First edition of this mid-career monograph on legendary American dancer, teacher, and choreographer Martha Graham, published in 1966 by Alfred A. Knopf. Includes images from iconic collaborations with composer Aaron Copeland (Appalachian Spring) and artist/set designer Isamu Noguchi (Appalachian Spring, Phaedra, Seraphic Dialogue, Acrobats of God, etc). With a chronological list of dances choreographed by Graham between 1926-1965 as an appendix. An exceptional association copy, inscribed by Martha Graham to Lillian Gish, with an accompanying signed letter from LeRoy Leatherman on Martha Graham Foundation for Contemporary Dance letterhead, dated August 5, 1966. The half-title bears Graham’s inscription: “Dear Lillian / with love / Martha.” The recipient, Lillian Gish, was among the most revered figures of early American cinema, whose stature extended well beyond film into the broader culture. The accompanying letter, signed in ink by LeRoy Leatherman in his capacity as Director of Development, is addressed directly to Gish at her New York residence. It solicits a written statement in support of Graham’s achievements for use in a coordinated fundraising effort, emphasizing the urgency of preserving Graham’s work and ensuring the continuity of her school and company. The letter provides rare contemporaneous documentation of the Graham organization’s efforts, in the mid-1960s, to secure financial and cultural support from prominent American figures. Taken together, the inscription and letter form a coherent archival pairing: a personal presentation copy reinforced by institutional context. The relationship implied is not merely social but professional, situating Gish within a network of high-profile advocates enlisted to support Graham’s legacy at a critical juncture. 4to (9” x 11.25”), cloth boards with photographic dust jacket, 182 pages. Illustrated with b/w photographs by official Graham photographer Martha Swope, and additionally signed on the title page by both Swope and author LeRoy Leatherman. A superior association copy, in impeccable condition, linking two central figures of twentieth-century American performance—modern dance and early cinema—augmented by primary-source material documenting the mechanics of arts patronage and institutional development. Especially resonant in this Centennial year of the Martha Graham Dance Company. Provenance: the estate of James Frasher, Gish’s longtime manager and confidante, and a minor actor himself.
First edition of this mid-career monograph on legendary American dancer, teacher, and choreographer Martha Graham, published in 1966 by Alfred A. Knopf. Includes images from iconic collaborations with composer Aaron Copeland (Appalachian Spring) and artist/set designer Isamu Noguchi (Appalachian Spring, Phaedra, Seraphic Dialogue, Acrobats of God, etc). With a chronological list of dances choreographed by Graham between 1926-1965 as an appendix. An exceptional association copy, inscribed by Martha Graham to Lillian Gish, with an accompanying signed letter from LeRoy Leatherman on Martha Graham Foundation for Contemporary Dance letterhead, dated August 5, 1966. The half-title bears Graham’s inscription: “Dear Lillian / with love / Martha.” The recipient, Lillian Gish, was among the most revered figures of early American cinema, whose stature extended well beyond film into the broader culture. The accompanying letter, signed in ink by LeRoy Leatherman in his capacity as Director of Development, is addressed directly to Gish at her New York residence. It solicits a written statement in support of Graham’s achievements for use in a coordinated fundraising effort, emphasizing the urgency of preserving Graham’s work and ensuring the continuity of her school and company. The letter provides rare contemporaneous documentation of the Graham organization’s efforts, in the mid-1960s, to secure financial and cultural support from prominent American figures. Taken together, the inscription and letter form a coherent archival pairing: a personal presentation copy reinforced by institutional context. The relationship implied is not merely social but professional, situating Gish within a network of high-profile advocates enlisted to support Graham’s legacy at a critical juncture. 4to (9” x 11.25”), cloth boards with photographic dust jacket, 182 pages. Illustrated with b/w photographs by official Graham photographer Martha Swope, and additionally signed on the title page by both Swope and author LeRoy Leatherman. A superior association copy, in impeccable condition, linking two central figures of twentieth-century American performance—modern dance and early cinema—augmented by primary-source material documenting the mechanics of arts patronage and institutional development. Especially resonant in this Centennial year of the Martha Graham Dance Company. Provenance: the estate of James Frasher, Gish’s longtime manager and confidante, and a minor actor himself.
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