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Lot 479

THOMAS DYLAN (1914-1953, Welsh poet)

Amended
8 May 2013, 13:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £687.50 inc. premium

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THOMAS DYLAN (1914-1953, Welsh poet)

PORTRAIT BY ROLLIE MCKENNA (1918-2003), AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER, photograph printed personally by the photographer, silver print, half length, in profile facing right, right hand raised with a pencil between his index finger and thumb, a cigarette in his mouth, photographer's label affixed to the verso with her address (1 Hancox Street, Stonington, CT, USA), framed and glazed, size of image c. 10 x 8 inches (24 x 19 cm), overall size 15 x 13 inches (39 x 32 cm), taken in New York, 1953 (printed later)

This famous photograph was taken in 1953 when Thomas was perfecting and performing his 'looney-maybe-play', Under Milk Wood, five performers and Dylan taking the fifty-four parts. As Rollie McKenna photographed him he admonished the others to 'love the words...Love the words'. Dylan was extremely unwell, one moment a 'disorientated hulk', the next 'a driving, inspiring teacher.'

REFERENCE: Rollie McKenna, Portrait of Dylan, 1982.

PROVENANCE: Obtained directly from Rollie McKenna by the former owner (Jeff Towns).

Saleroom notices

This lot is incorrectly labelled 'AR' in the printed catalogue and is not subject to Artists' Resale Right.

Additional information

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A Presentation Copy of Kennedy's First Book to Spencer Tracy. Kennedy, John F. 1917-1963. Why England Slept. New York: Wilfred Funk, Inc., 1940.

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CORNELIUS, MATTHEWS, editor. 1817-1889. The Enchanted Moccasins and Other Legends of the American Indians.

CALEPINO, AMBROGIO. 1435-1511. [Dictionarium.] Calepinus Ad librum. Mos est putidas.... Venice: Peter Liechtenstein, January 3, 1509.

HEARN, LAFCADIO. 1850-1904. [Japanese Fairy Tales.] Philadelphia: Macrae-Smith, [But Tokyo: T. Hasegawa,] [c.1931].

HEMINGWAY, ERNEST. 1899-1961. PUTNAM, SAMUEL, translator. Kiki's Memoirs. Paris: Sign of the Black Manikin, 1930.