [Norman Rubington], 1956
AKBAR DEL PIOMBO | SKIRTS | THE TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8, Rue de Nesle, Paris 6e Collation: 208 pp. 27.1-27.616, 27.78. 17.7 x 11.0 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-2] blank. p. [3] SKIRTS. p. [4] [rule] | All right reserved in all countries by The Olympia Press, Paris, France. p. [5] title, as above, reverse blank. pp. 7-200, text. pp. [201-204] catalogue, with short descriptive notes, of vols. 1, 4-27 of The Traveller‘s Companion Series, and of Lolita and Justine . p. [205] PRINTED IN FRANCE | [rule] | PRINTED MARCH 1956 BY S.I.P., MONTREUIL, SEINE, FRANCE | Dépôt légal : 1er trimestre 1956. pp. [206-208] blank. Binding: Olive-green wrappers, printed in black, and trimmed flush with body of book. [Front cover; within a frame of two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black:] AKBAR DEL PIOMBO | SKIRTS | no 27 | THE | TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the series no. in horizontal digits at bottom and title lettered vertically up spine:] 27 [-] SKIRTS. [Back cover, at bottom right-hand corner:] Francs : 900. Notes: (1) Suppressed on December 10th, 1956 under the decree of May 1939 (article 14 of the law of July 29th 1881 sur la liberté de la presse), designed to combat politically and morally offensive périodiques et ouvrages de provenance étrangère. (2) Prosecuted on July 11th. 1958 under article 14 of a law passed on 16th July 1949 concerning the manner in which books, periodicals, &c. of an erotic character, could be sold, displayed and advertised.
3 copies 1 Fine, 2 Very Good, extra images and detailed description on request.
5.28.1 SARABANDE FOR A BITCH Mickey Dikes [pseud.], 1956
MICKEY DIKES | SARABANDE | FOR | A BITCH | THE TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8, Rue de Nesle, Paris 6e Collation: 208 pp. 28.1-28.616, 28.78. 17.8 x 11.0 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-2] blank. p. [3] SARABANDE | FOR | A BITCH. p. [4] catalogue listing vols. 1, 4-29 of The Traveller‘s Companion Series and Lolita. p. [5] title, as above. p. [6] [rule] | All right reserved in all countries by The Olympia Press, Paris, France pp. 7-208, text with, at foot of p. [208], printing details: PRINTED IN FRANCE | [rule] | PRINTED APRIL 1956 BY S.I.P., MONTREUIL, SEINE, FRANCE | Dépôt légal : 2e trimestre 1956. Binding: Olive-green wrappers, printed in black, and trimmed flush with body of book. [Front cover; within a frame of two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black:] MICKEY DIKES | SARABANDE | FOR | A BITCH | no 28 | THE | TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the series no. in horizontal digits at bottom and title lettered vertically up spine:] 28 [-] SARABANDE FOR A BITCH. [Back cover, at bottom right-hand corner:] Francs : 900. Notes: (1) Suppressed on December 10th, 1956 under the decree of May 1939 (article 14 of the law of July 29th 1881 sur la liberté de la presse), designed to combat politically and morally offensive périodiques et ouvrages de provenance étrangère. (2) Prosecuted on July 11th. 1958 under article 14 of a law passed on 16th July 1949 concerning the manner in which books, periodicals, &c. of an erotic character, could be sold, displayed and advertised.
3 copies 2 very good, 1 good. Extra images and detailed description of condition on request.
5.30.1 CRUEL LIPS Marcus Van Heller [John Stevenson], 1956
MARCUS [reduced] VAN HELLER | CRUEL LIPS | THE TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8, Rue de Nesle, Paris 6 Collation: 192 pp. 30.1-30.616. 18.0 x 11.4 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-2] blank. p. [3] CRUEL LIPSř. p. [4] [rule] | All right reserved by The Olympia Press, Paris, France p. [5] title, as above. p. [6] catalogue of vols. 7 and 8, and 15-32 of The Traveller‘s Companion Series. pp. 7-190, text. p. [191] PRINTED IN FRANCE | [rule] | PRINTED JULY 1956 BY S.I.P., MONTREUIL, FRANCE | Dépôt légal : 3e trimestre 1956. p. [192] blank.
Binding: Olive-green wrappers, printed in black, and trimmed flush with body of book. [Front cover; within a frame of two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black:] MARCUS VAN HELLER | CRUEL | LIPS | no 30 | THE |TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the series no. in horizontal digits at bottom and title lettered vertically up spine:] 30 [-] CRUEL LIPS. [Back cover, at bottom right-hand corner:] Francs : 900. Notes: The catalogue on p. [6] gives a box number address: The Olympia Press, B.P. 82.06 Paris 6, France.
2 Copies both Very Good
To view earlier listing (lower numbers) click the link below
Introduction and description courtesy of Patrick Kearney, The Paris Olympia Press, Liverpool University Press 2007, P.89 . Index numbers [ Example 4.1.1, are description locators within the bibliography].
Listing here are 6 of the 10 titles which is in itself a very rare occurrence. Images are of the actual books which are duplicate copies from my personal collection, as always they are available to trade against my wants, or failing that other rare items of erotica that might enhance my listings and offer me more of a target audience to find the Olympia Press titles I still need.
Like Collection Merlin, The Atlantic Library was a short series (comprising ten titles), all published in 1954, all sporting a design that prefigured the soon-to-be-launched Traveller’s Companion Series, but in orange.
The first and third books were English translations of works by Rene Roques: Interdit aux Juene Filles (Forbidden to Young Girls), translated by Peter Leroy as Three Passionate Lovers; and et Treize Fois Impure (…and Thirteen Times Impure), translated by James O’Leary as Ladies at Night, the first two novels in Roques Interdit aux Juene Filles collection. The first title was already a bestseller by the time Girodias published the English translation, having sold over 50,000 copies in various French editions. In 1955, et Treize Fois Impure was banned under the 1949 Law concerning the sale of books to minors, but, oddly enough, the English translation published by Girodias was not.
The connection with Roques did not end there, for it appears Girodias also distributed the French editions of the first three titles in the Interdit aux Jeune Filles collection, the two above and also No. 3, Viol (Rape), evidence for which is found in the Olympia Press Teaser Paris Exotique (3.2), in which an extract from et Treize Fois Impure (Passion de la Nuit) can also be found.
