This is really interesting! I had no idea Dos Passos had been an illustrator - especially beside the way his prose is formally interesting, this makes me wonder what his books originally looked like. I've only read U.S.A. in the Library of America edition, where everything has been cleaned up and put into straitjacket of their design.
I'm also kind of surprised at the connection between Dos Passos & Cendrars, which wasn't quite how I thought of Dos Passos. He's not someone that people seem to think that much about any more - I remember that he ended up as a terrible old right-winger (because of McCarthyism?), but I suspect that I'd find looking into his early work rewarding.
Thanks so much for posting scans of this beautiful book. I own a copy and it is one of my most prized possessions. Cendrars is under appreciated in the English-speaking world and Dos Passos was one of his earliest champions there.
Dan, I haven't seen any other Dos Passos illustrations, but I'll dig around. Also, I updated the post with some info on the Cendrars/Dos Passos connection (realizing I have a book that could supply such information).
I have an illustrated set of the USA trilogy (illustrated by Reginald Marsh, not Dos Passos)... and reading it with the pictures, the form of the story becomes much more Twain-like and cartoonish (in a good way) than DP's high-modern reputation would suggest.
i have a copy of Sutter's Gold, illustrated with coloured woodblocks as well as little b/w icons by Harry Cimino that i have been meaning to scan for you for quite some months now...just have no funds to do so. Also early illustrated works by Kenneth Patchen, and two of the best graphic novels ive ever read, both by one M. (Martin) Vaughn-James, the creator of the surreal "visual novel" or "boovie"
if you dont know him, you have to check him out, this stuff is right up your alley.
This is really interesting! I had no idea Dos Passos had been an illustrator - especially beside the way his prose is formally interesting, this makes me wonder what his books originally looked like. I've only read U.S.A. in the Library of America edition, where everything has been cleaned up and put into straitjacket of their design.
ReplyDeleteI'm also kind of surprised at the connection between Dos Passos & Cendrars, which wasn't quite how I thought of Dos Passos. He's not someone that people seem to think that much about any more - I remember that he ended up as a terrible old right-winger (because of McCarthyism?), but I suspect that I'd find looking into his early work rewarding.
Thanks so much for posting scans of this beautiful book. I own a copy and it is one of my most prized possessions. Cendrars is under appreciated in the English-speaking world and Dos Passos was one of his earliest champions there.
ReplyDeleteDan, I haven't seen any other Dos Passos illustrations, but I'll dig around. Also, I updated the post with some info on the Cendrars/Dos Passos connection (realizing I have a book that could supply such information).
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment David!
I have an illustrated set of the USA trilogy (illustrated by Reginald Marsh, not Dos Passos)... and reading it with the pictures, the form of the story becomes much more Twain-like and cartoonish (in a good way) than DP's high-modern reputation would suggest.
ReplyDeletehey Dos passos these are really good-
ReplyDeletei have a copy of Sutter's Gold, illustrated with coloured woodblocks as well as little b/w icons by Harry Cimino that i have been meaning to scan for you for quite some months now...just have no funds to do so. Also early illustrated works by Kenneth Patchen, and two of the best graphic novels ive ever read, both by one M. (Martin) Vaughn-James, the creator of the surreal "visual novel" or "boovie"
if you dont know him, you have to check him out, this stuff is right up your alley.
also read up about and check out the illustrations from the mysterious "Voynich Manuscript"
ReplyDeletethanks so much for the recommendations -- do you have a blog too (you mentioned scanning)?
ReplyDeleteLouis Vuitton came out with a nice bilingual edition of Panama several years ago with the Dos Passos translation and illustrations.
ReplyDelete