[Rarebooks] FS: Marianne Moore's first books with 2 Letters to Mr. & Mrs. Alfred Barr

[Charles Agvent]

MOORE,  Marianne. POEMS. London: The Egoist Press  1921.
         First Edition.  Original  stiff   decorated  wrappers  with a
         printed  paper  label  on front cover.  Moore's  first  book,
         quite uncommon  in this condition. Laid in are two  AUTOGRAPH
         LETTERS  SIGNED  by  Moore, each one page, to  Mr.  and  Mrs.
         Alfred  Barr.  Alfred  Barr  was the first  director  of  the
         Museum  of Modern Art, and the couple were regular recipients
         of new  books  by and from Moore. The first  letter,  dated 8
         October  1937,  is  to  Mrs.   Burr  with  a  rather  flowery
         congratulations  on the birth of a child: "the light and  joy
         which the  presence of a little child creates, and our [Moore
         and her  mother]  realizing  that  you have  it."  The  other
         letter,  in  Moore's typical green ink and dated 4 May  1953,
         thanks  Alfred for his encouragement: "You won't discard  me,
         will you."  Moore  refers  to  an  award  [she  had  won  the
         Bollingen  Prize  in 1952, the "medal" referred to is  likely
         the Gold  Medal  for Poetry presented to her by the  National
         Institute  of  Arts and Letters in 1953]: "I should not  have
         the medal  and went to a great deal of trouble to see that it
         went to  someone qualified--(Well--if it is like the one they
         gave Alexis  St.  Leger it is about the size of a  water-thin
         and not  hideous--)." Interesting content. Both letters  with
         a normal  folding  crease. Housed in a folding blue  slipcase
         with a  large  gilt-lettered and decorated  burgundy  morocco
         label on  the  front  cover.  Lovely, fresh  copy,  with  two
         letters as a bonus, in slipcase.                     $2500.00

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