The second book in the series, Helen and Desire, was the first Olympia Press title written by Alexander Trocchi of Merlin fame (writing under one of his many pseudonyms, Frances Lengel). He would write four of the ten Atlantic titles (including No. 10, My Life & Loves, Volume Five, supposedly the fifth book in Frank Harris’s outlandish autobiography). Young Adam, No. 6, would eventually be made into a movie (2003). In total, Trocchi would write seven Olympia Press titles and translate one (The Debauched Hospodar, 1.6).
Five of the Atlantic titles also appear under the Traveller’s Companion Series: Helen and Desire, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (as Memoirs of Fanny Hill), An Adults Story, The Watcher and the Watched, and My Life and Loves. Lust appears under the Ophelia imprint.
Atlantic Library titles are rare, several quite so.
4.1.1 THREE PASSIONATE LOVERS René Roques, 1954
RENÉ ROQUES | THREE | PASSIONATE | LOVERS | A novel translated | from the French | by Peter Leroy | THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 13, rue Jacob, Paris-6e Collation: 192 pp. [1]-128. 18.0 x 11.4 cm, all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-4] blank. p. [5] THREE | PASSIONATE |LOVERS. p. [6] THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY | LATEST VOLUMES | THREE PASSIONATE LOVERS by René Roques | LADIES AT NIGHT … by René Roques | LUST … by Count Palmiro Vicarion | HELEN AND DESIRE … by Frances Lengel | See excerpts at the end | of the present volume. | Catalogues will be supplied free on request. | Apply to: The Olympia Press, 13 rue Jacob, | Paris 6, France. | [rule] |All rights reserved in all countries by René Roques | and The Olympia Press. p. [7] title, as above, reverse blank. pp. 9-166, text of Three Passionate Lovers. pp. 167-171, extract from Lust by Count Palmiro Vicarion [Christopher Logue]. pp. 172-177, extract from Helen and Desire by Frances Lengel [Alexander Trocchi]. pp. 178-188, extract from Women at Night by René Roques. p. [189] PRINTED JANUARY 1954 | BY IMPRIMERIE RICHARD, PARIS | Printed in France | [rule] | Dépôt légal 1er trimestre 1954. [rule]. pp. [190-192], blank. Binding: Orange wrappers, trimmed flush. Front-cover: [printed in black and all contained within a white oblong frame matching proportions of book:] RENÉ ROQUES | THREE | PASSIONATE | LOVERS | THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY. Spine: [lettered in white down spine, and all within a black panel:] THREE PASSIONATE LOVERS | [in white across bottom of spine:] 1. Back cover: [in black:] FRANCS : 660 | NOT TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE U.K. OR U.S.A. | PRINTED IN FRANCE. Notes: Three Passionate Lovers is a translation of Interdit aux Jeunes Fille (Paris: La Clé d’Or , 1951). A reprint published, apparently, by the author (Paris: R.R., 1953) was distributed by The Olympia Press.
[One copy Very Good, detailed description and extra images on request]
4.4.1 LUST Count Palmiro Vicarion, [Christopher Logue], 1954
COUNT PALMIRO VICARION | LUST | THE ATLANTIC LIBARY [sic] | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 13, rue Jacob, Paris Collation: 224 pp. [1]-148. 17.8 x 11.4 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1,2] blank. p. [3] LUST. p. [4] A LIST OF TITLES | ALREADY PUBLISHED IN | THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY | HELEN AND DESIRE … by Frances Lengel | LUST … by Count Palmiro Vicarion | THREE PASSIONATE LOVERS, by René Roques | LADIES AT NIGHT … by René Roques | Complete catalogue supplied on request. | [rule] | All rights reserved in all countries. | Copyright by The Olympia Press, 1954. p. [5] title, as above, reverse blank. pp. 7-218, text. p. [219-220] blank. p. [221] PRINTED FEBRUARY 1954 | BY IMPRIMERIE RICHARD | PARIS | [rule] | Dépôt légal : 1er trimestre 1954. | [rule]. pp. [222-224] blank. Binding: Orange wrappers, trimmed flush. Front-cover: [printed in black and all contained within a white oblong frame matching proportions of book:] COUNT | PALMIRO VICARION | LUST | THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY. Spine: [lettered in white down spine, and all within a black panel:] LUST | [in white across bottom of spine:] 4. Back cover: [in black:] FRANCS : 660 | NOT TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE U.K. OR U.S.A | PRINTED IN FRANCE.Notes: Concerning this novel, and in reply to a question about its reprinting under the Ophelia Press imprint, Mr. Logue wrote to the present writer in 1975: All I know about Lust is; 1) I wrote it; 2) I was paid for it but once; 3) M. G. [Maurice Girodias] did not tell me of his reprints.
[One copy Very Good, detailed description and extra images on request]
4.5.1 MEMOIRS OF A WOMAN OF PLEASURE John Cleland, 1954
JOHN CLELAND | MEMOIRS | OF A WOMAN | OF PLEASURE | [small device of leaves] | THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 13, rue Jacob, Paris Collation: 256 pp. [1]-168. 17.8 x 11.3cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1,2] blank. p. [3] MEMOIRS | OF A WOMAN OF PLEASURE‘. p. [4] The texte [sic] of this unabridged | version of the authentic | MEMOIRS OF FANNY HILL | is based on the original | edition published by | G. Fenton, London 1749 | under the present title: |Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasureŗ. p. [5] title, as above, reverse blank. pp. 7-248, text. pp. [249-250] blank. p. [251] THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY | LATEST VOLUMES | 1. THREE PASSIONATE LOVERS. by René Roques | 2. HELEN AND DESIRE … by Frances Lengel | 3. LADIES AT NIGHT … by René Roques | 4. LUST … by Count Palmiro Vicarion | 5. MEMOIRS OF A WOMAN | OF PLEASURE … by John Cleland | 6. YOUNG ADAM … by Frances Lengel | Complete catalogues will be supplied | free on request. Apply to: | The Olympia Press | 13 rue Jacob, Paris, France. p. [252] blank. p. [253] PRINTED | APRIL 1954 BY | IMPRIMERIE MAZARINE | PARIS | Printed in France | [rule] | Dépôt légal : 2e trimestre 1954, pp. [254-256] blank. Binding: Orange wrappers, trimmed flush. Front-cover: [printed in black and all contained within a white oblong frame matching proportions of book:] JOHN CLELAND |MEMOIRS | OF A WOMAN | OF PLEASURE | THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY‘. Spine: [lettered in white up spine, and all within a black panel:] MEMOIRS OF A WOMAN OF PLEASURE | [in white across bottom of spine:] 5. Back cover: [in black:] FRANCS : 660 | NOT TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE U.K. OR U.S.A | PRINTED IN FRANCE. Notes: (1) Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure is one of the most enduring erotic novels in any language, and has probably been in print constantly since it was first published at London in two volumes, the first in 1748 and the second early in the following year. Many editions have omitted an episode in the novel involving a graphically described homosexual encounter that is witnessed by the leading character whilst resting at an inn near Hampton Court. This present edition is one of the few that include this incident. (2) Mr. Jan Moret reports an altered state of this printing that has a blue sticker on the back wrapper indicating a price increase to Francs 1.200.
