Two anthologies of poetry and prose by prominent artists of the Futurism and Imaginism movements in Russia. Moscow, 1915/1919. Russian. Cover designs by Aristarkh Lentulov.
1. Весеннее контрагентство муз [The Vernal Agency of the Muses], Futurist anthology edited by David Burliuk and Samuil Vermel. Moscow, 1915.
The anthology features poems and prose by Vasily Kamensky, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Nikolai Burliuk, Nikolai Aseev, Boris Pasternak and others, alongside illustrations by David Burliuk; print plate reproducing in color a sketch drawn by Aristarkh Lentulov for the set of a play by Vladimir Mayakovsky; and more.
[3]-107, [5] pp + [1] plate, 27 cm. Lacking first leaf. Good-fair overall condition. Stains. Tears to edges of several leaves. Large tears to last two leaves, some open and restored with paper; one reinforced with tape. Stained cover, with tears (spine and additional parts of the cover lacking, restored with paper; affecting text).
2. Явь, Стихи [Reality, Poems]. Moscow, 1919.
Anthology of poems by poets of the Imaginist movement – a Russian avant-garde poetic movement founded in Moscow in 1918, challenging the Futurist movement. The anthology, published approximately concurrently with the movement's manifesto, contains poems by Vadim Shershenevich, Ryurik Ivnev, Sergei Yesenin, Anatoly Mariengof and others.
69 pp, 26.5 cm. Thick paper. Good condition. Stains. Uneven edges. Stains and tears to cover (lacking spine and other parts of cover; restored with paper).
The covers of both booklets were designed by Aristarkh Lentulov (Аристарх Лентулов, 1882-1943), a Russian painter and scenic designer, a member of the avant-garde group "Jack of Diamods" founded in Moscow in 1910.
Provenance: The collection of Uzi Agassi.