Lark, The Issues 1-24 plus the Epi-Lark

William Doxey. Lark, The--Issues 1-24 plus the Epi-Lark, 1895-1897, William Doxey, San Francisco. 5.5 x 7.5 inches. Various paginations.

Complete run of The Lark including the Epi-Lark. Overall, better than average condition for these fragile single issues. Typical chipping, especially to wrappers and fore edge. Light toning to paper as common. Several pages found uncut. Good Condition. In a latter-day brick colored slipcase with leather stamped title on spine.

Rare run of the single issues of the well-known San Francisco humor magazine founded in 1895 by Gelett Burgess and William Doxey. These fragile little booklets most often are found bound in two volumes.

Volume 1, number 1 appeared May 1, 1895, with the famous couplet by Burgess:

I never saw a purple cow
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one!

The little literary magazine gained popularity and soon reached a circulation of 3,000 but quickly lost steam and published their last volume in April of 1897, to be followed in May 1897 with the Epi-Lark. Apparently Burgess grew tired of his one-hit-wonder of the Purple Cow and ends volume 24 as such:

Ah, yes, I wrote the "Purple Cow"-
I'm Sorry, now, I wrote it;
But I can tell you Anyhow
I'll Kill you if you Quote it!