[One copy Very Good, detailed description and extra images on request]
4.8.1 AN ADULT’S STORY Robert Desmond [Robert Desmond Thompson], 1954
ROBERT DESMOND | AN ADULT’S | STORY | THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 13, rue Jacob, Paris Collation: 208 pp. [1]-616, 78. 17.8 x 11.2 cm, all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper.Contents: pp. [1,2] blank. p. [3] AN ADULT’S STORY, reverse blank. p. [5] title, as above. pp. [6,7] catalogue, with descriptive blurbs, of all ten titles in the Atlantic Library series. At the foot of p. [7] is: Printed in France | [rule] |Copyright 1954 by The Olympia Press. p. [8] blank. pp. 9-206, text. p. [207] Printed in France | [rule] | Printed by Imprimerie Richard, Paris, April 1954 | [rule] | Dépôt légal : 2e trimestre 1954. pp. [208], blank. Binding: Orange wrappers, trimmed flush. Front-cover: [printed in black and all contained within a white oblong frame matching proportions of book:] ROBERT DESMOND | AN | ADULT’S | STORY | THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY. Spine: [lettered in white up spine, and all within a black panel:] AN ADULT‘S STORY | [in white across bottom of spine:] 8. Back cover: [in black:] FRANCS : 660 | NOT TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE U.K. OR U.S.A. Notes: Robert Desmond was an English national working in a bank in Rotterdam, Holland. In 1996 he was living in Hackney, East London. Mr. James Armstrong researched and identified the author.
[One copy Very Good, detailed description and extra images on request]
4.9.1 THE WATCHER AND THE WATCHED Thomas Peachum [Philip Oxman], 1954
THOMAS PEACHUM | THE WATCHER | AND | THE WATCHED | THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY | published by |THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 13, rue Jacob, Paris, France Collation: 288 pp. [1]-916. 17.8 x 11.4 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1,2] blank. p. [3] title, as above. p. [4] THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY | 1. THREE PASSIONATE LOVERS by René Roques | 2. HELEN AND DESIRE By Frances Lengel | 3. LADIES AT NIGHT by René Roques | 4. LUST by Count Palmiro Vicarion | 5. MEMOIRS OF FANNY HILL by John Cleland | 6. YOUNG ADAM by Frances Lengel | 7. THE CARNAL DAYS OF HELEN SEFERIS | by Frances Lengel | 8. AN ADULT’S STORY by Robert Desmond | 9. THE WATCHER AND THE WATCHED | by Thomas Peachum | 10. MY LIFE AND LOVES (5th vol.) by Frank Harris | A complete up-to-date catalogue will be | sent on request. | Printed in France | [rule] | All rights reserved by The Olympia Press, Paris. pp. 5-286, text. p. [287] PRINTED JUNE 1954 | BY | IMPRIMERIE RICHARD, |PARIS | [rule] | Dépôt légal : 2 e trimestre 1954. | [rule]. p. [208] blank. Binding: Orange wrappers, trimmed flush. Front cover: [printed in black and all contained within a white oblong frame matching proportions of book:] THOMAS PEACHUM | THE | WATCHER | AND THE | WATCHED | THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY. Spine: [lettered in white up spine, and all within a black panel:] THE WATCHER & THE WATCHED | [in white across bottom of spine:] 9ř. Back cover: [in black:] FRANCS : 660 | NOT TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE U.K. OR U.S.A. | PRINTED IN FRANCE. Notes: Published under the author’s true name by Sphere Books at London in 1970.
[Two copies one Very Good, one Good, detailed description and extra images on request]
4.10.1 MY LIFE AND LOVES VOL. 5 Frank Harris [Alexander Trocchi], 1954
FRANK HARRIS | MY LIFE | AND LOVES | FIFTH VOLUME | THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 13, rue Jacob, Paris Collation: 192 pp. [1]-616. 17.6 x 11.4 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper.Contents: pp. [1,2] blank. p. [3] MY LIFE | AND LOVES, reverse blank. p. [5] title, as above. p. [6] PRINTED IN FRANCE | [rule] | Copyright by The Olympia Press, Paris. pp. 7-186, text. pp. [187,8] catalogue, with descriptive blurbs, of all ten titles in the Atlantic Library series. p. [189] PRINTED JUNE 1954 | BY | IMPRIMERIE RICHARD | PARIS | [rule] | Dépôt légal : 2e trimestre 1954.ř. pp. [190-192] blank. Binding: Orange wrappers, trimmed flush. Front cover: [printed in black and all contained within a white oblong frame matching proportions of book:] FIRST PRINTING |FRANK HARRIS | MY LIFE | AND LOVES | Fifth volume | THE ATLANTIC LIBRARY. Spine: [lettered in white up spine, and all within a black panel:] MY LIFE AND LOVES | [in white across bottom of spine:] 10. Back cover: [in black:] FRANCS : 660 | NOT TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE U.K. OR U.S.A. | PRINTED IN FRANCE. Notes: The story behind this fabricated fifth volume of Harris’s celebrated memoirs will be found in Maurice Girodias, The Olympia Reader (New York: Grove Press, 1965), pp. 345-349.
[Two copies one Very Good, one Good, detailed description and extra images on request]
Well an amazing find and not listed in Kearney. Nor to the best of my knowledge in any of the other collections auctioned in recent years. Something of a landmark, and almost definitely the last advertising pamphlet issued by the press from its Paris base.
Internal evidence suggests that this leaflet was prepared specially
for distribution at the 1966 Frankfurt Book Fair, which is held
annually in mid-October.
Scarce, late piece of Paris Olympia Press ephemera, from Sept. 1966,
comprising a single leaf of silver-coloured paper measuring 42 x 27 cm,
folded length-wise to create four pages. Page one carries the masthead
‘Olympia Press News’ superimposed over a photograph of what
appears to be Maurice Girodias walking down a Paris street with a
nun in the foreground.
Pages 2-3 comprise a note by Girodias, dated Sept. 22 1966, headed
‘Olympia Press News, Good and Bad,’ in which is discussed, among
other things, the success of American and English editions of many
of his books, a publishing deal with New English Library in London,
the proposed revival of Olympia magazine and plans for Japanese
and Swedish publications.
The balance of page 3
comprise a catalogue of the New English Library editions already
in print.
Page 4
A Paris Olympia Press stock-list.
PDF Link below:
Listing of titles available in the Traveller’s companion series, image, bibliographical description, note on number of copies available, and condition. For more information on individual titles post a comment on this blog and I will send images and full description. (I also request your forbearance with the presentation of the pages whilst I experiment with fonts and image sizes)
NOTE: BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DETAIL COURTESY OF Patrick Kearney . The Paris Olympia Press. Liverpool University Press 2007. Index numbers, Example (5.3.1) are description locations within the publication.
Traveller’s Companion Series No 15
5.15.1 ROGUE WOMEN Nicholas Cutter [pseud.], 1955
NICHOLAS CUTTER | ROGUE | WOMAN | THE TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8, rue de Nesle, Paris 6e Collation: 168 pp. [15.1]-15.516, 15.64. 17.7 x 11.2 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-2] blank. p. [3] ROGUE | WOMEN, reverse blank. p. [5] title, as above. p. [6] Printed in France | [rule] |All rights reserved by The Olympia Press, Paris. p. [7] quotation from Sir Robert Bruce Lokhart [sic], Memoirs of a British Agent, reverse blank. pp. 9-[161] text. p. [162] blank. p. [163] PRINTED IN FRANCE | [rule] | Printed in June 1955 by Imprimerie Richard, Paris | Dépôt légal : 2e, trimestre 1955. p. [164] blank. p. [165] catalogue of vols. 1-15 of The Traveller‘s Companion Series. pp. [166-8] blank. Binding: Olive-green wrappers, printed in black, and trimmed flush with body of book. [Front cover; within a frame of two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black:] NICHOLAS CUTTER | ROGUE | WOMEN | no 15 | THE |TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the series no. in horizontal digits at bottom and title lettered vertically up spine:] 15 [-] ROGUE WOMEN. [Back cover, at bottom right-hand corner:] Francs : 900. Notes: (1) Suppressed on December 10th, 1956 under the decree of May 1939 (article 14 of the law of July 29th 1881 sur la liberté de la presse), designed to combat politically and morally offensive périodiques et ouvrages de provenance étrangère. (2) Prosecuted on July 11th. 1958 under article 14 of a law passed on 16th July 1949 concerning the manner in which books, periodicals, &c. of an erotic character, could be sold, displayed and advertised.
One Copy Image, general wear pulling to head and tail of spine creasing to cover about Good Plus.
Traveller’s Companion Series No 16
5.16.1 WITH OPEN MOUTH Marcus Van Heller [John Stevenson], 1955 MARCUS VAN HELLER | WITH | OPEN MOUTH | THE TRAVELLERS COMPANION | SERIES | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8, Rue de Nesle, Paris VIe Collation: 192 pp. 1-616. 17.7 x 11.2 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-2] blank. p. [3] WITH | OPEN MOUTH. p. [4] [rule] | All rights reserved by The Olympia Press, Paris, France. p. [5] title, as above, reverse blank. pp. 7-185, text. p. [186] blank. pp. 187-190 catalogue, with blurbs, of the first twenty-seven titles in The Traveller‘s Companion Series, and detailed descriptions of Lolita and Justine. p. [191], short-title list of same twenty-seven titles, and Lolita, with printing details at foot: PRINTED IN FRANCE | IMPRIMERIE SPÉCIALE DES ÉDITIONS OLYMPIA PRESS | Dépôt légal : 1er trimestre 1956. p. [192] blank. Binding: Olive-green wrappers, printed in black, and trimmed flush with body of book. [Front cover; within a frame of two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black:] MARCUS VAN HELLER | WITH | OPEN | MOUTH | no 16 | THE | TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the series no. in horizontal digits at bottom and title lettered vertically up spine:] 16 [-] WITH OPEN MOUTH. [Back cover, at bottom right-hand corner:] Francs : 900. Notes: (1) Suppressed on December 10th, 1956 under the decree of May 1939 (article 14 of the law of July 29th 1881 sur la liberté de la presse), designed to combat politically and morally offensive périodiques et ouvrages de provenance étrangère.(2) Prosecuted on July 11th. 1958 under article 14 of a law passed on 16th July 1949 concerning the manner in which books, periodicals, &c. of an erotic character, could be sold, displayed and advertised. (3) Mr. Steve Mullins reports two copies of this in his collection which while otherwise identical to the one described above, are printed on different thicknesses of paper, one about half as thin as the other. The copy with the thinner paper has wrappers of a noticeably darker green than the other.
ONE COPY ; Price marked in biro on back cover otherwise Very Good.
Traveller’s Companion Series No 17
5.17.1 MEMOIRS OF FANNY HILL [MEMOIRS OF A WOMAN OF PLEASURE] John Cleland, 1956. JOHN CLELAND | MEMOIRS | of | FANNY HILL | THE TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8 Rue de Nesle, Paris VIe Collation: 224 pp. FANNY HILL [1]- FANNY HILL 716. 17.7 x 11.2 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-2] blank. p. [3] MEMOIRS OF FANNY HILL. p. [4] note by publisher concerning text and the original version of this work: THE TEXT OF THIS UNABRIDGED | VERSION OF THE MEMOIRS | OF FANNY HILL IS BASED | ON THE ORIGINAL VERSION | PUBLISHED BY G. FENTON, |LONDON 1749, UNDER THE | ACTUAL TITLE OF : MEMOIRS | OF A WOMAN OF PLEASURE; at foot of page, PRINTED IN FRANCE. p.[5] title, as above, reverse blank. pp. 7-223, text. p. [224] catalogue of first twenty-seven titles in The Traveller‘s Companion Series, and Lolita, with printing details at foot of page: PRINTED IN FRANCE | IMPRIMERIE SPÉCIALE DES ÉDITIONS OLYMPIA PRESS | Dépôt légal : 1er trimestre 1956. Binding: Olive-green wrappers, printed in black, and trimmed flush with body of book. [Front cover within a frame of two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black:] JOHN CLELAND | MEMOIRS | OF | FANNY HILL | no 17 | THE | TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the series no. in horizontal digits at bottom and title lettered vertically up spine:] ‗17 [-] MEMOIRS OF FANNY HILL‘. [Back cover, at bottom right-hand corner:] Francs : 900.
