The Smile at the Foot of the Ladder. By Henry Miller. First Edition, First Printing. Duell, Sloan, and Pearce. New York, 1948.

Henry Miller is rarely grouped with his contemporaries from the twentieth century. A perpetual nonconformist, Miller applied postmodern conventions with a candid delivery, especially where his work dealt with sexual and explicit content. In turn, he was one of the most banned authors from the era. Yet he was also highly admired, especially among fellow artists and writers. In The Smile at the Foot of the Ladder, Miller presents one such example. It is a novella about a sad clown. Miller ranked it among his best works. The first edition also proved a highly collaborative production. It contains illustrations from some of the best artists of the era, including Lautrec, Chagall, Picasso, and many others. These artists, who recognized Miller’s genius, matched the quality of his prose through their illustrations. It is a remarkable work from the mid-twentieth century that is not often praised as much as it ought to be.

This first edition, first printing is in good condition. In the original quarter cloth over paper boards, good with rubbing to edges and crushing to front board. Text block fine, illustrations superb. In the original dust jacket, good with boiling, creases, chipping, and tears.

A good first edition of Henry Miller’s wonderful artist collaboration.