WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS AUTOGRAPH POEM SIGNED
1946. One-page autograph poem signed by William Carlos Williams with one fold and housed in the original envelope. Dated 2/1/46, it quotes his poem "Peace on Earth with the opening four lines: "The Archer is wake! / The Swan is flying! / Gold against blue / An Arrow is lying."
Letter is in Very Good condition with light wear, offsetting to rear from envelope glue. Light age toning to envelope. KW Consignment. Shelved case 0.
1366441
Shelved Dupont Bookstore
Sold
NOTES
From the Stephen May Autograph Collection. As a youth in the 1940's, Stephen May (1931-2016) collected autographs of famous people, identifying individuals through Who's Who publications and contacting them with a thoughtful, lengthy, well-researched letter introducing himself, acknowledging the individuals’ accomplishments, asking one or two pertinent questions and, finally, requesting that they return a signature. Some responded simply with an autograph on a provided 3x5 card while others included bonus material with the signature in the form of a poem, letter, friendly greeting, or words of advice for the teenage boy. Steve's collecting hobby became known among his family and wider circle of friends in the city of Rochester, NY, where his father, Arthur J. May, taught European history at the University of Rochester, and his mother, Hilda Jones May, was active in the community. Eventually, more people helped Steve in his pursuit, which accounts for the signatures with dates before or after the mid-40's and without the prompting of a letter from him. A few signatures are from the 19th century. The collection is a broad representation of the people and forces that shaped our world, and the culture, accomplishments, and innovations of the first half the 20th century.