Notes: (1) Olympias edition of Fanny Hill is reproduced from an earlier version (compiled from various existing first editions) which was published in 1946 under the Obelisk Press imprint. (The Olympia Reader, N.Y., 1965, p. 256.) The first edition of this text which is one of the few modern editions to contain the usually suppressed homosexual episode under the aegis of the Olympia Press was published in 1954, as vol. 5 of the Atlantic Library series. (2) Suppressed on December 10th, 1956 under the decree of May 1939 (article 14 of the law of July 29th 1881 sur la liberté de la presse), designed to combat politically and morally offensive périodiques et ouvrages de provenance étrangère. (3) Prosecuted on July 11th. 1958 under article 14 of a law passed on 16th July 1949 concerning the manner in which books, periodicals, &c. of an erotic character, could be sold, displayed and advertised.
2 COPIES, One GOOD + ONE VERY GOOD
Traveller’s Companion Series No 18
5.18.1 HOW TO DO IT Gustav Landshot [pseud.], 1956
GUSTAV LANDSHOT | HOW | TO DO IT | THE TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8, rue de Nesle, Paris 6 Collation: 224 pp. 18.1-18.716. 17.5 x 11.2 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-2] blank. p. [3] HOW | TO DO IT. p. [4] [rule] | All right reserved in all countries by The Olympia Press, Paris, France. p.[5] title, as above, reverse blank. pp. 7-[219], text, with printing details at foot of p. [219]: [rule] | PRINTED FEBRUARY 1956 BY S.I.P., MONTREUIL, SEINE, FRANCE | Dépôt légal : 1er trimestre 1956 pp. [220-223] catalogue, with promotional blurbs, and the first twenty-seven titles in The Traveller‘s Companion Series, together with Lolita and Justine. p. [224] blank. Binding: Olive-green wrappers, printed in black, and trimmed flush with body of book. [Front cover within a frame of two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black:] GUSTAV LANDSHOT | HOW | TO DO IT | no 18 | THE |TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the series no. in horizontal digits at bottom and title lettered vertically up spine:] 18 [-] HOW TO DO IT. [Back cover, at bottom right-hand corner:] Francs : 900. Notes: (1) Suppressed on December 10th, 1956 under the decree of May 1939 (article 14 of the law of July 29th 1881 sur la liberté de la presse), designed to combat politically and morally offensive périodiques et ouvrages de provenance étrangère. (2) Prosecuted on July 11th. 1958 under article 14 of a law passed on 16th July 1949 concerning the manner in which books, periodicals, &c. of an erotic character, could be sold, displayed and advertised.
One Copy About Good Plus with wear to edges and creasing to cover, extra images and full description on request.
Traveller’s Companion Series No 19
5.19.1 DARLING Harriet Daimler [Iris Owens], 1956
HARRIET DAIMLER | DARLING | THE TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8, Rue de Nesle, Paris 6e Collation: 176 pp. 19.1-19.516, 19.68. 17.5 x 11.5 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-2] blank. p. [3] DARLINGř. p. [4] SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI, with, at foot of page, notice of copyright: [rule] | All right reserved in all countries by The Olympia Press, Paris, France p.[5] title, as above, reverse blank. pp. 7-173, text. p. [174] list of first twenty-nine titles of The Traveller‘s Companion Series, with printing details at foot of page: PRINTED IN FRANCE | [rule] | PRINTED MARCH 1956 BY S.I.P., MONTREUIL, SEINE, FRANCE | Dépôt légal : 1er trimestre 1956. pp. [175-6] blank. Binding: Olive-green wrappers, printed in black, and trimmed flush with body of book. [Front cover; within a frame of two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black:] HARRIET DAIMLER | DARLING | no 19 | THE | TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the series no. in horizontal digits at bottom and title lettered vertically up spine:] 19 [-] DARLING. [Back cover, at bottom right-hand corner:] Francs : 900.Notes: (1) Suppressed on December 10th, 1956 under the decree of May 1939 (article 14 of the law of July 29th 1881 sur la liberté de la presse), designed to combat politically and morally offensive périodiques et ouvrages de provenance étrangère. (2) Prosecuted on July 11th. 1958 under article 14 of a law passed on 16th July 1949 concerning the manner in which books, periodicals, &c. of an erotic character, could be sold, displayed.
One Copy Near Fine, marred only by original price neatly blocked out on back cover. Detailed description and extra images on request.
Traveller’s Companion Series No 22
5.22.1 THE ITCH Stephen Hammer [John Coleman], 1956
STEPHEN HAMMER | THE ITCH | THE TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES | published by | THE OLYMPIA PRESS | 8, Rue de Nesle, Paris 6e Collation: 208 pp. 22.1-22.616, 22.78. 17.7 x 11.0 cm., all edges trimmed. Printed on white wove paper. Contents: pp. [1-2] blank. p. [3] THE ITCH. p. [4] [rule] |All rights reserved in all countries by The Olympia Press, Paris, France. p.[5] title, as above, reverse blank. pp. 7-199, text. p. [200] blank. pp. [201-204] catalogue, with short descriptive notes, of vols. 1, 4-27 of The Traveller‘s Companion Series, and of Lolita and Justine. pp. [205,206] blank. p. [207] PRINTED IN FRANCE [RULE] | PRINTED MARCH 1956 BY S.I.P., MONTREUIL, SEINE, FRANCE | Dépôt légal : 1er trimestre 1956. p. [208] blank. Binding: Olive-green wrappers, printed in black, and trimmed flush with body of book. [Front cover; within a frame of two borders, the outer consisting of fine linked chain of type device in black, and the inner a thin band of white edged in black:] STEPHEN HAMMER | THE ITCH | no 22 | THE | TRAVELLER’S COMPANION | SERIES. [Spine; within a white, black-edged panel, the series no. in horizontal digits at bottom and title lettered vertically up spine:] 22 [-] THE ITCH. [Back cover, at bottom right-hand corner:] Francs : 900. Notes: (1) Suppressed on December 10th, 1956 under the decree of May 1939 (article 14 of the law of July 29th 1881 sur la liberté de la presse), designed to combat politically and morally offensive périodiques et ouvrages de provenance étrangère. (3) Prosecuted on July 11th. 1958 under article 14 of a law passed on 16th July 1949 concerning the manner in which books, periodicals, &c. of an erotic character, could be sold, displayed and advertised.
One copy good plus with general wear to edges and creasing to covers. Detailed description and extra images on request.
To view earlier listing (lower numbers) click the link below
Traveller’s Companion Series List 1
These days the book town of Hay on Wye is famous for its annual literary festival, as well as the large number of second hand book shops which are its raison d’etre, in the 80’s it was not quite such a commercial venue. Located literally miles away from anywhere an absolute sod of a place to get to, with no public transport link, a location for car owners only, or the privately arranged coach trip.
Back then , it was still a wild place to visit, safest to stay within the boundaries of the town, as vampires and werewolves lurked at night, and a small but particularly aggressive tribe of cannibals lived on an eyot in the Wye valley and many an unwary traveller ended their days as “Man Sausage”as they so quaintly referred to their prey.
Back then my sidekick T and I made many trips to Hay, which if memory serves consisted then of about 10 shops, dominated by the Hay Cinema Bookshop and the Castle. There were locations where books were left out on uncovered racks open to the elements, legend has it that once books were sold there by weight, but that is before my time.
AB7G66 Used books at Hay Cinema Bookshop at Hay on Wye UK. Image shot 2005. Exact date unknown.
Hunting for titles could be difficult as numbers were huge and sorting was primitive, for a time hunting was good, much of the stock was imported by container load from various locations but mainly the States, it was possible to find some quite obscure American piracies of pseudo erotic titles and their rip offs of Paris Olympia titles, but rarely the real thing. Particularly interesting items including illustrated editions, published by The Pierre Louÿs Society, and The Rarity Press and other privately printed items, often the poorly reproduced offset copies but occasionally books in small limitations with full colour illustrations by the like of Clara Tice and Alistair, at that time not in vogue, but rather beautiful and very cheap.
Because of the United States refusal to honour anyone else’s copyright up until the mid 60’s a lot of material was just lifted from European editions and in those days in Hay it was relatively easy to find both copies and original material produced by the Obelisk Press and other Paris imprints from the 1930’s. The real treasure for me however were the foreign language books where I was able to pick up clandestine erotica published in French with relative ease and also very cheaply, simply because no one knew what they were.
To do a visit justice you needed several days, and as rooms were too expensive for me back then, in summer I sometimes took a tent but otherwise slept in the back of my Vauxhall Carlton estate, which i used to park in the large public car park on the edge of the town, which had the advantage of an on site toilet block. My favourite memory is of the time T and I arrived in Hay quite late in the evening, with only enough book hunting time to visit the Cinema Bookshop and stash a few titles for collection the next day, before retiring to our double sleeping compartment in the back of the car to “Spliff Up” and while away the evening. Next morning bright and early, having ignored the tapping’s and pleadings of the persistent vampires ( whoever thought of designing a monster that could fly , lift ten times its own weight but is totally incapable of breaking a glass window?).
After after the obligatory good morning “doobie”, I left T in charge of the kettle on our gas fired cooker, housed in the former bedroom now converted to kitchen in the back of the car, and wandered off to the toilet block, returning some several minutes later, from across the car park I heard the plaintive cry of “FIRE, FIRE” and espied T pathetically waving a tea towel at a rather aggressive jet of blue flame emitting from the open tailgate of the car, this image is forever etched on my mind and totally inexplicable, T was and is one of the brightest and capable human beings i have ever known, by the time I had stopped laughing and reached inside the car to turn off the valve on the gas bottle, T had regained his composure but not overcome his embarrassment at his bizarre reaction to the crisis, it is still possible to reduce him to a sulky silence by uttering the words”Fire Fire”.
Reproduced here courtesy of the author. Originally published in Fine Books Magazine July 2010.
When my father died in 1995, I found a half-dozen green paperbacks in his office, his own book included—Bottoms Up—all volumes in the now infamous Traveller’s Companion Series. Not realizing what I was getting into, I thought it would be fun to collect the set. Thus began my ten-year odyssey with the Olympia Press.
From a handful of “greenies” to editing the definitive bibliography by Patrick Kearney, it has been a fascinating adventure—one day poring over obscure French laws, one day tracking down an unknown variant of Lolita. And one day opening a newly arrived package at the kitchen table. It was White Thighs by Frances Lengel (one of Alexander Trocchi’s pseudonyms). Of course, my wife Susan came into the room at that very moment. She looked at the book and then at me. I said, “It’s part of the series.” She turned and walked out of the room. “It’s part of the series,” I called after her, but she was gone.
The Olympia Press was founded by Maurice Girodias in Paris in 1953. Continuing his father’s legacy as a fearless, avant-garde publisher (his father, Jack Kahane, had published James Joyce, Anaïs Nin, and Henry Miller), Girodias (who took his mother’s maiden name during the war) was the first to publish The Ginger Man, The Naked Lunch, and—most famously—Lolita.
Girodias attracted the attention of the French authorities long before he founded the Olympia Press. Although he started his publishing career innocently enough in 1940 with a weekly directory of Paris theatres, Paris-Programme, and followed that with a number of high-quality art books published under the Editions du Chêne imprint, in 1946 he published a French edition of Miller’s Tropic of Capricorn that was immediately banned, the first time the French government had moved against a book since Flaubert’sMadame Bovary a century before. He won that battle, but then published (in English) Miller’s Sexus in 1949 under his father’s resurrected imprint, the Obelisk Press. That book was banned outright in all languages. Thus, by 1950, he had established a reputation as a publisher of the risqué if not the pornographic.
In 1951, Girodias lost control of Editions du Chêne (and thus also Obelisk Press) to Hachette, the largest publisher in France. Over the next few years he did very little (his own words) before launching the Olympia Press, named after Manet’s scandalous painting.
It was not long before he was once again in hot water. Indeed, the first book off the press was Miller’s Plexus, which more or less set the tone for the new enterprise. From the pornographic to the experimental, from first English translations to modern classics, Girodias published a bizarre mix of the good, the bad, and the obscene.
Ironically, Girodias was, to some degree, a victim of his own success. Once censorship laws in the U.S. and U.K. were repealed, the market for “dirty books” was never the same. Girodias moved to New York in the late 1960s to capitalize on new publishing freedoms in the U.S., but the company went bankrupt in the early 1970s. He published his last book in 1974 and died in Paris in 1990 at the age of 71
In 1998, having collected about half of the titles in the Traveller’s Companion Series, I arranged to meet Patrick Kearney, widely recognized as the bibliographic expert on the Olympia Press. I called him when I was planning to be in San Francisco—he lives in Santa Rosa. When I arrived at his house he immediately gave me a tour of his collection. That’s when I realized I knew next to nothing about the Olympia Press. I had not even heard of some of the books he showed me. And beyond books, there were catalogues, booklets, and magazines, to say nothing of cancelled dust jackets, freaks, and piracies.
It is safe to say, from a bibliographic standpoint, that no one knows more about the Olympia Press than Kearney. He has been collecting Olympia since the early sixties when he was a “runner,” smuggling copies of the Traveller’s Companion Series into England from France. He would sell them to “Sammy,” his London connection. Kearney recalled their meetings were like a scene from a bad spy movie. They would meet in an underground coffee shop and Kearney would hand over the goods in a brown paper bag. Sammy—who actually wore dark glasses for the exchanges—would slip the money across the table in a used window envelope for the North Thames Gas Board.
His most anxious moment as a runner came when he was travelling from Paris to London with his parents and he couldn’t fit all his contraband into his jacket. He had nowhere to put the seven-volume set of Juliette by the Marquis de Sade. “My father stuffed them in his pockets,” Kearney told me. “He was fine with it, but my mother nearly had a nervous breakdown. She was sure we would get caught.”
But they crossed the border without incident. In fact the only time Kearney was ever stopped by customs was on his way into France in 1960. “I was reading a book called La Gangrene,” Kearney recalled, “which was very critical of the French government and the role it played in Algerian affairs, up to and including torturing suspected terrorists. I had the book under my arm when I came to customs, the man there literally snatched it away from me. He said, ‘That’s not allowed here.’” If only he had known what books Kearney usually carried across the border between France and England.
Kearney met Girodias several times in Paris in the early eighties. Once, when Kearney mentioned he was having a hard time finding a copy of L’Affaire Lolita, Girodias gave him a signed copy the next time he saw him. “He was a real gentleman,” Kearney said. “Sadly, by then he was down on his luck and living in an awful, run-down government apartment. I remember he had scotch-tape on the cuffs of his jacket to keep them from fraying any further.”
Fortune would smile on Girodias one more time, though not for long. In 1990, after publishing the second volume of his autobiography—Une journée sur la terre: Les jardins d’Eros, which covered the period of the Olympia Press—Girodias was once again in the spotlight. Sadly, he died shortly thereafter during a radio interview.
Kearney published a checklist in 1975 and a short bibliography in 1987, but he had learned much since then. He showed me the updated version on his computer when I visited him in California. It was much more detailed than the 1987 edition and included a significant number of new titles, printings, and variants. I told him, “We have to get this published.”
Sex sells, but books about books that sell sex, don’t. Few bibliographies hit the bestseller list. We figured we would have to publish it ourselves. Print-on-demand services are rarely the way to fame and fortune for works of fiction (marketing and distribution being critical success factors), but they are well suited to reference works, where sales potential is limited, and—a bonus—the work never goes out of print.
Thus, we set up the work as a document to be published with a print-on-demand (POD) provider, formatted the materials, and discussed cover designs. The main shortcoming with a POD solution was that we could not have a color section illustrating the books. Nevertheless, we thought it our only option.
Over the next few years, literally thousands of emails went out to collectors, libraries, and booksellers. No fact was too small to be run down (“Does the tail of the ‘R’ in BEDROOM extend below the text on the title page of your copy of The Bedroom Philosophers?”). At the same time, we continued to make new discoveries: an issue of Merlin published by the Olympia Press; two large, coffee-table books on architecture published by Girodias in 1955 (Sicile Grecque andSaint-Philbert de Tournus). FedEx packages went back and forth between Kearney and Steve Mullins, a leading collector in London, and details were checked with John de St. Jorre, the author of Venus Bound: The Erotic Voyage of the Olympia Press and its Writers.
We were just wrapping up when our luck changed. Through the grapevine we heard Liverpool University Press was planning to publish a book on the Obelisk Press. A quick email to Liverpool resulted in a contract. They thought the Olympia Press bibliography the perfect companion to the Obelisk bibliography.
Our publishing problem solved, we focused on finalizing the manuscript. The bibliography covers hundreds of titles, printings, issues, and variants and every entry had to be double-checked. When the galleys came, we went over every word again. As any author or editor knows, it is impossible to catch every error. Because everyone was focused on the text, no one read the blurb on the back cover, which states Kearney is the author of A History of Gothic Literature, which, of course, should be Erotic Literature.
The Paris Olympia Press finally came out in early 2008, ten years after my visit to Kearney’s house in 1998. For Kearney, it was the culmination of a lifetime of collecting and study, a capstone to his career as an Olympia runner, collector, and ultimately, bibliographer.
Still, there was one last chapter to be written. Having completed his labor of love, Kearney put his collection up for sale at Christie’s. On Thursday, June 12, 2008, Lot No. 206—Kearney’s entire Olympia Press Collection, comprising over 400 volumes (it took eight full pages to describe)—went under the hammer.
The collection was bought by Princeton University Library. It is now part of Princeton’s rare book collection, not to be broken up and sold piece by piece, but kept together as a collection, a focal point for the study of censorship in the twentieth century.
In point of fact, it is only because it was a bibliographer’s collection that it caught the attention of Stephen Ferguson, curator of rare books at Princeton. “When a collection formed by a bibliographer, rather than by a collector, comes on the market, I take special notice,” Ferguson said. “The chief reason is that bibliographers tend to be more aware of what research libraries are interested in supplying to the scholar: variant issues, special issues, items in original condition, publishers’ catalogs and ads, etc., all of which are vital aspects of publishing history.”
No. 86 in the Traveller’s Companion Series was Bottoms Up, by Jock Carroll (the author’s father). The heroine of the book, Gloria Heaven, was based on Marilyn Monroe. Carroll, a photojournalist, had met Monroe on the set of the movie Niagara in 1952 while on assignment for Weekend Magazine.
