INSOMNIA, OR THE DEVIL AT LARGE by Miller, Henry - 1970

Albuquerque: Loujon Press, 1970. Folio. Quarto spiralbound book in foil wrapper and twelve lithographed broadside reproductions of watercolors, plus frontis and special colophon/title leaf, enclosed in publisher's folding cloth clamshell box. Fine. First edition, special issue (distributed ca. 1971). This present copy is one of twenty copies specially cased and distributed as a memorial fund-raiser for the publisher. It includes a frontispiece portrait of Henry Miller by Paul Giovanopoulos not included in the regular issues (1/30 numbered and signed in pencil by the artist in the margin), along with a manuscript note by Mrs. Jon Webb, and a specially printed title leaf for the portfolio (not noted by the bibliographers, who oddly denote this a second "edition," which it is not). Although not called for, each of the plates of watercolors by Miller is signed by him in the margin (generally near the facsimile signature), in ink, rather than pencil, as was the case with the more exclusive regular issues. This rather awkward production was ill-starred from its initial conception, when an edition of 999 copies was envisioned; reality soon sunk in, and the edition was reduced to 699 copies. In the end, only three hundred of the original wood cases were completed, and some of the more lavish deluxe issues - A through F - were issued in far smaller numbers than intended. A portion of the edition was then offered as the "Economy" issue, without the wooden case, but with the reproductions. Apart from the original issue 'A' (12 copies with an original watercolor by Miller), this is the most limited of the distributed issues, and the clamshell box is far preferable to the wood slide-case (with the famous photo of Miller astride a toilet) that accompanied a portion of the other issues. Extra postage. S&J A175k.