My Mother's Killer - Limited Edition, Signed

ELLROY, JAMES [TEXT], DAVID LEVINTHAL [PHOTOGRAPHS]

Publication: Coromandel Express, 1998, Paris, France

First edition. Square folio (32.5cm); two bifolium leaves (title leaf and colophon), together with six tri-fold leaves, each containing an archivally housed color Cibachrome print (silver dye bleach/dye construction, measuring 11.5" x 10.5"), each signed and dated by Levinthal; housed in a blue paper-covered tri-fold portfolio with mounted hand-painted silver gelatin print (7.75" x 9.75") and paper-covered slipcase, with printed title label inset on front; parallel text in French and English. One of 55 numbered copies signed by the author and photographer. This copy unnumbered, but Levinthal's own copy, inscribed by him to American bookseller Glenn Horowitz inside the title leaf, by way of thanks for mounting an exhibition of his work: "To Glenn – with all my thanks and very best wishes – David Levinthal." A collaborative interpretation of the events surrounding the unsolved 1958 murder of James Ellroy's mother, Geneva Hilliker Ellroy, as recreated by noted photographer David Levinthal in a series of stylized miniature tableaux. Ellroy originally published "My Mother's Killer" in GQ magazine in 1994 – a searing account of how and why he decided to reopen his mother's unsolved case. Levinthal's photographs were produced specifically for this edition. OCLC notes 2 holdings (NYPL, Smithsonian). This is the first separate edition of Ellroy's groundbreaking piece, which he first wrote for GQ magazine in 1994. The article was, I believe a springboard for what would eventually become his 1996 book, My Dark Places, which is perhaps one of the great pieces of investigative journalism / true crime published in quite some time. The origins of that book are in the GQ article, the text of which appears in this very elaborate fine press edition. The text is laid out in an interesting way (with an eye toward design), printed in two colors (red and blue) on thick white card. As good as our high-res scanner is, I will just say this: it doesn't do the photographs justice. They are extremely dark, brooding, and beautiful to look at; Levinthal's tableaus are pretty incredible. The photographs, which are all protected by clear archival Mylar, almost look "wet" due to the development process. Really quite stunning. There has not been any other edition of this text outside of GQ magazine. I know I mentioned it, but it bears mentioning again: this was the photographer's own copy, inscribed and gifted to the recipient, who mounted an exhibition of Levinthal's photographs in his East Hampton gallery, sometime in the late 1990s - early 2000s. Contents and portfolio are Fine; a thin crack to top upper right edge of slipcase, else it is Near Fine.

Inventory Number: 50880