CHICAGO DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION 1968 Hand-written eye witness accounts of the violence suffered by...

CHICAGO DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION 1968 Hand-written eye witness accounts of the violence suffered by protesters during the convention, by Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, Jean Genet and Terry Southern, hurriedly composed after demonstrators, including the writers, were tear-gassed by police in Lincoln Park, comprising: (i) William S. Burrough, autograph statement signed ('Colonel William S. Burroughs/ August 27, 1968'), one paragraph (ii) Jean Genet, 2 autograph statements signed ('Je. Gt'), written in French, each one paragraph (iii) Allen Ginsberg, autograph statement signed ('Allen Ginsberg'), one page (iv) Terry Southern, autograph statement, one paragraph 4 pages, written on one side only in blue or black ink, all but Ginsberg's statement with crossings out and corrections, some creasing, preserved in blue morocco-backed solander box, titled in gilt on spine, 4to, August 1968 Footnotes: 'All is Poetry, the political convention's fake images, mobilizers conspiring with Reason to demonstrate American Unconscious... I got gassed chanting holy AUM with a hundred youthful voices under the trees, Jean Genet a little gassed wandering among crowds of children at night. We wanted to sleep on the grass all night, not confront tired historical phantoms armed with tear gas revolvers acting definite roles written for them by egotistical poets in the City Hall. The Daily Mayor [sic] has written a bloody vulgar script for American children' (Ginsberg). Southern, Burroughs and Jean Genet had been sent by Esquire magazine to cover the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, accompanied by photographer Michael Cooper and poet Allen Ginsberg. Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, it would turn out to be one of the most confrontational conventions in American history, with protests lasting some seven days and anti-war demonstrators being met with violence from the Chicago Police Department and Army National Guard under the direction of then-mayor Richard J. Daley. The first couple of days of protests were tense but relatively peaceful; however, on the 25th the fuse was ignited when police began beating protestors to get them to leave Lincoln Park at the end of 'Festival of Life'. The tear-gassing and beatings referred to by the writers took place late the following night on 26 August, when police again tried to clear protestors from the park. Provenance: Ed Sanders, bookseller's 2-page description included in the lot, stating that the statements 'were released to the Press and eventually these original manuscripts were sold by Ed Sanders Peace Eye Book Store'. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing