Collected Works in Four Volumes
1967. Item #1365
A rare and historically significant émigré edition of Osip Mandelstam’s collected works, published in Washington by Inter-Language Literary Associates between 1967 and 1971, with an additional fourth volume issued by YMCA Press in Paris in 1981. This second, revised, and expanded edition represents the first comprehensive attempt to compile all of Mandelstam’s published works, carefully edited by prominent scholars G. P. Struve and B. A. Filippov. Due to its uncensored content, this publication was prohibited in the Soviet Union until 1988.
Volumes I–III (Washington: Inter-Language Literary Associates, 1967–1971). Printed in Munich by I. Bashkirtsev’s printing house, this edition features gilt-stamped publisher’s bindings. The binding and cover design, as well as a portrait of Mandelstam, were created by artist S. L. Gollerbakh. Estimated print run: 3,000 copies.
Volume I – Poetry (1967): 598 pages. Includes a frontispiece portrait of Mandelstam by S. Gollerbakh and two additional glossy leaves with rare photographs of the poet.
Volume II – Prose (1971): 731 pages. Features a frontispiece portrait by Lev Bruni and five additional glossy leaves with illustrations and photographs.
Volume III – Essays and Letters (1969): 545 pages. Includes a 1936 photograph of Mandelstam and five additional glossy leaves with illustrations and archival images.
Volume IV – Expanded Collection (Paris: YMCA Press, 1981): 200 pages: illustrations, photographs. Edited by G. P. Struve, N. Struve, and B. Filippov, this supplemental volume further enriches the collection with additional texts and materials, reflecting Mandelstam’s evolving literary and historical significance.
All volumes exhibit slight fading and wear. The text blocks remain sturdy, with light foxing present throughout.
Osip Mandelstam (1891–1938) remains one of Russia’s most influential poets, known for his lyrical mastery and defiant opposition to Stalinist repression. Arrested twice under Stalin’s rule, he perished in a transit camp near Vladivostok in 1938. His works were banned in the USSR for decades, making this émigré edition a crucial literary preservation effort.
This meticulously compiled set, enriched with critical essays by leading émigré scholars and rare archival images, stands as a cornerstone of Mandelstam’s literary legacy.
Price: $600.00