David Mason Fine and Rare Books

CHAMBERS, Jack, and James Reaney.  The Dance of Death at London, Ontario.  [Signed by Reaney].

London: Alphabet Press, 1963. Signed and dated 1964 by Reaney. Tall 8vo., orig. pictorial wrappers, 32pp. With illustrations by Jack Chambers. Some browning to spine and perimeter of wrappers but still a near fine copy of an uncommon publication.

This is the first publication from Alphabet Press and the blurb on the rear wrapper states that it ‘represents a collaboration between an artist and a poet that is rare and unusual. The poet's idea for this chapbook came from an old German book called The Dance of Death at Basle. This "totentanz" book was not the only impetus though, for it was only after seeing some burdocks in an old graveyard at the edge of the city that the book really began to get going.'

Reaney was the editor of the literary magazine, Alphabet, and Chambers was a painter whose work was exhibited at the Isaacs Gallery in Toronto.