The Olympia Press "The Naked Lunch" (1959)
Paris, France: The Olympia Press (book, 1st), 1959.
7" x 4.5" x 0.75", softcover with dust-jacket, c.280 pages.
The Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs, as published by the Olympia Press (Paris, France) in 1959. Cover art calligraphy is also by Burroughs.
Pictured is a first printing copy of The Naked Lunch, unclipped with all 1st/1st points including the price of 1,500 Francs.
It is generally accepted that first printing copies are priced either as "Francs: 1.500" or "Francs: 1,500", and the very first copies of that printing used the period. The dust-jacket was designed by Burroughs and was printed in a hurry, and may only have been present on the "Francs: 1,500" copies (speculation there, as I have not seen a jacketed copy with "Francs: 1.500").
Thus this can be assumed as a "second state" of the first printing, both on the basis of the presence of the dust-jacket and of the "Francs: 1,500" with the comma.
The Olympia Press sold 5,865 1st printing copies priced at 1,500 Francs (not overstamped). Some of these have dust-jackets, some not, and some use a comma, some a period.
This copy has a small ownership inscription on the first free page, with a date of 1960 next to it.
M&M A2a. Shoaf I.2 Schottlaender v4.A2.A
External Links:
- RealityStudio: Secrets of the Olympia Press Naked Lunch
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