THE BEGINNING AND THE END

[Frankenhardt, Germany]: Edition Schwarze Seite, (2010). First edition. Only edition, and a very limited one at that. Number 15 of only 25 copies SIGNED BY THE ARTIST. Constitutes the first separate printing of Jeffers' poem which has alternately been titled "the unformed volcanic earth" [Broomfield A135, addendum]. Bilingual text with English on rectos and German translations by Eva Hesse on versos. Illustrated with five tissue-protected foldout color etchings by Froeschlin. Folio volume measuring approximately 11.5 x 15.5"; 16 pages, letterpress printed; hand bound in printed paper over boards with leather spine titled in gilt. The full-color etchings are printed on full-size (23-inch wide) Arches paper folded into the gutter and tipped on one edge. Each etching is protected by full-size tissue interleaving paper to prevent offsetting. Housed in publisher's original sturdy white slipcase covered in deep blue paper with flecks and streaks of white "suggesting stars in a night sky" (Broomfield p. 130). Book and slipcase are fine, virtually as new. Also includes an AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED BY FROESCHLIN and a prospectus of sorts (publisher's small folder cataloging 29 titles with photo-illustrated postcards for 10 of the titles including this one). OCLC records 13 copies in libraries worldwide; Broomfield records one other and has one in his private collection as well. Adding this copy, there are 16 copies known, the bulk of which are in institutions. Scarce to rare.