Unable to get Bottoms Uppublished in Canada or the United States, Carroll turned to Girodias as a last resort. Unlike North American publishers who thought the book had too much sex in it, Girodias didn’t think it had enough. He asked Carroll to spice it up, which he did.
Princeton is no newcomer to the history of publishing. The University’s special collections include the archives of G.P. Putnam and Sons, Henry Holt, Charles Scribner’s Sons, D. Van Nostrand, Harper & Brothers, and many others. But the Olympia Press collection represented a special opportunity. “Civil authority versus individual liberty is an on-going conversation,” Ferguson said. “This collection helps document a fascinating chapter in that dialog, and as such can help support important future research.”
As the (self-proclaimed) Publisher Who Defeated Censorship, I think Girodias would have been happy to know that future scholars will use the Olympia Press collection to understand the history of censorship—and the role he played in it.
Chéri Hérouard (1881-1961) was a French artist and illustrator of numerous erotica and spanking novels. He used the pseudonym Herric when he illustrated spanking novels for various French publishing houses, such as Jean Fort’s Collection des Orties Blanches. And as evidenced by these titles also, Editions Prima.
Yet another accidental off shoot of my collecting activity, I found one of these titles and then set out to locate others, they are rather beautiful things and despite the subject matter, which even some erotic bibliophiles disapprove of, most were not prosecuted at time of publication and only really became the subject of censorship when reprinted , mainly in the 1950’s
The limited information that I have on these titles comes mainly from descriptions and dating from the Biblio Curiosa web site, or from auction catalogue listings, as always the titles you see here are the real thing and in my private collection, and as such available for trade for items I am seeking for my Paris Olympia Press collection, I must state now that it would take something pretty persuasive for me to part with any of these.
I am keen to find a definitive list of the titles produced by this publisher, I understand from browsing the web that they were quite prolific, however my primary interest is censorship and books that were prosecuted and banned,so any information would be most welcome.
L’Amour Foutte: Gaston Vincennes. Éditions Prima : Paris In original illustrated covers, with 12 engraved monochrome plates. 246 pages (uncut) plus table of contents. Printed by L’Imprimerie Typographique 9, Rue des Gardes. Paris. (ND) but 1930?.
Artist is credited as CH.Avalanche, no idea who that is but pretty sure its not Chéri Hérouard, although the initials lead to that conclusion. When I first acquired this title I had trouble getting my head around this cover and that time, it had much more of a sixties feel to it, but it is 1930 or thereabouts and a wonderful and exceedingly rare example. My apologies for the paucity of information but that is what you are there for, fill in the gaps in my knowledge please. Detailed description of condition and other images on request.
For full detail follow link
Vincennes, Gaston. L’Amour fouetté
La volupté du Fouet: Armand du Loup :- Éditions Prima : Paris 1938, 12 (sepia tone engraved plates) illustrations hors-texte de R. Fanny. ( Etienne Le Rallic ( 1891/1968). In original printed marbled card covers, 255 pages, printed by L’Imprimiere Tassier October 1938. Detailed description of condition and extra images on request.
For full detail follow link
Matée par le fouet: Jean Martinet, Éditions Prima, 1930. Cover and 12 full page engraved plates by Herric. 252 pages. Printed by Imprimerie Tessier, Romainville 32 Rue de Paris (ND) 1930?.
This copy bound in contemporary quarter leather on marbled boards, original covers preserved. Full description of condition and extra images on request.
For full detail follow link
Venez ici, qu’on vous fouette ! : Jean Martinet. Éditions Prima. Paris.255 pages, Cover and 12 exquisite monochrome engraved plates by Herric. ND. No Print details but C 1938? so likely Tessier. Prosecuted in 1953, banned in 1954.
:This copy bound in contemporary quarter leather on marbled boards, original covers preserved. Full description of condition and extra images on request.
For full details follow link
Venez ici, qu’on vous fouette !
Cinglants châtiments : Walter Flog, Éditions Prima, (1932) Cover and 12 superb engraved plates by Herric.
252 pages. Printed by Imprimerie Tessier, Romainville 32 Rue de Paris
:This copy bound in contemporary quarter leather on marbled boards, original covers preserved. Full description of condition and extra images on request.
For full details follow link
Watch This Space.
Having become very pissed off at how difficult it was to find Olympia Press books and deal with the people who might or might not have them, struck by the similarity between the smut peddlers, who were still frightened of being nicked in the 1980’s
Smut Peddler
And the prudish dodgy Victorian morality of your typical book shop owner.
Book Snob
I took it upon myself to undertake some detective work and gradually came to the conclusion, that to find these books produced outside of the UK one had to leave the UK to find them. Being a man of limited means and a working class stiff I had to find a way to raise the cash to fund such an expedition and it took the best part of two years to do this.
In the mean time along with my trusty sidekick “T”, and when he was otherwise engaged accompanied by my ever faithful Border Collie “Kai”,(apparently that means Cat in Welsh,funny name for a dog), who used to love to sit in the front passenger seat, head hung out through the window, tongue and ears flapping in the breeze, occasionally letting go a silent but deadly fart, oh the memories, , much more of a civilised experience when the dog came along instead. We embarked upon the Magical Mystery Tour of the bookshops of England.
The Dirty Bookshop experiment never really produced anything of use except rather battered books which oftentimes, bore a striking almost advertising quality resemblance to their title.
Dirty Bookshop “Reader”
And of course the already referenced Delectus Books Catalogue, which included a wants list of surprising variety, thus equipped I commenced to search for a range of titles much broader than just Olympia Press, A whole range of Sexology and Foreign Language editions of exotic erotica and pornography. After a few false starts, I eventually established contact with the proprietor of Delectus Books, and he slowly drip fed me my first genuine Paris Olympia titles, he also educated me about clandestine publishing, and the ways that publishers codified their books in Victorian times and earlier. So alongside my personal search for Paris Olympia titles I was now looking for books published by Carrington, Gay and Douce, Brancart and Kistemaeckers , few of which could be found in the UK.
After several exchanges of large bags of books I was ready to go to Europe to hunt out the elusive titles of my dreams.
My story continues, by location not by timeline although where possible I will link the two, memory permitting. Before venturing abroad I will relate some of my adventures in the UK and in particular Hay on Wye.
Watch this space.