Alpha 137: Prints & Exhibition Ephemera IV

Rare to find an authentic hand signed piece like this with such amazing provenance. This hardback book is special because it represents a piece of Pop, Rock , Literary and Entertainment history from the 1980s. It was acquired from the estate of Camilla and Early McGrath. The Introduction to this book of Tennessee Williams Collected Stories was written by Gore Vidal, who was friends with the McGraths's. And this book was gifted by Jann and Jane Wenner, the legendary publishers and founding editor of Rolling Stone Magazine, to Earl McGrath. The outside cover bears a bold signature in black marker by Andy Warhol. Inside, on the first front end page, is a hand inscription "Happy Birthday Dear Earl, All XXX's and All OOO's, Jann and Jane, Mustique, 1985. This is an extraordinary piece. Authenticity and provenance unconditionally guaranteed.
Camilla McGrath (nee Countess Camilla Pecci-Blunt), wife of art dealer, entertainment executive and impresario Earl McGrath. This work was acquired from the Estate of Earl and Camilla McGrath. (Camilla died in 2007. and Earl died in 2016 at the age of 84.) In remembering Earl McGrath for Vanity Fair magazine, Warhol's editor and confidant Bob Colacello interviewed the many celebrities and artists who adored McGrath: "He was the last of a breed, one of the last great gentlemen and bohemians,” says Harrison Ford.."; He was the funniest man I have ever known,” declares Jerry Hall, whose friendship with McGrath went back to 1975, when she was the girlfriend of Bryan Ferry and he was vice president of Atlantic Records. “He also had a huge heart and was a magnet for us all in New York and Los Angeles.”; “Earl was so brilliantly irreverent,” says Anjelica Huston, who credits McGrath with introducing her to her late husband, the sculptor Robert Graham, who showed at his Los Angeles gallery; “He wasn’t always the jokester,” notes Brice Marden, who frequently dined tête-à-tête with McGrath. “He also had a keen eye and a kind of natural wisdom, albeit with a slightly warped attitude towards things. I just found him a really good person to hang out with. Whenever I had some deep question, I always wanted to consult Earl. It was reassuring to hear what he had to say.”...So who was this Earl McGrath? Unknown to the general public (and liking it that way), he was very well known to the very well known, the ultimate insider equally at home in the upper echelons of music, art, letters, and entertainment. Among the regulars who flocked to the salon-like lunches and dinners he and his wife, Countess Camilla Pecci-Blunt, a descendant of Pope Leo XIII, gave at their apartment across from Carnegie Hall and their house in West Hollywood were Andy Warhol; Mick Jagger; Gore Vidal; Audrey Hepburn; Anita Loos; Cy Twombly; Larry Rivers; Francesco and Alba Clemente; Prince Rupert Loewenstein; Connie Wald; Wendy Stark; Michelle Phillips; Julian Sands; Annie Leibovitz; Jann and Jane Wenner; Sonny and Gita Mehta; Terry Southern; Fernanda Eberstadt; Wes Anderson; Prince Michael of Greece and his wife, Marina Karella (who showed at McGrath’s gallery); Christopher Isherwood; Isabella Rossellini; Bernardo Bertolucci; and Dennis Hopper..."

This book is in good used condition, The outside cover has natural expected age wear and some grubbiness, and the book is in decent vintage condition, with some bumps, etc. The Warhol signature is clear, with expected age fading. The provenance of this book is direct and impeccable and pretty amazing. So it is exactly as it was acquired from the McGrath estate.

Makes a distinctive and memorable gift. One-of-a-kind piece for fans of Andy Warhol, Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams and Rolling Stone Magazine.
--Courtesy of Alpha 137 Gallery

Signature: Boldly signed on the cover in black marker by Andy Warhol. Also, bears a lovely ink dedication to Earl McGrath signed by Jann and Jane Wenner (Rolling Stone Magazine) inside on the first front end page.

Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation