POETRIE 3/4 (POETEREI). DOPPELNUMMER DER HALBJAHRESSCHRIFT FÜR POESIE UND POETRIE. 1967. UNIQUE COPY AUGMENTED WITH SIGNED COLLAGE, SIGNED DRAWING & PIECE OF CHEESE BOUND IN. SIGNED & DATED & NUMBERED ON THE COLOPHON. ONE OF 230 .

Stuttgart, Hansjörg Mayer, 1967

25 x 14cm, 12pp (2 white) sheets followed by 22pp (2 white) sheets in block book binding. Artist’s book issued in 230 signed and numbered copies (by Roth in the colophon) which was a deluxe copy of Hans Jorg Mayer’s Poesie magazine (here nr 3/4, the last number published) – some copies with additional unique elements such as here.

This book has a unique photo-collage (a cut up photo of the Rhine reflecting buildings which is signed (“D.R.”) on a single page which is followed by a unique drawing in pen by Roth which is dated “72” so bound in later. The drawing (of a kneeling humanoid figure) is on a page that originally may have been an envelope or a paper shopping bag also contains what appears to be a slice of cheese which has made the drawing partially three-dimensional due to folds and bumps in the paper. The drawing and cheese were not found in all copies – in fact, a small number of copies have veal in the page rather than cheese. The text of the book is an extened “shit”  poem by Roth and a text “Der Ich, man, ein Jemand und Ich – in Basel am Rhein”

The colophon at the back of the book is (as noted above) signed and dated 1968 – this is number 170 from the entire edition.

The book is bound in leather (which may have come from veal or goat) – as manufactured by Roth’s friend Rudolf Rieser from whose estate this book has come.

There are around seven pages stained by the cheese as it deteriorated which has unavoidably affected the drawing (which was probably Roth’s intent) but the other book pages are VG+. The leather dustjacket has one small hole on the front and very minor chipping at the spine else all is VG+.

Unique version of what was already a very hard to find book.