Bukowski working-sign (1 Viewer)

Bukowski working-sign:

This is a simple carton.
The writing on it is authentic.
(No, NOT for sale! - sorry kids.)


I imagine, how Hank put this on his front door to let people know ...

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classic. Henry Miller did the same thing, but he wrote a LONG letter to his fans telling them to leave him alone:

Notice to Visitors

The undersigned wishes to inform all and someday that he has long since left the Abode of Peace, that he no longer has any comfort or inspiration to offer, and that even the migratory birds avoid this spot. Prayers are offered up daily - without charge. The garden has been transformed into an open air Vespasienne. Look toward Nepenthe when you water the flowers. If you are seeking Truth travel a little farther south: you will find it at Ojai Chez Krishnamuriti. Be kind to the children - they abide. For a metaphysical treat stop at the Big Sur Inn which is also a haven for stray cats and dogs. Life along the South Coast is just a bed of roses, with a few thorns and nettles interjoined. The life class meets every Monday regardless. Refreshments are served when demanded. Those interested in celestial navigation are advised to first obtain a rudimentary knowledge of integral calculus, phlebotomy, actual physicals and related subjects. The use of liquor is strictly forbidden on interplanetary flights.

When you come please be so kind as to check your neuroses and psychoses at the gate. Gossip may be exchanged during the wee hours of the morning when the gremlins have left. Please bear in mind that this is a small community and news travels fast. (Carrier pigeons are provided when necessary.) Fans and other obnoxious pests would do well to maintain silence. Questions relating to work-in-progress will be answered in stereotype fashion in the columns of the Big Sur Guide at the usual space rates. God is Love - and in the ultimate Love will prevail. Remember, man is the ruler, not Saturn! Let us do our best, even if it gets us nowhere. In the middle of darkness there is light. "I am the light of the world," said Jesus. He said a mouthful.

Light, more light!

Regretfully,
Henry Miller

Bill
 
Wow, what a great piece of Bukowskiana. Where did you get it, Roni?

Pretty funny "Notice to visitors", by Henry Miller. He did have a way with words, the old scoundrel.
 
Pretty funny "Notice to visitors", by Henry Miller.

yeah, it's cool + creative. But long as it is, I guess 'visitors' stayed longer in front of that door, than he wished them to.


Where did you get it, Roni?

You can guess it and would be right:

it was among the MM-belongings.



I'm always grateful, when I have something, I can share here. I took so much from this site. My little contributions are just a modest way to say Thank You.
 
From the MM belongings? What a great little item! The MM belongings must be a real treasure trove. It must have been a great experience for you to go through it all.

Right, Miller's guests probably stood a long time in front of his door reading that notice. He should have used Buk's version instead - "Dear Sir: NO VISITORS. - Buk"
 
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That is such a great thing roni. Actually inspirational if taken in a general way -- 'buzz off world, I'm trying to get something done'. I would like to copy it and hang it over my computer.
 
I'm hoping that's a wine stain at the bottom.

I can't tell. Only thing I know is: it's not from me (this time).



I'm glad you cats like it.
I did!



bukfan:
it sure was great. But also hard work.
I didn't even get to catalogue Everything, since I was there only for 10 days. Would have needed at least 2 months!
But the seed is planted an Daisy knows where to go from here. That's what matters.
 
Two months? MM must have had quite a lot of Buk stuff when passed away! What an incredible collection.
 
MM must have had quite a lot of Buk stuff when passed away!

well, that goes not for most of the 'usual collectibles', which he had already sold via Simon-Finch!


What actually IS there are VERY SPECIAL things, like personally inscriped books, proofs, dummies, etc.

/ And (just in case some sucker out there is watering their mouth now and smelling big business!):
I adviced her on EVERY SINGLE ITEM (!),
what CAN be sold and what not; What does NOT belong into the hands of private collectors and what she should keep for personal reasons, etc.
[I especially cared to make her aware, that even things that LOOK like nothing (chapbooks etc) can be of GREAT VALUE!]

She's not a Buk-expert, but now, there is NO WAY to cheat her! Whoever reads this: Don't even think of it!
 
