The Helmsman; The Quest of the Opal: A Commentary on The Helmsman by Cunningham, J. V - 1950

San Francisco, CA: The Colt Press, 1942. First edition. Hardcover. 31 pages. Cunningham's first book, a collection of poems printed in an edition of only 300 copies. A very good plus copy in paper covered boards with printed label affixed to the front panel and with some minor wear to the spine ends and corners. Internally a clean and fresh copy. No dust jacket.

San Francisco, CA: The Colt Press, 1942. First edition. Softcover. 31 pages. Cunningham's first book, a collection of poems printed in an edition of only 300 copies. A very good copy in floral wrappers with yapped edge with some slight chipping to the edges. Internally a clean and fresh copy.

San Francisco: The Colt Press, 1942. First edition. Stiff paper boards in pasted into wraps of wall paper in a floral design, printed label; 8vo. 31pp. First edition of the poet's first published book, and his first collection of poems (preceded only by a prose rarity that has only appeared for sale in a Peter Howard catalog, and one the bibliographer chose not to include). One of 150 (300 sheets were printed) copies in various formats including a rare cloth issue, and wraps issues (this present copy the primary binding). Only 150 were bound by the press, the other 150 were bound by Swallow Press with another collection. Covers overlap, and thus are turned and a bit worn as usual; still easily very good, interior fine. Gullans A1. Number 2 in the Colt Press Poetry Booklets Series.

San Francisco: The Colt Press, 1942. First edition. Stiff paper boards in plain gray-green covers, with orange-yellow cover label, printed in black. 8vo. First edition of the poet's first published book, and his first collection of poems (preceded only by a prose rarity that has only appeared for sale in a Peter Howard catalog, and one the bibliographer chose not to include). One of 150 (300 sheets were printed) copies in various formats including a rare cloth issue, and wraps issues on wall paper in a floral design (the primary binding) as well as this plain gray-green variant. Only 150 were bound by the press, the other 150 were bound by Swallow Press with another collection. Covers overlap, and thus are turned and a bit worn as usual; still easily very good. (In removable protective archival covers.) Gullans A1. Number 2 in the Colt Press Poetry Booklets Series.

San Francisco: The Colt Press, 1942. Paperback. 31p., very good first edition limited to 300 copies in card-stock covers and green dj affixed, yellow printed title label affixed front cover, signed by the poet on the title page. Colt Press Poetry Booklets: Number 2. Produced in various paper formats and designs with a few hardcovers this is the more common plain green paper covers with label. The Denver poet's second book.

San Francisco: The Colt Press, 1942 First edition of the author's first published book. One of 300 copies. Octavo. 9¼x6 inches. 31pp. Printed letterpress. Floral-patterned paper (with overlaps) over stiff cardboard, printed paper cover label. Top and bottom edge of overlaps slightly crunched. A fine copy. Number 2 of the Poetry Booklets Series issued by the Colt Press. Cunningham was a highly-regarded American poet and antimodernist literary critic whose poems are full of sorrow and wit. "In 1938 Jane Grabhorn, with W. M. Roth, set up the Colt Press. With the advent of the War the partnership was dissolved and from 1941 all Colt Press books, while designed by Jane, were printed by the Grabhorn Press" [Magee, Fine Printing and Bookbinding from San Francisco: p.17]..

San Francisco: Colt Press,, 1942.. First edition.. Small 4to. [32 pp]. Very near fine in printed paper-covered boards with light wear along extrems. Pasted-on cover label. One of 300 copies, this issue in printed floral covers. Colt Press Poetry Booklets Number 2.

San Francisco/Denver: Colt Press/Alan Swallow Cloth. 1942/1950. Later Issue. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. 31p. + [21]p. A very good copy, bound in tan cloth which is slightly rubbed and slightly worn at the extremities, the former owner's signature is on the front free endpaper, and the former owner has neatly printed the corrections to the three poems which Cunningham mentions in the essay. The Helmsman is signed on the title by the author. The colophon to The Helmsman reads as follows: "This is Number Two of the Poetry Booklets Series issued by The Colt Press in January, 1942, in an edition of 300 copies.". 1942/1950. Later Issue. Hardcover. Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

San Francisco: Colt Press, 1942. Hardcover. Near Fine. First edition, unrecorded variant binding of horizontal stripes. Octavo. Printed paper over boards with printed blue paper label on the front cover. A trifle rubbed, still fine. One of 300 copies. Cunningham's scarce first book.

San Francisco, CA: Colt Press, 1942. Limited . Hardcover. Very Good+. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. 31pp.; HB quarter-bound red/blk.spotting w/red&gilt; slight rub w/lt.wear on edges; bookplate w/'pucker',ft.endpaper; some lt.tan w/clean,tight pgs. Poetry. "This is Number Two of the Poetry Booklets Series issued by The Colt Press in January, 1942, in an edition of 300 copies." signed by Cunningham