The Americans. Photographs by Robert Frank. Introduction by Jack Kerouac

N. Y.: Grove Press, (1959). First American edition, preceded by the French edition, which did not include the Kerouac introduction or Frank's textual comments. "The Delpire first edition Les Américains (1958) is more like a sociological study, wherein Frank's photographs appear as illustrations of the probing texts printed on facing pages, gathered by Alain Bosquet from dozens of illustrious writers. . . . When Barney Rosset at Grove Press agreed to publish The Americans in the U.S., Frank pulled out all the text, leaving only blank pages with captions facing the images, mirroring the layout of Evans's American Photographs. . . . The French edition is sociology, the American edition is poetry." - David Levi Strauss, as quoted by Roth, The Book of 101 Books, p. 150. A few pieces of non-staining tape inside the dust jacket, reinforcing a few tiny closed tears, otherwise a remarkably fine copy. Oblong 4to, original cloth, dust jacket. A few pieces of non-staining tape inside the dust jacket, reinforcing a few tiny closed tears, otherwise a remarkably fine copy.