Memoirs of Josefine Mutzerbacher [Mutzenbacher]: The Story of a Viennese Prostitute as Told By Herself

[New York?]: n.p., 1931. A scarce pirated edition of the first English translation of the controversial erotic novel first published in Vienna in 1906 and generally attributed to Bambi author Felix Salten. The book is told from the perspective of an aging Viennese prostitute who recounts in graphic detail her many sexual escapades. It was banned in Austria from 1913-1971 and was at the center of numerous legal cases. It was also the basis for a number of literary sequels, pornographic film adaptations, theater productions, and scholarly articles.

The first English language edition was published in Paris in 1931 by Jack Kahane's Obelisk Press and was quickly pirated in New York City (publisher unknown, but thought to be either Sam Roth or Jake Brussell) and illustrated by Mahlon Blaine. But although our copy has some corresponding points for this edition, ‘Mutzenbacher' is misspelled ‘Mutzerbacher' to both the cover and title page, which is not mentioned in any of the official or unofficial bibliographies (we primarily deferred to Dr. Markus Läng's Felix Salten: A Preliminary Bibliography of His Works in Translation). Although the frontispiece could be by Blaine, there are two other illustrations very different in style signed by LeRoy, and three pornographic photographs. Unfortunately, there are no copies of this edition in WorldCat. A copy was sold at Bonham's in 2006, but it was sold as part of a erotic novel lot and was not described in detail.

Cheaply bound and printed in wrappers (8" x 5 ½"), 192 p., illustrations. Light wear to covers, but about near fine.