I would think it came from Carlton Way, but it could be from San Pedro during one of Bukowski's "bachelor" periods there. I just don't think that many people came knocking on the door in San Pedro. Not as many as when he lived in Hollywood, for sure. He could have ignored door knockers in San Pedro anyway, working upstairs and all.
 
well, that goes not for most of the 'usual collectibles', which he had already sold via Simon-Finch!

What actually IS there are VERY SPECIAL things, like personally inscriped books, proofs, dummies, etc.
I remember the Simon Finch sale. There was some nice things there.
I'm glad to hear you adviced her on every single item so nobody can take advantage of her not being a Buk expert.
She must have a bunch of those very special things, since it'll take a long time to evaluate and catalog it all. Good for her!
 
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Interesting to compare the ones by Henry Miller and Bukowski ;)

I guess the Miller working-sign is a good example for the "star trek sperm bit fuzz" Bukowski often complained about reading the old mans work.
 
I would think it came from Carlton Way, [...]

that's what I think too. It has no remarks that let us know for sure, but I would rule out San Pedro for the same reasons mjp did and earlier as Carlton Way seems odd, because I can't imagine him 'moving' this sign. But I sure can imagine MM seeing it on Carlton Way and asking for it.

That's a real good thing you done there, lad. I hope she appreciated your efforts.

yeah she did. She was very thankful.

Thanks for the kudos, friends.

I'm not the master Buk-expert here, but know enough about this to make someone who isn't into Bukowski aware, that there's more to it than seems to be in the first place. At the moment she's not intending to sell anything of this anyway and whenever she'll think about it, she won't do without asking me back on the item(s) in question.


And without giving detailed info away at this early point, I just want to mention, that there will be future cooperations between her and the Bukowski-Society.
 
That's beautiful! I love it!

But please, before you use this in public, let me ask Daisy about it.
I don't want to become a sort of Bukileak and if she doesn't feel fine with it, I'll stop here.
 
Nice, roni -- thanks for posting the note. I'm glad you are alerting her to all the scoundrels that would cheat a widow out of rare items. My dad collected vintage cameras and photos and after he died his "best friend" among the fellow collectors visited my mom and bought up the ten best items my dad had for $100 each. This included -- I've heard -- a Daguerreotype camera among other treasures. The bastard cherry picked the collection and gave her token money. The Dag camera alone is/was worth about $50,000, give or take inflation and stock market crashes. He burns in hell for that (I asked Dante and it's true.)
 
Yeah, Dag cameras are rarer than hen's teeth, for sure.

I'd love to make one, though. I understand that there is a process of developing daguerreotypes that does not involve heating mercury over an open flame and using the vapors (which, of course, are highly toxic). The problem is that the only person that I have seen that will train you on this charges about $800 for a two day class. Worth it, of course, if I had nothing on my plate that was too pressing. If would be cool to offer a super deluxe edition with an original daguerreotype mounted in the cover of the clamshell...

Bill
 
I didn't know there's a non-toxic way to make daguerreotypes. Any different in quality between the old technique and the new?

Apologies for going off topic (again).
 
That would be an expensive hobby to take up, camera cost aside. There is a modern process that involves iodine (and some other stuff) processing on silver coated plates. Silver being what it is, I can't imagine those plates are exactly cheap. And iodine isn't mercury, but it's still unpleasant. I wonder if the results are really equal though. Some people still do use mercury vapors to develop daguerreotype images, using special enclosures. I don't think I'd want to mess with it (mercury especially, but iodine too), but hats off to anyone who does. You have to really love the result to go to all that trouble, but the result is pretty unique, no doubt.
 
I hear that the best way to get silver coated plates it to get copper and electroplate them yourself. I cannot imagine that it would take too much silver for a plate. Still, when digital photos are free and instant, it is odd to want to pick up a process where each photo costs $25 and takes 8 hours to prepare, photograph and process....
Bill
 
Ha ha - well sure, electroplating doesn't add any extra work to the process. You may as well hand-forge your own copper plates and haul everything around on the back of a donkey too. But I know it's attractive - hell, even fun in a meditative kind of steampunk, DIY way - to use old processes. It's why some people suffer with typewriters or hand ground ink.

So I fully expect to visit Delaware one day and see a tank full of copper plates bubbling away in your garage electroplater.
 

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